Graeme Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Hi everyone, I guess this forum is more about building guitars from scratch, but I'm hoping someone can help me. I recently put a new Stewart MacDonald neck on my Fender-style (strat copy) guitar and while all seemed to go well the high "E" and "B" strings suffer a dull, almost buzz sound when they're played open. At the moment the action is very high, because I find the frets quite tall (please note) so while that is a separate problem, there's no doubt the strings are NOT touching any frets. I'm using the original bridge, so my best guess is the strings aren't contacting the nut properly... can anyone suggest anything else. And those tall frets- I actually pull the strings out of tune with chords like Am, because of the amount of stretch in the strings if I press them all the way to the fretboard. SMcD answered my email that their necks are dressed and ready to play. I suppose my first question would be- is there a recommended fret high (from the board)? My instinct is to dress all the frets down, except that (in theory) greater minds than mine have designed and built this neck and if they say the neck is ready to play... Cheers for any advice and time spent on my behalf, Regards, Graeme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 There are a variety of fret types...you're probably more used to the lower vintage type. The fret type is specified in the Stew Mac ad, so you got what you paid for. As for the buzz --it's probably the nut... but first--what guage of strings are you using? The going out of tune bit is partly related to the nut too --the slots haven't been fully cut yet ...this too is normal --the nut slots are only rough cut to allow the luthier/user to finish them according to their preference. Once the nut has been properly slotted, it'll be more in tune. On the other hand, there's no reason to push strings all the way down to the fretboard. Notes sound when the strings are pressed against the fret wire --not the wood. Especially with taller frets, it's helpful to develop a lighter grip (I have this same problem). Taller frets do make it much easier to bend, and some say that the greater mass of metal makes for a more powerful tone and more sustain. My advice is take the guitar to a shop and have the tech set it up for you. It won't cost much, and you'll have a playable guitar. Then try to adjust your playing style to the frets ...trying to lower them is really a last resort thing, considering the cost of that neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Hi everyone, I guess this forum is more about building guitars from scratch, but I'm hoping someone can help me. I recently put a new Stewart MacDonald neck on my Fender-style (strat copy) guitar and while all seemed to go well the high "E" and "B" strings suffer a dull, almost buzz sound when they're played open. At the moment the action is very high, because I find the frets quite tall (please note) so while that is a separate problem, there's no doubt the strings are NOT touching any frets. I'm using the original bridge, so my best guess is the strings aren't contacting the nut properly... can anyone suggest anything else. And those tall frets- I actually pull the strings out of tune with chords like Am, because of the amount of stretch in the strings if I press them all the way to the fretboard. SMcD answered my email that their necks are dressed and ready to play. I suppose my first question would be- is there a recommended fret high (from the board)? My instinct is to dress all the frets down, except that (in theory) greater minds than mine have designed and built this neck and if they say the neck is ready to play... Cheers for any advice and time spent on my behalf, Regards, Graeme. Ouch! Judging from your post, DO NOT touch your neck. Looks like you need to read up on guitar building or at least fretting and fret work before you do anything to that neck. You'll need a bit of practice too... Bring the guitar in to a luthier so he can figure it out. Your buzzing sound could be from anything like the nut or the bridge saddles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 StewMac bolt on Fender style necks are Mighty Mite brand. I've used 4 Mighty Mite necks on projects and they have all buzzed at the first fret high E. Each time I replaced the nut and that solved the problem. From my experience that's where I'd start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted March 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Thanks everyone- I should have mentioned- I'm 150 klms from any decent guitar tech, thus I started tackling this myself. Plus the guitar is a hodge-podge of expensive bits built onto a cheaper product and I'm prepared to experiment and maybe make some mistakes. It's a sacrificial lamb for my learning curve. So I'll try either fixing or replacing the nut first. As for getting rid of my 20 years of Am death grip... I'll try! Hmmm... didn't see the fret type advertised on Stew Mac's site. My fault- should have looked harder. Again, thanks everyone, and Cheers. Graeme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 2 things to look at in the nut: 1) slot too wide = rattle/buzz when you play string open 2) slot angle too shallow. Needs more of a 'knife-edge' at the front of the nut (fret-side, not tuner-side) to vibrate true, not a channel that runs parallel to the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 2 things to look at in the nut: 1) slot too wide = rattle/buzz when you play string open 2) slot angle too shallow. Needs more of a 'knife-edge' at the front of the nut (fret-side, not tuner-side) to vibrate true, not a channel that runs parallel to the fretboard. Could also be nut too low. What about the bridge. Are you sure that the buzz is not coming from there? Could it be the truss rod that needs a little tightening - Sometimes, a loose truss rod can buzz a little. Tightening it ever so slightly can cure the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRossitter Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Also check Youtube for setup advice. There are many videos out there which can give you visual aid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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