Set up and intonation on TL-1

Okay, so I'm into the nitty gritty now, and I've hit an issue that the instructional videos and other advice here don't appear to address. I'm going to describe my set up process so far so that, hopefully, someone can spot something I've either done wrong or overlooked - or, alternatively, end up as puzzled as me.

As background, I've been tuning guitars for years and I also play piano and brass, and sing. My ear is pretty reliable (I used to be able to perfectly pitch B natural, though that seems to have gone now). Anyway, the concept of checking for intonation by playing the string at the twelfth fret to produce a note one octave above open tuning is a very straightforward one to me.

So I set up the saddles on the Tele first to eliminate buzzing and then come back as close as I dared to the buzz. In doing so I noted the neck had some back bow, so I loosened off the truss rod to try to get rid of that. Using a straight edge to check, there didn't appear to much difference. The bow didn't disappear, so I reasoned it may take a day or two to flex and I pressed on by raising the saddles to get the desired effect.

I then adjusted the saddles back or forward to set up intonation, as instructed on the videos. I'm happy with the way that's set up.

The problem is that the notes on all strings at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd frets are all a bit sharp. This effect reduces (probably logarithmically) the closer I get to the 12th. At the 1st, though it's chronic. Instead of sounding a semi-tone up, it's only a few degrees off a full tone. Not good.

To my mind this probably indicates that the strings are stretching when they're being pressed down here, producing a higher pitch. Logically, the reason for this could be that the nut is too high. However, I'm keen to hear other theories.

If it is the nut, I'd also be interested in a process to rectify this. At the moment, as you can imagine, it's not a very pleasant guitar to play down at the skinny end!

Sounds to me that it is the plastic nut...... god I hate plastic nuts.... Bone for tone....

Generally speaking, the factory machine made nuts are way too high.

You will find that if you can file the grooves deeper ( i have used old strings to do this) and then raise the bridge to stop the dreaded fret buzz and the notes will sound more on pitch.

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Quote from dingobass on March 16, 2013, 19:26
Sounds to me that it is the plastic nut...... god I hate plastic nuts.... Bone for tone....

Generally speaking, the factory machine made nuts are way too high.

You will find that if you can file the grooves deeper ( i have used old strings to do this) and then raise the bridge to stop the dreaded fret buzz and the notes will sound more on pitch.

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Glenn, what is the measurement from the nut to the 12th fret and from the 12 fret to the saddle? Can you send us some pictures of the saddle from above the saddle, pictures of the nut from bith sides of the 'e' strings so we can see height abve the fretboard and then a picture at the 12th fret again so we see the height of the strings above the fretboard.

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Quote from Gavin1393 on March 16, 2013, 20:33

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Quote from dingobass on March 16, 2013, 19:26
Sounds to me that it is the plastic nut...... god I hate plastic nuts.... Bone for tone....

Generally speaking, the factory machine made nuts are way too high.

You will find that if you can file the grooves deeper ( i have used old strings to do this) and then raise the bridge to stop the dreaded fret buzz and the notes will sound more on pitch.

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Glenn, what is the measurement from the nut to the 12th fret and from the 12 fret to the saddle? Can you send us some pictures of the saddle from above the saddle, pictures of the nut from bith sides of the 'e' strings so we can see height abve the fretboard and then a picture at the 12th fret again so we see the height of the strings above the fretboard.

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Looking at your pictures from the other thread and I do appreciate that these may have changed, the saddles seem to be at 90 degrees to the strings, i am using a wilkinson on my tele and the saddles angle slightly to allow for the correct intonation. The intonation cannot be correct otherwise. The saddle also seem to be too far off from one another to suggest that intonation will be anywhere near correct. As i said i do appreciate that you may have materially altered the saddles since you took that picture.

It's definitely the nut. They seem to use different height nuts on different kits; some re good, some aren't. I'd take DB's advice and invest in a bone nut... quite inexpensive and probably something we should add to the "extras" page.

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Quote from adam on March 16, 2013, 21:26
It's definitely the nut. They seem to use different height nuts on different kits; some re good, some aren't. I'd take DB's advice and invest in a bone nut... quite inexpensive and probably something we should add to the "extras" page.

