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Author Topic: Upper Fret squenching...  (Read 5899 times)

Guitarzan

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Upper Fret squenching...
« on: August 27, 2006, 05:34:06 AM »
So I've gotten this on two of my guitars now. Where the upper frets above the 12 squench (where the strings hit the fret board).

Is there a trick to avoid this? I mean before I blindly adjust things Is there a specific way to avoid this?

I plan to try more neck relief unless you guys convince me otherwise.

Searcher

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2006, 06:53:37 AM »
You mean the strings are fretting out at the high frets?  If so, you gotta raise the bridge or shim the neck.  I'd start with the bridge, coz it's easier.
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Guitarzan

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2006, 06:58:01 AM »
I did that but now the action is higher than I like.

Is this just the way with Tremolo bridges? I have two other guitars that have low action and a fairly straight nect with fixed bridges and they feel great.

TwilightOdyssey

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2006, 01:27:48 PM »
You will need to shim the neck, possibly the nut as well, to get the angle just right for the action height you like.

Guitarzan

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2006, 05:27:09 PM »
How do you shim a nut? :P

I've only done neck shims before, so do you think that the back of the neck needs shimmed or the front? It's got some sort of sticky thing in the front that perhaps acts like a shim.

By front of back I mean front or back of the neck rout.

Searcher

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2006, 06:00:20 PM »
Well, it depends on what kinda nut you have.  Locking nuts are the easiest, because they usually unscrew at the back of the neck and you can get a piece of card or metal to stick under it and screw it back down.

If you shim the neck, it sounds to me like you'd wanna shim the front of it--i.e., the part that is farthest from the guitar body.  Neck shimming is mostly trial and error as far as finding the right height and so on goes.  Most people use business cards or even playing cards to shim necks.

Sticky thing?  Got me.
Quote from: Sifu Ben
Aaagh! Help!!! The GAS!!! The GAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guitarzan

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2006, 06:46:52 PM »
Quote from: Searcher
Sticky thing? Got me.


Yeah it's some sort of tape. I guess they already tried to shim the neck and used some tape instead of paper.



If I shim the nut do I want to do the front/back or the whole thing? Also my nut has screws in the front to hold it down, is that good or bad?

Does it effect anything if the neck pocket isn't square? The guitar sort of has a contoured Heel. If i stick some card in there at the farthest it'll sort of make the neck at an angle.

And this is just for reference, but what does shimming the front of the neck pocket change than shimming the back?

_tom_

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2006, 09:00:52 PM »
Quote from: Guitarzan
And this is just for reference, but what does shimming the front of the neck pocket change than shimming the back?


I'm guessing that shimming the front will make the neck tilt forwards more and the back will make the neck be angled back a bit.

PhilKing

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2006, 12:08:14 PM »
When you shim the neck pocket closest to the bridge you decrease the height of the nut above the bridge (so the action can be lower).  When you shim the pocket furthest from the bridge you increase the height of the nut over the bridge - to tell you the truth I have never seen this type of shim in over 30 years of playing and fixing guitars!  You can also shim the whole pocket to raise the neck slightly without changing the angle.

Neck relief will not fix a problem at the top of the neck - in fact it can make it worse.  You may have too much relief and this is causing the problem.

Shimming the nut will only help you if the neck is buzzing at the first fret.
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Guitarzan

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2006, 02:31:09 PM »
Quote from: Philking
Shimming the nut will only help you if the neck is buzzing at the first fret.


When my action is where I like it, it buzzes at and above the 12th. I think that it was too low anyways, but this has happened on 2 of my guitars now!
Thanks for the detailed response.

_tom_

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Upper Fret squenching...
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2006, 11:23:21 PM »
FWIW, I had a problem with the notes on 14th and 15th frets on the E and B strings cutting short when bending. I read this thread, and as my internet is slow tonight and theres nothing on TV, I thought I might as well give it a try.. I shimmed the front of the neck pocket with a piece of cardboard from the back of a notebook and its seemed to fix the problem without really affecting the action/playability :)