Setup Advice Needed

[deepblue]

Question for you setup guys...

 

Im trying to help a friend do a setup.

He just received a neck (via my advice) from Warmoth.

Its a Fender copy. Now, we have the string saddles as high up as they will go, but the strings

are still buzzing on the fretboard.

Could it be a truss rod issue?

 

any tips would be appreciated.

[milod]

I'm betting it's the angle of the bolt-on neck to the body.... You may want to somehow shim the front of the slot for the neck - at least I got away with doing that years ago...

 

I hate to admit I don't recall exactly how I did it, but... if all the strings are buzzing, that's a place to start.

 

It's somehow the connection of neck to body, is what I'd figure if all the strings are way too low and raising the bridge string saddles can't help. Either the slot itself is not cut deeply enough for this neck, or the neck is too high at the joint - or the angle is a shade too steep.

 

Before I'd start cutting anything or messing too much with the truss rod, I'd try the shim. Just don't mess up the "screw holes" tightening things too much.

 

Sorry I can't be more specific but it's been a long, long, long time since I messed with a bolt-on neck, but it seems if it's a truss rod issue you'd see a bow one way or another on the neck. Have you put a straight-edge to it or pressed down the strings to see where they go.?

 

There may well be better techniques out there too. I just went by what seemed right back in the olden days. <grin>

 

m

[Riffster]

Yep, shimming the neck is the way to go.

 

I am setting up my Strat with a new bridge and I will do the same.

 

I have done it in the past and used part of an exacto knife blade as a shim.

 

The guy that did a fret polishing/leveling on that guitar recenlty laughed at me for using a blade as a shim but stopped when he saw how well it worked. Metal does not give with time and transmits the vibration well.

[L5Larry]

I'm betting it's the angle of the bolt-on neck to the body.... You may want to somehow shim the front of the slot for the neck

 

Milod has good advise as usual, this is how you adjust the "neck set" of any bolt-on. MOST properly setup Strats have shimmed necks, this is just a standard part of the setup process, done AFTER the truss rod is properly adjusted.

 

When shimming a Strat neck I use thin sheet copper (because I happen to have a bunch of different thicknesses of leftover sheet copper), but anything will do from cut-up business cards, manila file folders, thin aluminum (guttering), etc. That is the thickness of shims your looking for, you will be surprised how just a couple layers of a business card will move the neck angle greatly.

 

Cut a few layers of shim material 1/2" wide and just long enough to fit between the neck bolts. Not only does the thickness of the shim affect the end result, but the placement does also. It's pretty much a trial and error situation. Try first putting a shim or two (stacked) right between the front neck bolts. Retighten the neck and bring the strings back to tension, adjust the saddles and see where you are. During the trial and error process you do not have to unstring the guitar, just loosen the strings enough to be able to get the neck out of the pocket. Continue the process by adding or subtracting shim thickness until you are satisfied. ALWAYS start the neck bolts only by hand (so as not to "crossthread") and be careful not to "overtighten" and strip out the anchor holes in the neck, as you may be repeating this process a few times.

 

The "perfect" neck angle on a Strat will be when the saddle heights are adjusted for personal playing height (without buzzes, of course), and the saddle adjusting screws are even with the top of the saddles, or just barely protruding through the top. This is specifically for playing comfort, so the saddle screws do not dig into the side of your hand, since the most common Strat playing style seems to be to rest ones right hand on the bridge.

[Blackie]

Yep shim

[AXE®]

Best shim material I have used is simple automotive feeler gauge shims.

 

[Blackie]

.........and you would know exactly what the size of the shim was in relation to neck angle.......for reference.

That Axe dude is smart. I learned the shim deal from Fenders. When I took the neck off a pre cbs mustang it had shims on it at the base of the neck.

[deepblue]

Thank you to all of you guys. I never thought about shims....great advice as always.

[TommyK]

No way to really give you an honest answer unless we can sight down the neck of the guitar. If you want to know if it is a truss rod issue, you need to sight down the neck, or more accurately, place a straight edge along the entire length of the neck.

 

If it bows up in the center like my tummy, then the TR needs to be tightened. This is evidenced by the straight edge being down on the 1 fret, but up in the air on the last fret.

 

if it bows down like a show ski, then the TR needs loosening. Some strat players like the nut end of the neck to come up just the least little bit like a snow ski. This is evidenced by the straight edge resting on the 1 and last fret, but the frets in the middle don't touch the straight edge.

 

Checking for bow up / bow down must be done while the guitar is strung completely up and in tune.

 

Once you've properly adjusted the TR, THEN consider shimming the neck.

 

Old credit cards, or those credit card like objects you get in junk mail, make good shim stock. They're cheap and you don't have to cannibalize an expensive feeler gauge set.