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Looks like I am going to have to make a nut cutting video....

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Quote from dingobass on March 16, 2013, 22:08

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Quote from adam on March 16, 2013, 21:26
It's definitely the nut. They seem to use different height nuts on different kits; some re good, some aren't. I'd take DB's advice and invest in a bone nut... quite inexpensive and probably something we should add to the "extras" page.

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Looks like I am going to have to make a nut cutting video....

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As long as you're not the nut being cut you should be fine!! I have been oblivious to the nut issue as I hate plastic and have bought brass nuts for all my electrics...

Thanks for all contributions. I'll let it all settle out today (I only did the set up yesterday arvo) and then I'll go through the whole process again and see where I end up.

I'm assuming I'd need some kind of solvent to get the plastic nut out, if I was going that way. What kind? Yes, a "nut cutting" video would be good (as much as the name makes me wince)!

I'll do photos of various bits as Gavin suggested above if I still have a problem after resetting.

Thanks again! One thing I have noticed about the Yellow Peril's sound is that it has a sustain like I've never experienced on an electric. You know that scene in Spinal Tap ... "I could be just holdin' it ... and holdin' it ... "? It's like that. Amazing.

OK, now for DB's method for removing the nut.....

If it is a end of the fretboard type, such as found on G types give it a short sharp tap with a plastic faced hammer.
If you don't have one of those use a block of timber and smack it one. ( from the fretboard side)

For F types that have the nut recessed, run a cut down the centre of the nut ( length ways) till you are nearly through to the fretboard with a hack saw.
Then get out the pliers and crush the nut... Ouch....
It should then come away.

There will be some glue residue that you will need to carefully remove, a small square needle file will work for this.

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Quote from dingobass on March 17, 2013, 08:01
OK, now for DB's method for removing the nut.....

If it is a end of the fretboard type, such as found on G types give it a short sharp tap with a plastic faced hammer.
If you don't have one of those use a block of timber and smack it one. ( from the fretboard side)

For F types that have the nut recessed, run a cut down the centre of the nut ( length ways) till you are nearly through to the fretboard with a hack saw.
Then get out the pliers and crush the nut... Ouch....
It should then come away.

There will be some glue residue that you will need to carefully remove, a small square needle file will work for this.

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Thanks for the tips DB.

On playing the Yellow Peril this morning it appears to have settled out a bit. The neck is now dead flat and the problem at the bottom end isn't nearly so marked. I'll have to re-set the action and intonation to see if that shakes out the remaining gremlins. What with a set of new strings settling in at the same time as all these other adjustments it's a bit tricky to work out what's causing a problem at any given moment. I'm sure it'll work out though. And it really is so pleasurable to pick up and play a guitar that I made. That's priceless.

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Quote from dingobass on March 16, 2013, 22:08

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Quote from adam on March 16, 2013, 21:26
It's definitely the nut. They seem to use different height nuts on different kits; some re good, some aren't. I'd take DB's advice and invest in a bone nut... quite inexpensive and probably something we should add to the "extras" page.

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Looks like I am going to have to make a nut cutting video....

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You should, cause I wanna start making my own bone nuts pretty soon!!!

All righty, so I've played the strings in a bit more and re-checked the neck. The neck is not actually dead flat as I thought, there's still a bit of back-bow in it, but there doesn't seem to be any more play in the truss rod to loosen it. With the string tension on for the last 72 hours I'd have thought it would have pulled up to at least flat by now, but not so. Problem no. 1 right there.

Anyhow, I reset the action and intonation - the saddles are now in a more orthodox configuration, but I still have the problem of the first couple of frets on each string producing notes that are too sharp. I really don't have the right tools for this job, but I improvised - a cutting blade and a nail file are suprisingly effective at deepening the slots in the nut. This appears to have improved things at the nut end, but now I have an action problem - the saddles are all very high and, by lowering the clearance at the nut, I've got buzz back. My main problem now is getting a flat neck.

I'm now wishing I'd checked how straight the neck was before stringing it up, because doing this job properly is going to involve taking the strings off, effectively wasting that set. Ah well. Gotta learn somehow.

