Robert_the_damned Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 ok I've been starting to noticing some 'dead' areas on my Ibanez DTX120. I've had it forever (was my first guitar) and I still play it a lot but I've started to notice one area (namely my 6th string on the 13th-15th frets) where the notes will sound correctly then just turn into a muffled 'futt' sort of sound, this is sort of anoying but I normally shift down to the 5th string if I want to play those notes so its not to bad. The second problem is that the notes on my 1st string between about the 10th and 18th fret will sound and then go into some sort of bad harmonic sort of sound. This is VERY anoying and I've tried everything I can think of recently to sort it out (checking fret work making sure my pickups arn't to close or anything like that). I did recently change the bridge from an ABR-1 type tune-o-matic to a nashvile style wide tune-o-matic so I could fully intonate the guitar (I'm using 12-56 strings which the thin bridge couldn't get enough movement on to intonate). The first problem happened before the bridge change for sure....I'm not so sure about the second problem though. ok who's going to be the person to tell me to try putting my old bridge in? If it were a problem with the bridge surely it would have affected more than one string? I'm not *to* fussed if I can't sort these problems out as I am thinking of making a new neck for this beastie...I'd just like to know why there's problems in the first place! Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 Try giving a little TLC to the frets. Files and smooth them out so that they are a more uniform. It sounds like the new bridge is just a tad low, and a bit of fret work could help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_the_damned Posted December 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 Try giving a little TLC to the frets. Files and smooth them out so that they are a more uniform. It sounds like the new bridge is just a tad low, and a bit of fret work could help a lot. I'll give that a go in the morning. I'm a bit limited to tools at the moment (being at uni I didn't bring all my files with me but I've got a few). I'll try raising the bridge a bit, I've got the action pretty darn low at the moment so I can afford to loose a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 definately a setup problem.you need to go through the entire setup or you will just make it worse. look on the main site for the tutorial if you are not familiar with the steps. it SOUNDS like worn frets..but you can't just level the frets with a sanding block without making sure the neck is straight first.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_the_damned Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 definately a setup problem.you need to go through the entire setup or you will just make it worse. look on the main site for the tutorial if you are not familiar with the steps. it SOUNDS like worn frets..but you can't just level the frets with a sanding block without making sure the neck is straight first.. I've set up my guitars a lot before (infact I'm always tweaking them). I'll check the neck is still got the right amout of relief in it....its more than likely worm frets to be honnest. This guitar is getting on for 5 years of daily use and I've not really done any fret work on it other than a slight bit on the lower register (to many heavy riffs ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 i am very heavy handed myself.i will wear frets down flat pretty damn quick,but playing one guitar every day for five years = a complete fret job at my house.... i have about 4 main guitars...but i rotate in others from my collection time to time...but the ones with the nickel frets usually don't last that long. probably fret work needs done..but if you are familiar with setups and fretwork,why can't you just look at the frets and see if it has uneven wear in any spot?you know where you play the most often...seems like you could visually spot the problem. i don't do the neck relief thing.i set my necks straight.with modern truss rods you can do that...and i have 1.5 mm action all the way down the neck onmost of my guitars(not my explorer...damn old style truss rod) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 I'd love to have at least one guitar set up like that. I've neither the budget to get it done, nor the guitar to do it with, nor (particularly) the skill and tools to do it myself. Definitely doin' the neck relief thing over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_the_damned Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 (edited) ok I've not been able to adjust my truss rod as I've realised I've left my allen keys at my parents house (doh!). But I've tried cranking my bridge way up (as in 5mm action at 12th fret) and I'm still getting the same problem. which to me seems really darn weird if it were a fret work related problem, I've had a close look and there is a fair bit of wear on the frets but not to much. Anyone think some audio clips would help? Edited December 4, 2006 by Robert_the_damned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_the_damned Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 you'll all kill me when you find out what it was some idiot didn't think to change the strings to see if that was it though I can't see how an old string produced such nasty overtones like that oh well I've learn't my lesson! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRossitter Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Been there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 you'll all kill me when you find out what it was some idiot didn't think to change the strings to see if that was it though I can't see how an old string produced such nasty overtones like that oh well I've learn't my lesson! yeah it sure can happen...that's when i change my strngs is when the high e loses it's tone like that... it is very common onthat string.don't feel bad.iook me a while to catch on to that back in the day as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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