Setup help - Fretting Out

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bxlxaxkxe
  • Start date Start date
You mentioned "super strat" so I'm assuming it's got a Floyd Rose? If so, you might make sure that all the saddles are in the right order to match the radius of the fretboard. Sometimes, folks will take them apart to clean them, etc.. and they don't realize that the saddles are different heights and just throw them back in there all whilly-nilly and it plays havoc with the string radius. That being said, it usually doesn't cause all the strings to fret out but just something else to check.
 
I don't know... sounds like exactly the same issue I have with my Luke II.

In this case, it's a bump in the neck around the 5th -> 7th frets.

Not a damned thing I can do about it apart from a dress and that's gonna require a fair bit be taken out of these SS puppies.

Bought it 2nd-hand from a pro buddy in Denmark otherwise I'd have been calling MM quicker than you can dial its number. :confused: :LOL:

EDIT:
He had no idea 'cause he runs really-high action so it's likely this is how it came from the factory.
 
I set my guitars up to Suhr spec.
Relief at .005” (0.127mm), string height 4/64" at the last fret.
I've found 3 different causes for fretting out when I do this:
1. The nut is cut too low. Should be about 1/64" on the baby E at the first fret, 2/64" on the big E. A simple way to check this is fret a string at the 3rd fret, should have space between the string and first fret.
2. Frets are jacked up. Sometimes can tap down high frets with a brass/rubber mallet. You can use a straight edge up and down the fretboard to check for frets that are higher than others. @RedPlated showed this to me a while back.
3. Warped neck. I've had a couple of necks from the Fender Mexico factory that were twisted, fretting out on the b and e strings, no matter the string height. They're using wood that is still too green, not aged enough. Super frustrating. A tech was able to sort one of em out, with a few adjustments over time. I won't buy a new Mexican-made Fender/Charvel because of this.
 
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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...

I see what you're saying and that makes sense. Never thought of it like that or encountered it myself though (and I've had guitars that came with the nuts cut too high).
 
LPMojoGL said:
I set my guitars up to Suhr spec.
Relief at .005” (0.127mm), string height 4/64" at the last fret, 1/8" at the 12th fret.
I've found 3 different causes for fretting out when I do this:
1. The nut is cut too low. Should be about 1/64" on the baby E at the first fret, 2/64" on the big E. A simple way to check this is fret a string at the 3rd fret, should have space between the string and first fret.
2. Frets are jacked up. Sometimes can tap down high frets with a brass/rubber mallet. You can use a straight edge up and down the fretboard to check for frets that are higher than others. @RedPlated showed this to me a while back.
3. Warped neck. I've had a couple of necks from the Fender Mexico factory that were twisted, fretting out on the b and e strings, no matter the string height. They're using wood that is still too green, not aged enough. Super frustrating. A tech was able to sort one of em out, with a few adjustments over time. I won't buy a new Mexican-made Fender/Charvel because of this.
Click to expand...
.125 at the 12th fret????
 
You want 5/64th [low E,] 3/64ths [high E] at the 12th fret bottom of string to crown of 12th.
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
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
Click to expand...
Sounds like backbow.. Do you have feeler gauges? Sounds like it needs some relief.
 
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