What is the height of your strings on the 12th fret?

[Tonedeaf]

I'll never understand why people say 4/64 instead of 1/16

 

[jakel]

Probably for the same reason people say “a hundred thou” rather than a tenth of an inch.

 

[Dave Merrill]

On my EJ strat, at the 12th: low E 3/16, high E 2 1/2 16ths.

That's significantly higher than my usual, and it's gotten higher of late. There's significant neck relief, which I'm pretty sure is the problem. Guitar came used with 9s, I put 10s on almost immediately, had it professionally set up, but over time the action has gotten higher and higher.

I really don't like the truss rod adjustment setup on a strat. Dumb arrangement.

I'm replacing the controls today, guess I'll take a shot at that neck adjustment too, while I'm taking stuff apart.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

On my EJ strat, at the 12th: low E 3/16, high E 2 1/2 16ths.

That's significantly higher than my usual, and it's gotten higher of late. There's significant neck relief, which I'm pretty sure is the problem. Guitar came used with 9s, I put 10s on almost immediately, had it professionally set up, but over time the action has gotten higher and higher.

I really don't like the truss rod adjustment setup on a strat. Dumb arrangement.

I'm replacing the controls today, guess I'll take a shot at that neck adjustment too, while I'm taking stuff apart.

Did you mean 32nds? I don't think it's very likely that you have action that high. There probably isn't that amount of adjustment on the saddles.

3/16 is 4.8 mm.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Did you mean 32nds? I don't think it's very likely that you have action that high. There probably isn't that amount of adjustment on the saddles.

3/16 is 4.8 mm.

Yes you're right of course, sorry.
Still pretty high in my book.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

Yes you're right of course, sorry.
Still pretty high in my book.

Yeah, it's very very high for an electric. I think action that high makes sense if you play a lot of slide, but not otherwise.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Yeah, it's very very high for an electric. I think action that high makes sense if you play a lot of slide, but not otherwise.

I just cracked the truss rod 1/4 turn tighter, will see how that turns out.

Not for a bit though, have it apart for that, but also to change out the controls. Bridge tone is unreliable, switching all the pots out for Dunlop Super Pots. Hope I don't mind the feel...

 

[guitarnerdswe]

I just cracked the truss rod 1/4 turn tighter, will see how that turns out.

Not for a bit though, have it apart for that, but also to change out the controls. Bridge tone is unreliable, switching all the pots out for Dunlop Super Pots. Hope I don't mind the feel...

Try checking your relief by holding down the low E on the 1st fret (or capo it) and then hold down the string at the 17 fret. Check for a small gap at the 7th fret, about half the width of your high e (0.005") is good. No gap will cause buzzing low down on the neck. Too much is not good either.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Try checking your relief by holding down the low E on the 1st fret (or capo it) and then hold down the string at the 17 fret. Check for a small gap at the 7th fret, about half the width of your high e (0.005") is good. No gap will cause buzzing low down on the neck. Too much is not good either.

Yeah did that, before I took it apart, that's why I said there was too much relief, and cranked the truss rod a bit. No idea if the amount I turned it was enough, just figured I didn't want to do anything too extreme and risk damage.

If it turns out not to be enough, is there any way to adjust it further without throwing out the new strings I just put on?

 

[guitarnerdswe]

Yeah did that, before I took it apart, that's why I said there was too much relief, and cranked the truss rod a bit. No idea if the amount I turned it was enough, just figured I didn't want to do anything too extreme and risk damage.

If it turns out not to be enough, is there any way to adjust it further without throwing out the new strings I just put on?

Is it the vintage kind with the adjustment on the heel? I would cut out a piece of the pickguard in that case. Or, maybe you can loosen the strings, and take out the neck screws, allowing you to tilt the neck enough to get access?

 

[jakel]

Is it the vintage kind with the adjustment on the heel? I would cut out a piece of the pickguard in that case. Or, maybe you can loosen the strings, and take out the neck screws, allowing you to tilt the neck enough to get access?