Hey Glenn,

I wouldn't worry to much about the neck just yet, it will take it a while to settle in.

Anywhere up to a few months in fact!

In the mean time you could try to let the tension off the truss rod to the point where it nearly rattles, and when you are done playing tune your strings up a key.
This will help pull it forwards.

Alternately you could try a heavy gauge set, I know it will throw your intonation off but it will help to bring that neck forward.

Leaning the guitar against the wall will add to the effect as well.

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Quote from dingobass on March 18, 2013, 17:04
Alternately you could try a heavy gauge set, I know it will throw your intonation off but it will help to bring that neck forward.

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Personally, I use Ernie Ball Power Slinky's for all of my Axes, and it does a pretty good job at keeping my neck straight!!! So, get some power slinky strings (purple pack) and whack em on for a month, then revert to whatever you like, you might even like them!!!

EDIT: Forgot to mention to get your hands on some string cleaner, Ernie Ball's tend to rust faster...

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Quote from GlennGP on March 18, 2013, 15:52
All righty, so I've played the strings in a bit more and re-checked the neck. The neck is not actually dead flat as I thought, there's still a bit of back-bow in it, but there doesn't seem to be any more play in the truss rod to loosen it. With the string tension on for the last 72 hours I'd have thought it would have pulled up to at least flat by now, but not so. Problem no. 1 right there.

Anyhow, I reset the action and intonation - the saddles are now in a more orthodox configuration, but I still have the problem of the first couple of frets on each string producing notes that are too sharp. I really don't have the right tools for this job, but I improvised - a cutting blade and a nail file are suprisingly effective at deepening the slots in the nut. This appears to have improved things at the nut end, but now I have an action problem - the saddles are all very high and, by lowering the clearance at the nut, I've got buzz back. My main problem now is getting a flat neck.

I'm now wishing I'd checked how straight the neck was before stringing it up, because doing this job properly is going to involve taking the strings off, effectively wasting that set. Ah well. Gotta learn somehow.

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Is the bow bending the 12th fret towards the strings or away from them?

When tuning the guitar, are you tuning each string by plucking the string at the same intensity that you play? Seriously, most people tune their guitar gently and then wonder why its not in tune when they play aggressively!

Are you playing the notes in the first frets with more force than necessary ( such as you would have to do if the nut was too high)?

When you say the saddles are too high, i assume your neck is attached correctly and I further assume that you have adjusted the bridge down using the adjustable screws? I'm sorry it is such a basic question, but need to check the obvious since it doesn't appear to be the nut that is too high.

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Quote from Gavin1393 on March 18, 2013, 18:53

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Quote from GlennGP on March 18, 2013, 15:52
[blah blah blah - what I said]

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Glenn's responses in italics

Is the bow bending the 12th fret towards the strings or away from them?
The bow in the neck makes the 12th fret closer to the strings than at either end

When tuning the guitar, are you tuning each string by plucking the string at the same intensity that you play? Seriously, most people tune their guitar gently and then wonder why its not in tune when they play aggressively!
I tune at full intensity.

Are you playing the notes in the first frets with more force than necessary ( such as you would have to do if the nut was too high)?
Not sure what you mean here, but my diagnosis is that, since the string is further away from the fret board at the nut end than near the 12th, you have to push the string down further to make the note. When doing this it's like bending the string, producing a very slightly higher tone than it should. I hope that makes sense!

When you say the saddles are too high, i assume your neck is attached correctly and I further assume that you have adjusted the bridge down using the adjustable screws? I'm sorry it is such a basic question, but need to check the obvious since it doesn't appear to be the nut that is too high.
In order to clear the frets and eliminate buzz the saddles are set so that the ends of the worm screws in them are recessed in the saddles. I'd call that "high". Neck attachment looks fine - the screws have pulled the neck into the neck slot on the body nice and firmly, with no gap between the two. Bridge - saddles - I fear I may have run into a naming problem here. I'm calling the adjustable cylindrical bits with the slots for strings "saddles". The bridge is screwed down firmly against the body with the four screws supplied - I wouldn't have characterised them as "adjustable". If you mean the three sprung screws in the end of the bridge, which move the saddles back and forth, then yes, I've adjusted those to try to achieve good intonation following the technique on the intonation video.

