Cant get low enough action frets 12-24,

woodros · #1 03-08-2003, 10:40 AM

And the bottom string on the 3rd fret buzzes like crazy.

**cerealk** · #2 03-08-2003, 11:33 AM

Have you seen this section on jemsite?
http://jemsite.com/tech/index.htm

Best wishes

Simon

Drew · #3 03-08-2003, 12:56 PM

I think what'd help you get a better response here, man, is if you told us what you'd already done, trying to lower the action. Like, if you'd already dialed in a bit of relief to the neck and lowered the bridge as far as it would go, and the action is still too high (and you provided a measurement that demonstrated it was in fact unusually high, and not that you had an unrealistic expectation), then we could suggest something like "Shim the neck," or "sounds like you have a high fret" or something.

So, what have you done so far?

-Drew

woodros · #4 03-08-2003, 02:33 PM

yes thankyou, i have seen the tech section, im not that stupid. My action before was ok, thing is it was lower at the 1st-12th fret, and became progressively higher at the 12th-24th frets which p*ssed me off a little, so i decided to shim the neck, i tried various size shims, and found i could get great action but i had to have the trem really high up for the strings not to fret out. I took the shim out and decided not to bother, ive just put some new strings on, but the open strings virtually all buzz and the action is still anooying high at the 12-24th frets.

darren wilson · #5 03-08-2003, 08:20 PM

It sounds like a combination of a nut that's too low, some uneven frets all the way up the neck and some wonky neck relief happening.

What's your neck relief like? Is it straight, or do you have forward or back bow on it? Hold down a string at the first fret. Hold now with your right hand, simultaneously hold it down at the 22nd or 24th fret and tap the string in between with your thumb or another free finger. You should have a bit of space between the string and the top of the frets. If you don't, your neck is either too straight or has backbow on it.

If you can't correct it with the truss rod, you may need to get it as good as you can and then get the frets leveled.

woodros · #6 03-09-2003, 09:38 AM

ive put a bit of bow in it, that seems to have corrected the buzzing on the lower strings, and there is a gap when i hold first and last fret. The action is still bloody anoyyingly high at the 12th -24th frets though, and i know that if i lower the action the lower strings will buzz, i dont like the though of shimming it because it didnt seem to help that much, and i had to have the bridge so high that you could see right underneath the trem.

woodros · #7 03-09-2003, 09:41 AM

i just can't understand why there should be this sloping of the action. the action is usually really good from frets 1- 12, then its quite hard to play from 12-24. this can't be normal right, i mean does anyone else have sloping action like this? it is an rg after all

woodros · #8 03-09-2003, 10:24 AM

the action is about 1mm on the first fret thick e string, and about 2mm at the 24th fret. Thats about the best i can get it, if i lower the action anymore i get buzzing, and choking on the 14th fret top e and the 22nd fret when bend.

woodros · #9 03-09-2003, 10:26 AM

could you not shim the nut even higher thus heightening the open strings, enabling me to lower the action at the 24th fret without buzzing on the lower strings, or would that just magnify the problem?

darren wilson · #10 03-09-2003, 12:00 PM

What is the action like at the 12th fret when you're holding down the string at the 1st fret and the 24th fret?

Again, it sounds to me like if you need to dial in significant bow and raise the bridge to eliminate buzz at the lowest frets, your nut is too low. Try shimming it up a bit.

woodros · #11 03-09-2003, 12:22 PM

what can i use for a shim, i might have a hard time finding an exact one like the current shim(the metal one)

woodros · #12 03-09-2003, 12:24 PM

the action at the 12th fret is about 1mm, but ive made some changes to the truss rod, i cant see this helping much with the action from 12-24 though

Drew · #13 03-09-2003, 02:16 PM

um, woodros? 1mm at the 12th and 2mm at the 24th is LOW. you don't want a guitar with a floating bridge going too much lower than that or you're going to have problems with the strings choking when you pull back on the bar. Hell, i think the lowest i've ever heard anyone going with floyd liscensed trem was about 1.5mm at the 24th... I'll refer you to the link darren posted, where in addition to quoting a suggested MINIMUM 24th fret action of 1.6mm (.4mm off what you have), glen concludes,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jemsite Tech Section:Tremolo Bridge Height

Setup the tremolo bridge height to get action low while eliminating fret buzz from frets 10-24. Due to the nature of the floating tremolo it is best to not set the action ultra-low. If you want 1/64th inch clearance at the 24th fret I think you are playing the wrong guitar.

You're fine, man. Hell, i'd even suggest going up to about 2.5mm- you'll get better note articulation and once you get used to it, the extra height will help you control string muting, giving you cleaner legato runs and sweeps. That's about what i'm at now, and it's both very playable and very clean.

-Drew

Drew · #14 03-09-2003, 02:17 PM

Also, raising the nut will only help if the open strings are buzzing. As soon as you fret a note, the nut is taken out of the equation, so if the fretted notes are buzzing too then the nut isn't the problem.

-Drew

woodros · #15 03-09-2003, 03:34 PM

the height is a problem i do like it a bit lower, but i still dont see why the hell the action is lower on the 1-12 frets, its great down there, why cant it be the same height up top?