That’s what I’ve done.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Is it the vintage kind with the adjustment on the heel? I would cut out a piece of the pickguard in that case. Or, maybe you can loosen the strings, and take out the neck screws, allowing you to tilt the neck enough to get access?

It's on the end of the neck closest to the body. Poor design choice IMO.

To provide access to the truss rod adjuster without removing or at least tilting the neck, I'd have to take a good hunk out of the body, as well as the pickguard. Don't think I want to do that on a more or less stock EJ strat.

Wonder if I could tilt the neck {and also put it back!) with the strings still on, just loosened a bit.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

It's on the end of the neck closest to the body. Poor design choice IMO.

To provide access to the truss rod adjuster without removing or at least tilting the neck, I'd have to take a good hunk out of the body, as well as the pickguard. Don't think I want to do that on a more or less stock EJ strat.

Wonder if I could tilt the neck {and also put it back!) with the strings still on, just loosened a bit.

Isn't the EJ equipped with vintage tuners? You should be able to get the strings off and on again without damaging them. Might be tricky, but I've seen it work.

 

[Anthony76]

I'll never understand why people say 4/64 instead of 1/16

I’ll never understand why some people don’t use metric.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Isn't the EJ equipped with vintage tuners? You should be able to get the strings off and on again without damaging them. Might be tricky, but I've seen it work.

After the strings had been back on for a couple hours, action was still way high, 3/32 at the 12th both sides. I was able to tilt the neck enough to try tightening the truss rod some more, just by loosening the strings, not taking them off.

However, I don't have a real truss rod tool, just a long handled Phillips screwdriver, and I wasn't able to move it that much. Back up to pitch, action's still high.

Is it normal that a Phillips wouldn't be effective for this, or is the neck f-ed? I could take it to a tech, but I don't want to wait as long as the typical turnaround time around here if I can help it. What size would a strat adjusting wrench be?

 

[skunc]

My action choices are guitar specific. Some guitars sound better with higher action and some are more fun to play with low action.

Warmoth compound 10"- 16" radius are fun to play @ 2/64" and 1.5/64"
7 1/4" radius Fenders I have at 4/64" and 3/64" or 5/64" and 4.5/64"
12" Gibson guitars are around 3.5/64" and 3/64"

 

[skunc]

After the strings had been back on for a couple hours, action was still way high, 3/32 at the 12th both sides. I was able to tilt the neck enough to try tightening the truss rod some more, just by loosening the strings, not taking them off.

However, I don't have a real truss rod tool, just a long handled Phillips screwdriver, and I wasn't able to move it that much. Back up to pitch, action's still high.

Is it normal that a Phillips wouldn't be effective for this, or is the neck f-ed? I could take it to a tech, but I don't want to wait as long as the typical turnaround time around here if I can help it. What size would a strat adjusting wrench be?

Have you tried removing the TR nut and lubing the threaded rod? Also note if the nut is compressing the maple and has run out of thread. This may be another reason it is hard to turn.

 

[Joe Bfstplk]

And this boys and girls, is why we prefer decimals over subdivisions

Either is fine by me. I learned fractional inches at about 5 or 6. My dad was a mechanic, and I had to get tools out when he needed one. I said 6/16 once.

 

[Joe Bfstplk]

Try checking your relief by holding down the low E on the 1st fret (or capo it) and then hold down the string at the 17 fret. Check for a small gap at the 7th fret, about half the width of your high e (0.005") is good. No gap will cause buzzing low down on the neck. Too much is not good either.

I do this, but instead of measuring relief with a feeler gauge, I have learned the sound of the string being tapped against the frets when the relief is right....

 

[painkiller]

After truss rod adjustment I usually set both e-strings to 1.5 mm (a little less than 1/16 inch) above the fret and adjust the other strings with a radius gauge that they match the fretboard radius. To measure the 1.5 mm I use the a 1.5 mm allen wrench.