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I think that this is where the problem might be? Since everything else seems to be correct.

Are you playing the notes in the first frets with more force than necessary ( such as you would have to do if the nut was too high)?
Not sure what you mean here, but my diagnosis is that, since the string is further away from the fret board at the nut end than near the 12th, you have to push the string down further to make the note. When doing this it's like bending the string, producing a very slightly higher tone than it should. I hope that makes sense!

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Quote from Gavin1393 on March 19, 2013, 09:08
I think that this is where the problem might be? Since everything else seems to be correct.

Are you playing the notes in the first frets with more force than necessary ( such as you would have to do if the nut was too high)?
Not sure what you mean here, but my diagnosis is that, since the string is further away from the fret board at the nut end than near the 12th, you have to push the string down further to make the note. When doing this it's like bending the string, producing a very slightly higher tone than it should. I hope that makes sense!

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Hmmm - so, step one: get the neck straight, then start checking off other elements. OK then!

Glenn, can you measure the distance of the bottom/underside of the strings from the fretboard at the nut, the 7th Fret and 12th fret and let us know. Preferably as accurately as possible (inches) or precise mm....?

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Quote from Gavin1393 on March 19, 2013, 11:09
Glenn, can you measure the distance of the bottom/underside of the strings from the fretboard at the nut, the 7th Fret and 12th fret and let us know. Preferably as accurately as possible (inches) or precise mm....?

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I don't have anything accurate enough to give me fractions of mm, so they're all between 2-2.5mm, with the 7th and 12th being a bit less each than at the nut. Say, nut 2.5mmm the others a bit less each.

When you have your guitar strung up and tuned, you need to check the curvature of the neck. You may see on other websites that a gap of 1/64” (0.4mm) - 1/32” (0.8mm) is required…so what does that look like, especially if you don’t have an engineers rule or other measuring device? A standard credit card is about 0.65mm and standard business card is about 0.3mm. You can probably find these two things in your wallet or purse. Get them out and have them handy.

Pick up your guitar and hold it in the playing position. Put a capo or small clamp on the first fret (closest to the nut) to hold the string down. The string needs to be contacting the first metal fret. You can also have a friend hold down the low E string. Next, with your picking hand, hold down the low E string at the 17th fret. As you should see, the string forms a straight edge between the first and 17th frets.

There should be a slight gap between the E string and the 9th fret. If not, your neck has “back bow”, which we’ll address later. Still holding the string down, use your free hand and try to slide the business card under the E string right on top of the 9th fret. If it slides under the string without contact, try the credit card. If the credit card slides in without contact, try the two cards together. If this doesn’t make contact, your neck needs some work! Ideally, the business card should clear the string, but the credit card shouldn’t. If the credit card clears the fret and string with ease, we have some “bow”, or relief in the neck.

On most guitars, the same rule for truss rods holds true: Right is tight, left is loose. Looking at the truss rod adjustment on top of the neck near the tuners, the right/left arrangement is from the top of the neck looking toward the body of the guitar. If you have back bow, you need to loosen the truss rod, or turn the nut on the truss rod left. If you have bow, you need to tighten the truss rod, or turn the nut on the truss rod to the right.

As a technique, I always loosen the truss rod before I do any adjustment. If you start cranking the truss rod down, and it is already pretty tight, you may break it, and this is something you won't be able to fix at home in an afternoon. If you feel the least bit uncomfortable at this point, take your guitar to a repairperson/luthier.

There are generally two types of adjusters on truss rods: A nut for Gibson style truss rods, and a hex-head screw for just about everything else. The hex-head is most common on imported guitars. Make sure the hex-head driver that came with your guitar is well seated – you don’t want to strip it out, or again your have trouble on your hands. Generally about a ¼ turn is enough to move the neck. If you move it more than a full turn, you may have an issue.

