Setup help - Fretting Out

B

Bxlxaxkxe

Amp ho
Trying to figure out this charvel style superstrat I just got. Came with the action really high so I brought it down to what I’d call medium/low - 1.5mm on low E and 1.25mm on high E side. This introduced some awful fretting out above the fifth fret across all strings. I use a feeler gauge to measure neck relief. No amount of relief or tension is resolving the fretting out issues. Truss rod is definitely functional. The only way to get this guitar to play cleanly is to raise the action sky high and I’m not into it.

Any tips or tricks from you guys to resolve this? Pretty frustrating as it’s not a cheap guitar.
 
is it fretting out on ALL frets and strings above 5, or just alot of them randomly?

you probably need to do some fretwork, fren, or pay someone else to

i would start on 5 with calipers and get some exact measurements to determine exactly whats going on, but you probably need to file and recrown
 
DanTravis62 said:
is it fretting out on ALL frets and strings above 5, or just alot of them randomly?

you probably need to do some fretwork, fren, or pay someone else to

i would start on 5 with calipers and get some exact measurements to determine exactly whats going on, but you probably need to file and recrown
Click to expand...
For all the strings, the fretting out starts around 5 give or take and continues to fret out on every fret above it consistently. Fretwork is where I draw the line though - I’d have to take this to someone for that. Considering I just got it from a builder - feel like I shouldn’t be having this issue
 
I would go back to square one. Straighten the neck out to be pretty straight, make sure the string height at the nut is good and low, set the action to be higher than the numbers above, maybe 1.6mm up to 2mm E to E. Then go from there. Sometimes it seems like the dog chasing it's tail, I just went thru it with that last partscaster but once I went back to square one it setup pretty easy.
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
For all the strings, the fretting out starts around 5 give or take and continues to fret out on every fret above it consistently. Fretwork is where I draw the line though - I’d have to take this to someone for that. Considering I just got it from a builder - feel like I shouldn’t be having this issue
Click to expand...

that's a serious problem if its every fret on every string - i would be fucking PISSED if i just got a guitar from a builder with this issue.

Because my own builds are much more carefully looked after than that
 
DanTravis62 said:
that's a serious problem if its every fret on every string - i would be fucking PISSED if i just got a guitar from a builder with this issue.

Because my own builds are much more carefully looked after than that
Click to expand...
I’m far from an expert when it comes to setups, but I’ve been doing my own for a few years now and haven’t come across an issue like this.

Honestly I’m assuming it’s user error until proven otherwise. But I’m running out of ideas here as there’s only so much you can do outside of fret leveling which I’m not getting into.
 
SpiderWars said:
I would go back to square one. Straighten the neck out to be pretty straight, make sure the string height at the nut is good and low, set the action to be higher than the numbers above, maybe 1.6mm up to 2mm E to E. Then go from there. Sometimes it seems like the dog chasing it's tail, I just went thru it with that last partscaster but once I went back to square one it setup pretty easy.
Click to expand...
Just got annoyed and walked away from it. But I hear you and am going to take your advice and start back at square one.
 
And just to eliminate variables, does it have a floating trem and if so are you making sure it's at the exact same angle (i.e. parallel to body) every time you measure?
 
SpiderWars said:
And just to eliminate variables, does it have a floating trem and if so are you making sure it's at the exact same angle (i.e. parallel to body) every time you measure?
Click to expand...
Fair point. It’s blocked off for dive only and is definitely set parallel.

I was able to get the action a little lower without fretting out after coming back to it. What sorcery is this? Guessing that letting the neck settle for a bit after making truss adjustments? Who knows. Going to get back at it later tonight and see what happens
 
I assue you measured string action at the 12th fret? For how much neck relief did you set it?
My guess would be that the strings are sitting way too high at the nut.
Can you measure the height between the first fret and the first and last string?
 
BrutalRob said:
My guess would be that the strings are sitting way too high at the nut.
Click to expand...

Metlupass2 said:
Could be the nut as well.
Click to expand...

Nut height can only cause fretting out when a string in played open. Once you fret a note, the nut becomes irrelevant (be it too high or too low). This is a fret, neck or bridge problem (or some combination of the three).

But screw all this trouble shooting. Set the action high and make it your designated slide guitar. Problem solved. :D
 
shredi knight said:
Nut height can only cause fretting out when a string in played open. Once you fret a note, the nut becomes irrelevant (be it too high or too low). This is a fret, neck or bridge problem (or some combination of the three).

But screw all this trouble shooting. Set the action high and make it your designated slide guitar. Problem solved. :D
Click to expand...
High string height at the nut can cause you to set the saddles too low in order to set action at the 12th fret. So there is this downward slope (or at least not upward sloped enough) from nut to bridge. That's why you should get the string height at the nut right first, then with a fairly straight neck set the action. From there its just a balance between relief and string height at the 12th.
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
What sorcery is this? Guessing that letting the neck settle for a bit after making truss adjustments?
Click to expand...
Yes absolutely. You can can even give it a tug in whatever direction you adjust. Like lightly pressing on fretboard at ~8th fret while holding back of neck at nut and guitar against body...after you loosen the truss rod. But yes it will creep for a while.
 
SpiderWars said:
High string height at the nut can cause you to set the saddles too low in order to set action at the 12th fret. So there is this downward slope (or at least not upward sloped enough) from nut to bridge. That's why you should get the string height at the nut right first, then with a fairly straight neck set the action. From there its just a balance between relief and string height at the 12th.
Click to expand...
Exactly this. Was about to reply but good thing you were faster than me, you explained it way better than i would have had.
 
BrutalRob said:
Exactly this. Was about to reply but good thing you were faster than me, you explained it way better than i would have had.
Click to expand...
I just went thru it. Was really bummed at how sandy a new partscaster was playing so I just went back to square one. The nut was a little too high. I have other partscasters that play perfect to compare. When done right you can get those strings almost right on top of the first fret; the tiniest gap, when lightly pressed at the third fret and they can still ring out true and clear even when hit pretty hard. I just leave a tiny bit more for the third and sixth strings. Once I fixed that and reset the action it played 100% better.
 
Contact the builder and say WTF. If you paid good money for this the builder should have set it up perfectly. Worst case send ir back and let them set it up.
 
Contact the builder and say WTF. If you paid good money for this the builder should have set it up perfectly. Worst case send it back and let them set it up.
 
motorboy1 said:
Contact the builder and say WTF. If you paid good money for this the builder should have set it up perfectly. Worst case send it back and let them set it up.
Click to expand...
I think it’s more of a “me” problem than the guitar. String height is a very personal thing. I think a little patience and experimentation will get it where I want it- have already seen some improvement today.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top