Action

olafgarten

I know there has been loads of topics on this, but my Vintage V6P (Strat Like thing) has an issue.

Whenever I play acoustically and am strumming chords the Low E string is hitting the top fret and making a metallic ringing noise which is really annoying, but the guitar plays really nicely and I don't want to ruin that by raising the action.

Using some picks as feeler gauges, at the first fret the action is less than 0.6mm (smallest pick I have) and at the 12th it's around 1.56mm.

Should I raise it? What is the method of raising a Strat Hardtail (I only have experience with TOM's)

paulnb57

High fret?
1.5 mm action at the 12th is low for my setups......can't say for anyone else.....
When I set nut action I fret at the 3rd and file the nut slot until there is a tiny gap between the string and the first fret.
My action at the 12th is between 2.00 and 2.5mm.
Neck relief is about the thickness of a 10guage string with the steing held down at the 17th fret with the strings fretted at the first with a capo......measure/sight the gap at the 7th fret
To raise the action you need to adjust the allen screws on the saddles, keep the saddles parallel to the face of the bridge plate...
Lots of variables to consider...
Someone else will probably come along with other ideas soon.....

ICBM

Check the nut height more accurately by fretting the string at the third fret and look at the gap (or use feeler gauges if you want to) between the string and the first fret. It should be very small, ideally around 4-5 thousandths of an inch for a low E string and definitely no more than 10. But if there's no gap at all then the nut is too low.

Then check the relief by holding the guitar in the playing position and fretting the string at both the 1st and 17th frets. Look at the gap between the string and the 7th-8th frets - it should also be about 5-10 thou. (You can do both these things with all six strings obviously, to check the nut and the neck are even across their width.)

Then finally when these two are right, you can check the action - you can't really before, since they both affect it. 1.5mm is very low for the low E even on an electric guitar, 2 to 2.5mm is more typical.

Strats have one further problem which is that if the neck pickup is adjusted too close to the strings, it will pull them down and can cause them to rattle even when the action is high enough that they shouldn't. It can also cause odd overtones or even false notes, especially when you play around the 12th fret.

olafgarten

Thanks both @ICBM and @paulnb57, I'll check these when I get home, also all 3 pickups are P90s, are these better or worse for String pull than strat pickups? 

ICBM

I think they're less bad, although I don't think I've ever tried a Strat with P90s to compare. On most P90 guitars the pickups are a bit further from the strings.

olafgarten

I don't have accurate measuring tools but it looks like there is no gap in the first fret with a capo on third. The string moves very slightly when I push it though. 

olafgarten

There seems to be good relief though. 

paulnb57

Methodically check through the above points , lower the pockups first, then work through through the rest.....

Maynehead

olafgarten said:

I don't have accurate measuring tools but it looks like there is no gap in the first fret with a capo on third. The string moves very slightly when I push it though. 

How is it compares to the other strings? If it's only the low E that's this low then you may have a low nut slot.

olafgarten

Maynehead said:

olafgarten said:

I don't have accurate measuring tools but it looks like there is no gap in the first fret with a capo on third. The string moves very slightly when I push it though. 

How is it compares to the other strings? If it's only the low E that's this low then you may have a low nut slot. 



There is a small gap on the high e, it's clearly visible. 

Danielsguitars

My set ups are generally below 2mm at the 12th on the bass side and mostly around 1.75 and the high e around 1.3                     This is on a les paul with very litle relief

 I try and get all mine like that, it does sound like yours could be on the low side

sweepy

Maybe try a heavier bottom E, 9-46. 10-52 etc. Also worth noting that most Strats rattle when played acoustically, especially with an action as low as yours 

Maynehead

olafgarten said:

Maynehead said:

olafgarten said:

I don't have accurate measuring tools but it looks like there is no gap in the first fret with a capo on third. The string moves very slightly when I push it though. 

How is it compares to the other strings? If it's only the low E that's this low then you may have a low nut slot. 



There is a small gap on the high e, it's clearly visible. 

Does sound like a low slot then. The gap under the low E should normally be more than the high E.

You can either fit a new nut, or try to fill and refile the slot. There are lots of YouTube vids showing the baking soda and superglue filling method.

olafgarten

Thanks everyone, I think I'll leave it for now as it doesn't bother me that much. I'll take it to a tech for a setup when I have money, I don't mind adjusting bridges and truss rods myself but I'm not comfortable messing with Nuts.

olafgarten

I've fixed it! It was really annoying me today so I thought I'd try something. Turns out a little bit of paper under the bass side of the nut raised it enough and there is no more buzz!

olafgarten

olafgarten said:

I've fixed it! It was really annoying me today so I thought I'd try something. Turns out a little bit of paper under the bass side of the nut raised it enough and there is no more buzz!

Turns out there is a tiny amount of Buzz on frets 5 + 6 on the low E, but it's improved.