Step Three: Check string height at the nut. A lot of the nut-work on import guitars leaves something to be desired. To check the height of the nut, start at the low E string, and fret it on the third fret (a “G” note). The string should be sitting on the first fret, or just above it. When I say “just above”, I mean close enough just to see some light through the gap between the string and the fret. Try holding the string down on the third fret and "tap" the string above the first fret, kind of like checking the neck relief. You should be able to press the string down just ever so slightly onto the first fret.
Try this procedure for all of the strings. If there is a big gap, your nut needs some work. Can you fix this? You can if you have some nut files. If you don’t you may need a repairperson to take a look at it for you. The height at the nut is critical to a good playing guitar. If it is too high, the string will be too low at the 12th fret, probably causing a nasty buzz and intonation problems.

Before you continue, take a look at your bridge -- we're heading there next. If you look at both bridges pictured below, you can see that the saddles on both are arranged similarly, with an adjustable saddle for each string.

Gibson-style Bridge

This bridge has six individually-adjustable saddles which are adjusted using the screws you can see at the bottom of the bridge facing the stop tailpiece. The screws have a slot head, requiring a flat-head screwdriver. On some guitars these screws face the other way (usually on the older or replica models).
If you have to adjust a saddle, place a soft cloth below where you're going to insert the tip of the screwdriver. This will help you avoid gouging the top of your guitar if you slip. Turn the screw clockwise to move the saddle back and counterclockwise to move it forward. Make small turns because a little turn can make a lot of difference. After every adjustment to the position of the saddle, retune the string to pitch and compare the 12th fret note and the open string. Repeat the operation until the string has the correct intonation, then move on to the next string.





Fender-style Bridge
Although the Fender bridge looks different, the principles of setting the intonation are exactly the same as a Gibson bridge. You move the saddles with an adjustment screw (in this case, a Phillips head screw) until the note at the 12th fret and the open string are the same.

Note: If these saddles are in a straight line, the guitar is probably not set up properly!


Step Four: Set the approximate positions of the string saddles on the bridge.

First, determine the scale of your guitar. Measure from the body-side of the nut to precisely over the 12th Fret. If you double this measurement, you have the scale of your guitar.

Using the distance from the nut to the 12th fret (we’ll call this measurement “x”), measure from the 12th fret to the bridge. Using the screws on the back of the saddle, set the individual saddles to the following specs:

Note: I find it is easier to make the initial adjustments with the strings loosened. Once you set the saddles, tune the guitar back to pitch.

Low E:
1/8” or 3.2mm longer than X

A:
1/16” or 1.6mm longer than X

D:
1/32” or0.8mm longer than X

G:
1/8” or 3.2mm longer than X

B:
1/16” or 1.6mm longer than X

High E:
1/32” or 0.8mm longer than X
We get the final settings once we get our saddle height, but this will get us close.

Step Five: Set string height at saddles.

Measure at the twelfth fret and set saddles so the height between the bottom of the low E string and the top of the twelfth fret is about 1/16" or 1.6mm. The High E should set just at 1/16” or 1.6mm, this is about two credit card widths above the 12th fret (we know you have at least two credit cards!). The other strings should be the same height, following the radius of the fretboard. This is easy with the Gibson bridge -- just crank it up and down, and the shape of the bridge conforms to the fingerboard in most cases. The Fender-style bridge has more adjustment range, and it may take a little more time to set it up.

Remember – This is a starting point to get your saddles set. Your playing style may make you either raise or lower the saddles. We’re just trying to get in the ballpark.
When you complete this, the saddles on your bridge should be somewhere in the middle of their adjustment range. If they are sitting flush on the body, or maxed out, your neck angle needs to be adjusted, and it may be best to get a qualified repairperson to complete this job for you.

Step Six: Fine tune the intonation setting with a tuner.
What we are going to do here is actually adjust the length of each string. This is the only way to make sure your guitar will play in tune all the way up the neck. You’ll need an electronic tuner for this job. You’ll need some small screwdrivers --flat tip or Phillips, depending on your bridge.

Follow these steps:

1. Hold the guitar in the playing position.


2. Hook up the electronic tuner and put it in a position where you can see it clearly.


3. Tune the entire guitar. Make sure you take your time and get it as precise as possible.


4. Start with the low E string. Play the string with a pick, and make sure it is in tune. Next, fret the string at the 12th fret, play the string, and check the tuning. It should show an E in tune.


