Midtown Custom: High E string too close to the edge?

[Fleece]

My only grievance with my new axe is that the high E string will occasionally slide right off the fretboard if I fret it less than perfectly or don't apply a little upward pressure. It mainly poses a problem with the open G chord, but also hinders vibrato and pull-offs.

 

I've Googled the issue, and it seems that I'm not the first to experience this problem with a Gibson (at least I've heard Les Paul and 335 owners having similar issues).

 

As this is my first Gibson, I'm curious if this is a common "feature" of Gibson guitars, or if I'm just unlucky.

 

While the nut seems a little too tight, it doesn't appear otherwise unusual. But it seems that the frets begin to round off way before the edge. My low E can be made to slip off as well, but it's less prone to, ostensibly because its thicker.

 

Is this a question of just getting used to the quirks of a Gibson, or should I consider exchanging it? (I'd hate to do that, as it appears otherwise flawless and I'm quite bonded with it). It seems like it's simply a byproduct of the neck's taper, coupled with the "aggressively" rounded-off frets, but I'd love to hear what others have to say.

[Versatile]

I often live 'close to the edge'

 

Some days I steer 'close to the wind'

 

Hope that helps...

 

V

 

[Fleece]

Hope that helps...

 

V

 

 

Yeah no...not really.

[Versatile]

A forgotten , but nevermind....

 

This can be an annoying thing happening when the player is unsure of how typical it is

 

Difficult to comment without 'hands on' the guitar

 

I get this on a couple of non Gibsons...Strat etc and just live with it

 

An eyeball down the fingerboard edge would determine whether the string(s) are badly too close

 

The other aspect is neck width...narrower being more prone...

 

A replacement guitar may be just the same...

 

Good luck !!

 

V

 

[Holmis]

Yeah, i have this problem with my es120t too!

I have a lot of guitars, some with very thin and narrow necks like two Squier pro tones but not this problem with a slipping over the neck edge high E string. What´s up with that?

I´ve tried to compensate by moving the bridge a little to the bass side but the bridge slide back to the original position cause of the string tension and location of tail piece.

It´s a wonderful guitar though, but would be perfect as an acoustic without this problem.

As an electric i have to do something about the pup though but that´s another issue.

[Mark2]

I've had this happen on the high E string on my Midtown, but never on the low E string. Since it doesn't happen all the time, I've always figured it was my fault, not the guitar's. Perhaps it would be less apt to happen if you used heavier strings?

 

Mark

[Fleece]

I've had this happen on the high E string on my Midtown, but never on the low E string. Since it doesn't happen all the time, I've always figured it was my fault, not the guitar's. Perhaps it would be less apt to happen if you used heavier strings?

 

Mark

 

Strange is it may sound, I find some solace in not being the only one. Heavier gauge strings would likely help, true, but I enjoy the slinkiness of 10s, and have them on all 5 my guitars.

 

And I only encounter this problem with the Midtown. But I love the guitar too much to dwell too much on it, and I think I'm already adjusting as it happens less often lately. But I am conscious of it. Just want to make sure that this isn't completely abnormal and due to some kind of defect.

[CowboyBillyBob1]

I have owned 4 Gibson guitars in my life:

'69 SG

'71 LP Custom

2011 Midtown Standard

2012 LP Standard

 

and have never had this problem.

I am using .09 strings and in fact have never had this problem with any cheap piece of crap I played. Perhaps it is your playing style.

[rct]

It's weird how such a common, ordinary, always being yakked about thing in music stores 30 years ago seems almost unheard of today.

 

Estringitis, contrary to what seems to be wisdom here, is pretty ordinary. Fender didn't change the bridge math until actually the early 2000s, helping to cure the Estringitis found in most teles, certainly lots that I have owned. I've had at least two versions of Les Paul, one 70's and one 90's, and my 66 Firebird had it. One of my L6-S had it, the second one, but it wasn't too bad. My current strat is a very early version of Highway One, it has Estringitis, but not too bad. I suppose that growing up guitar I and many others learned to play around it, so if it isn't severe I might not even notice it.

 

The bridge is off, and only by a little. It doesn't take much out of place, not very much at all, to cause the string to move too close to one edge or the other. But original poster, if at the third fret it's noticeable, you probably should try to return it. There is no setup that will fix that, but you might get away with slotting the saddle a little in, but even that is iffy.

 

rct

[max2343]

Nuts are newer Gibsons weak point. Try a brand new set of Erine Balls 009-042s lighter gauge strings or replace the nut.

[Hydra26]

I run into this a little bit with the 2011 sg std i have. When I eyeball it, it looks fine. The string is a good distance from the edge all the way down. but playing it, the high e is prone to slip off the edge of the fret and catch between it and the binding nibs. Worse on bends. I adjust my playing a little bit. It's not horrible and it doesn't happen all the time, but out of my family, that's the only one I have a problem with. Ironically, I bought that sg when I was shopping for a midtown custom.

[schrei]

Very typical for Gibson guitars, especially for many NON custom shop ones, which often have smaller fret binding (=more fret material left!)

The cheap Gibson guitars don't have this problem due to NO fret binding.

 

It doesn't matter if the frets are thick or thin. Look at the frets. There is the creme fret binding on the edges.

This is the problem, cause you have less fret material left to use for vibrato etc.

Its not much but it causes the problem!

 

The small e-string is pretty close to the edge.

Normally no problem, but the plastic fret binding makes it a problem.

 

 

Solution: New nut with slightly narrower notches

OR : loosen the nut and move it minimal towards the bass side.

 

 

Your guitar has no special problem. Exchange it with another Gibson of the same kind and you will have the same problem.

 

I have owned a dozen Gibsons and almost all (especially newer ones) with fret binding had this issue.

I am left handed, though, but this should not matter.

 

Currently my 2009 SG Standard is suffering from the same issue.

Maybe I add a new nut but first I will loosen the nut and move it towards the bass strings.

No problem and it always works for me.

Just be careful and use a razor blade first.

 

Annoying but its part of the game :)

 

 

Hope that helps.

[Fleece]

Very typical for Gibson guitars, especially for many NON custom shop ones, which often have smaller fret binding (=more fret material left!)

The cheap Gibson guitars don't have this problem due to NO fret binding.

 

It doesn't matter if the frets are thick or thin. Look at the frets. There is the creme fret binding on the edges.

This is the problem, cause you have less fret material left to use for vibrato etc.

Its not much but it causes the problem!

 

The small e-string is pretty close to the edge.

Normally no problem, but the plastic fret binding makes it a problem.

 

 

Solution: New nut with slightly narrower notches

OR : loosen the nut and move it minimal towards the bass side.

 

 

Your guitar has no special problem. Exchange it with another Gibson of the same kind and you will have the same problem.

 

I have owned a dozen Gibsons and almost all (especially newer ones) with fret binding had this issue.

I am left handed, though, but this should not matter.

 

Currently my 2009 SG Standard is suffering from the same issue.

Maybe I add a new nut but first I will loosen the nut and move it towards the bass strings.

No problem and it always works for me.

Just be careful and use a razor blade first.

 

Annoying but its part of the game :)

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

It helps quite a bit, thanks very much. Exactly the answer I imagined (and frankly, hoped) I would receive. I've since adapted to it for the most part, and think I will continue to do so.

 

As long it's a known quirk and not a defect of my particular guitar, I suppose I can live with it and adjust.

[BigKahune]

.

Not an unusual complaint. This topic gets posted a few times a year around the various forums here.

 

If you can't adjust your playing to deal with it, as has be commented above, have the nut replaced with adjusted string spacing to alleviate the problem.

 

 

.