My 339 is in dire need !!

[narssistyx]

Hello guys and gals,

I have a slight problem with my 339, I changed the guage of my strings and now the guitar is all out of wack. I changed from 10's to 11's. I know I look like a noob asking this, but what should i do?:)

[clayville]

"Out of whack" covers a lot of ground, but doesn't give a helper much to go on... but here's what I'd do:

 

1. Strings binding at the nut? Try lubricating it by running a small pencil through the slot. Or gently run a small piece of sandpaper against the vertical sides of the slot a few times (loosen the string and move it out of the slot first), being careful not to alter the bottom of the "take off" point where the string leaves towards the bridge end. Either or both of these can easily fix "tuning" problems on a Gibson nut. Especially with their angled travel toward the tuners, the two middle strings can bind and "ping" during tuning or bending while playing.

 

2. Check the intonation by checking an open note against the note fretted at the 12th fret with an electronic tuner. If the 12th fret note is sharp, use a small screwdriver to move the saddle back toward the tailpiece. If it's flat, move the saddle toward the nut. Small changes (1/4 turn at a time) can help you dial it in.

 

3. If the oscillation of your strings is causing fret buzz, use the thumb wheels on the bridge to raise the bridge just enough to overcome it.

 

A more complete description of your problem might get you more help if the above doesn't help. It's conceiveable that the higher tension from a heavier gauge string may require you to tweak your truss rod a little too.

[L5Larry]

Due to the increase in string guage, you probably need what is called a "setup". It's a combination of adjustments to the truss rod, bridge height, saddles for intonation, pickup height, etc. Each adjustment had an effect on the others so it is best done by a knowledgeable professional. Usually costs about $45.

[tattoo]

well by out of wack im assuming its buzzing all over the place..and im also assuming neck is straight and you had very low action on it before string change, so with the jump up in gauges you need to adjust the bridge. being you only went up a guage you really only need to raise bridge ever so slightly until no more buzz and you probably dont need to adjust intonation since its such a small adjustment, however you should check intonation like clayville sugested. this should be no big deal and only take a little while.

[Murph]

I know I look like a noob asking this' date=' but what should i do?[/quote']

 

You look like a noob with 1 post.

 

Setup ain't rocket science. You found this place, do some research.....

 

Best of luck.

[rocketman]

Setup ain't rocket science. You found this place' date=' do some research.....[/quote']

 

You mean I got that Ph.D. in rocket science for nothing??? Darn...

 

If you've never done a setup on a guitar then you probably don't want to start with your 339. My advice is to take it to a tech who will do it right. I also recommend that you get a cheap guitar, take the whole thing apart and put it back together. Play around with setting that guitar up. Once you get comfortable doing that then you'll have confidence to work on your pride and joy. In the end you'll find out that it's a lot of fun too...

[dsl]

There are lots of sites that will help:

 

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/tutorial1.htm

 

http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/Repairs2.htm

 

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_3566_tips-set-up-guitar.html

[tbonesullivan]

take it to a tech for a setup. out of the box most guitars will work well with .08, .09, and .10 strings without needing the nut and bridge to be filed. with .11s, you may have binding at the nut and possibly the bridge.

 

Also, whenever you change string gauges, you will most likely have to check the relief in the neck, and possibly adjust the truss rod. also, intonation may need adjustment.