5. If the note played at the 12th Fret is in tune like the open string, the string is properly intonated. If is isn’t continue to step 6.


6. If the note played at the 12th Fret is flat (below E), take your screwdriver and move the saddle toward the pickups. If the note was sharp (Above E), move the saddle away from the pickups. The General Rule: Flat = Forward


7. Continue this process until the open string and that same string fretted at the 12th fret are in perfect tune with each other.


8. Continue this process for all strings, and keep going back and checking the settings for each one.

Wow Gavin, what an amazingly detailed post. 8O

Thank you so much. Bookmarking this one, its a keeper.

cheers
rob

Hey Gavin,

Can you move this post to it's very own spot in the setup page?

It is brilliant and deserves a copy and paste as a separate topic for our forum members. :D

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Quote from dingobass on March 19, 2013, 22:30
Hey Gavin,

Can you move this post to it's very own spot in the setup page?

It is brilliant and deserves a copy and paste as a separate topic for our forum members. :D

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Ok, will do...

All right, I've been away for nearly two weeks, and left the guitar strung up while away. (Added benefit - the top coats of Wudtone have had some quality curing time!)

There was still a bit of back bow in the neck, so I took the strings off it and loosened the truss rod till it was flat. Took it a little bit past, and then back to flat, just to be sure I'd reached the right point. While doing this I was checking along the centre of the neck and at the "low" and "high" sides of the neck, all in three positions: nut end, bridge end and centre. In all, I was checking nine positions with each adjustment.

Once I had the neck flat (yay!) I repeated the action and intonation set up. The arrangement of the bridge and saddles is now much more orthodox looking, and I had to lower the bridge pickup a bit, because the strings ended up sitting lower than they were.

I have two remaining problems:
1. The high E string has a strange resonance, like the sound of a sitar. I've checked the string all along its vibrating length and there's nothing in contact with it, or near to being in contact. Yet playing that string gives that odd, slightly muted resonance. Could it be the string itself?
2. I still need to play with the nut. I performed the check described above (fretting at the 3rd and checking clearance at the 1st), confirming that the slots are not deep enough. Having been through the other set up steps I'm pretty confident that this is the source of my intonation problems at the nut end. Playing barre chords up the near the centre of the neck is pretty sweet, but the open chords stink!

The local guitar shop has pre-loved bone nuts, as well as new ones, and I'm thinking if I'm going to muck about with it I might as well upgrade it, given the very reasonable price of doing so. Would anyone recommend buying a pre-loved one over a new one? I figure they must have been removed for a reason ... . However, I lack the tools to fine-tune a new nut for myself.

Anyhoo ... we're getting closer to having a nicely playable guitar.

I'd value opinions/advice on both problems 1 and 2!

I would say it is the nut causing that Sitar like sound.

Go for a new bone nut, that way you know you are not inheriting a dud!

The string slots should be OK on the new nut, to get the right height you will only have to sand the bottom down until you get it right.

I use a piece of 80 grit stuck to a flat surface to do this.

It will take some mucking around, but in the end you will have that baby singing like an Angel :D

Remember the Golden Rule... Bone for Tone!

I agree with DB! If you can, send a new one over to him and he'll get it right (if its a blank, or if its just missing the slots!) or he could send one to you???

Nice idea Pest, but Glenn would still need to fine tune the nut as every neck is different! 8-)

Thanks DB, I'll git on down to the store for a new one and hope that it sorts out both problems in one hit. So close to beautifully playable ... !

In the process of investigating all this I downloaded the StewMac sizing guide for slotted unbleached bone nuts (http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/a-sl...uts/6001VS.pdf), to see if I would be able to take the piece of paper in to a shop and get one to match. When I compared the guides for Fender pre-slotted nuts to the nut on the kit guitar, none of them matched. The sizing guides work by lining up lines on the piece of paper with your top and bottom E strings. Well, in all cases, the string spread on the guide was broader than the nut on the kit. I double checked that I had printed the guide without enlarging or reducing it - it just seems that the kit nuts crowd the strings more than StewMac would be happy with!

