res string

[ceefax]

hi

Ive recently had to restring my guitar for the first time since i got it.

I had fender superbullets on it 9's and changed them to superslinkys. However from having and initially fine setup i'm now getting fret rattle when i play heavy. I think ive done a decent job in restringing, stretched everything out etc. could it be the change of string type and should i go to get it setup again, or is there anything i can do to fix it.

pete

[Razbo]

hi

Ive recently had to restring my guitar for the first time since i got it.

I had fender superbullets on it 9's and changed them to superslinkys. However from having and initially fine setup i'm now getting fret rattle when i play heavy. I think ive done a decent job in restringing, stretched everything out etc. could it be the change of string type and should i go to get it setup again, or is there anything i can do to fix it.

pete

Different strings can definitely affect your set up, especially when going up or down in gauge, you will increase or decrease the tension on the neck.

It's another good reason to learn how to do basic set up on your guitar yourself. (IMO) Also a good reason to have a cheap guitar you are comfortable to practice on.

If it's just a slight buzz over the course of the whole fretboard, you might try just raising your bridge just a bit. I found going from 9's to 10's and back to 9's again I needed some bridge adjustment and I also needed to tweak the neck relief a bit.

A good rule of thumb is no more than a 1/4 turn on anything you touch. :) Then try it out for a while.

What kind of guitar is it? The manufacture should be able to supply you with factory specs to get you started with a target set up. Tools for this kind of thing consist of no more than a set of feeler gauges, screwdriver & allen key (or whatever fits your trussrod).

[ceefax]

its a mexican 60s fender classic player strat.

ive been having a play but to no avail, still a buzz. ive not changed gauge but i have changed make and fiddled with the bridge after reading some tutorials.

thankfully nothing has got worse, but no better either

[Razbo]

You could be into anything from a minor truss rod adjustment to a more involved (and costly) fret levelling. If you can isolate exactly what frets are buzzing, you'll know more. Maybe it's just one fret that's loosened and raised up a bit and can be reseated. Maybe it's all the frets at the body end and you've got some hump that's going to be a serious job.

You really need to isolate where you are fretting and what fret buzzes. ie: if you fret the first fret and play a note on the bass E string, does it buzz on the second fret? The 3rd? The 12th? While still testing on that first fret, does it buzz on every string? On the same or different frets? Some experimentation will give you the 'lay of the land'.

At the very least, it will cost you nothing to try a small turn on the truss rod. Try releasing tension (counter clockwise) about 1/8 turn. Try that out for a while. Leave it a few hours (I like to leave it a few days) before deciding if another 1/8 turn might be necessary.

When you do this, it's likely to raise the action as well, so you might want to bring the bridge down a bit.

Some general Fender specs are - while capoed at the first fret-
fret at the 22nd (or 21st whatever your last fret is). You should be looking at about .012 neck relief when measured at the 7th fret. Many players go way lower than this, but this is factory settings according to Dale Erlewin.
(Capoing the first fret and fretting the 22nd eliminates the nut and bridge from the equation.)

Once you get the relief settled, string height of the Treble E at the 17th should be about 1/8" (still capod on the first, but don't hold the string down at the 22nd). Adjust the bridge until you get it right. You will want an extra 1/32 or so on the Bass E side and then blend that difference across the strings.

Factory specs are pretty high in my opinion. If you still have fret buzz at this point, you should probably have a tech check it out, but it costs you nothing to try this at least.

Also try another set of strings. They do make duds from time to time.

Please note: I am not a guitar tech, just an enthusiastic player & builder. :)

Good luck!!

[BrokenJera]

wow you guys are really over loading this guy with info.

first check your string gauges. i think super bulet 9s and slinky 9 are the same but they have different tension. fender usually have a lighter pull than slinkys.

second is your bridge floating (the back of the bridge off the body) or flush (agianst the body). if you reset it from floating to flush you may need new saddles (i did on mine at least but i didnt like the rolled fender saddles). next if your bridge is floating you might need to adjust the term springs under the back plate, the tension in your strings and the springs in the back need to be in equal balance otherwise the frets rattle everywhere.

if you not comfortable with all this stuff go to a local shop (as much as i love guitar center unless your best friend works there it doesnt count) and start talking to the people behind the counter the techs other guitar players, and remeber the only dumb question is the one you dont ask. tell the tech you get fert rattle tell them where it is and let them figure it out. it will cost you money but ask if you can watch ask questions, look up things on the net or go buy some books. guitar player repair guide by dan erlewine is a great book to get.

[Razbo]

if your bridge is floating you might need to adjust the term springs under the back plate, the tension in your strings and the springs in the back need to be in equal balance otherwise the frets rattle everywhere.

Good point! A trem was not mentioned, but if you have one that's not flush to the body, you can see for yourself adjusting the claw or adding/removing a spring has a profound effect on your bridge height!

guitar player repair guide by dan erlewine is a great book to get.

It's one of my bibles. I think every guitar player should own this book! (And no, I get no royalties for promoting it :) )

[ceefax]

Thanks for the advice, I've looked into most of this stuff, but I'm just getting way confused as a novice. I think I will take it in and go over it with a pro and hopefully learn something along the way.

Thanks again