As for fitting a new one, what sort of glue should I be using to fix it in place (once it's properly adjusted)?

Brass - Kicks-ass! Bone is fine too! Prefer the metal to metal arrangement on electrics for sustain. Bone to bone on acoustics, so maybe I'm just eccentric?? And before Pest chimes in with his Tusq, it is immitation bone...and Glenn, change that cr@ppy nut....DB's right, thats where it's coming from!

TUSQ should really only be used if you have a tremolo system installed, cause they are seriously good!!

After chatting with a mate who knows a ton about nuts, we decided on this nut guide:
Plastic: THROW THAT $#!7 OUT!!!
Brass: Great for electrics!
Bone: For serious tone, best on acoustics
TUSQ XL: Best for tremolo systems!

In reply.

Brass, shove it up your ass :P

Tusk, more plastic crap 8O

Bone for Tone baby, everything else is crap! 8-)

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Quote from dingobass on April 2, 2013, 16:34
In reply.

Brass, shove it up your ass :P

Tusk, more plastic crap 8O

Bone for Tone baby, everything else is crap! 8-)

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That's a keeper, gunna put it in my favorite quotes!

I've had to surrender to the inevitable here, and have taken a leaf from Stui's Dad's book in the process. I simply can't justify the purchase of the tools necessary to do the nut work myself, so I've checked the Yellow Peril in with a local luthier this morning to do the deed. Should have it back in a couple of days, nicely set up and ready to rock.

I'm a bit torn between not being able to finish the job myself and finally having something nicely playable. In the end, though, playability must always win.

As long as its playable, then were fine!

Any updates, Glenn? Is the Yellow Peril now back in your eager hands, set up and playing like a dream?

I called the shop again on Friday arvo for an update - at this point it was 16 days since dropping it off, having been told it would be "a couple of days". The bloke at the shop promised to contact the luthier and call me back ... which he did within 10 minutes, to tell me that said luthier became a first-time dad about a fortnight ago and his work rate has fallen dramatically!

No kidding!

So, I'm hard pressed to be upset about the reason for the delay, but I'm slightly miffed by the inability of anyone to keep me in the loop. Still. The luthier is calling me tomorrow to clarify exactly what I want done and how far I want him to take the set up, so hopefully I should have it back within the week.

In the meantime, the kit that will become the Red Menace should be here in the next few days, so I'll have some sanding to keep me busy!

OK, I have the Yellow Peril back. Sounding pretty good, and there's a story here ... the guy doing the nut reckoned the frets needed levelling as well, so just went ahead and did it. So when the shop called to tell me it was ready, the quoted price for the work had more than doubled. :x However, the guy in the shop thought the luthier had spoken to me directly to get approval for the extra work (he hadn't), so stuck to the original quote. Good. :D

Anyway, I've noticed that the nut is pretty low, but the saddles are sitting pretty high, and I've still got the faintest of rattles on the G string. I guess I could stuff around with the truss rod to work out if I've got any room for play there, but I'm just enjoying having the thing in tune all the way up the neck! I think I'll wait to do any more adjustment.

So, the Yellow Peril is pretty much finished. I just have to change out the jack plug, apply the name to the headstock, pop in an orange drop on the tone pot ... hang on. Does it ever end? It really doesn't, does it? Like great art: never finished, merely abandoned.

Quote:

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Quote from GlennGP on May 4, 2013, 15:53

Anyway, I've noticed that the nut is pretty low, but the saddles are sitting pretty high, and I've still got the faintest of rattles on the G string. I guess I could stuff around with the truss rod to work out if I've got any room for play there, but I'm just enjoying having the thing in tune all the way up the neck! I think I'll wait to do any more adjustment.

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Don't fiddle with the truss rod now. If the frets have been levelled fiddling with the truss rod may just throw it all out of balance again. The truss rod fiddling is when you start off with a leveled neck and in time the neck goes out.....

Did the luthier ask you whether you play heavily of softly! Sometimes this can be the cause of a buzz because you are hitting the strings quite hard. The other thing could be that the g-string is seated too low in its grove in the nut and it rattling ...or that the grove was cut too low and now the string itself it buzzing against the frets