Quick luthiery/manteinance questions not deserving a thread

[lurè]

I have a weird buzz around the 10th fret that's driving me crazy and is present also when guitar Is plugged.

Changed the strings and checked action and truss rod but everything seems fine and all the other strings play perfectly on the same fret.

Guitar has SS frets. Can It be a dent?

 

[High Plains Drifter]

I have a weird buzz around the 10th fret that's driving me crazy and is present also when guitar Is plugged.

Changed the strings and checked action and truss rod but everything seems fine and all the other strings play perfectly on the same fret.

Guitar has SS frets. Can It be a dent?

If that fret was dented enough to cause an issue, you should be able to see it or feel it at the least with a fingertip. If it were driving me nuts, I might check it with a beam and subsequently spot-level it depending on what you find after checking to see if it's level.

 

[Alberto7]

Might be one or more of the subsequent frets that are ever so slightly taller than your 10th fret. I'd use a fret rocker to see which fret it might be.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

Might be one or more of the subsequent frets that are ever so slightly taller than your 10th fret. I'd use a fret rocker to see which fret it might be.

Good call. I was zeroing in on the 10th fret as suspect ( being too high) but I think that you're more likely correct and certainly worth checking with the fret-rocker.

 

[lurè]

Might be one or more of the subsequent frets that are ever so slightly taller than your 10th fret. I'd use a fret rocker to see which fret it might be.

Tried with just a card and I'm not hearing any rocking.
Might check later once i get my hands on a proper fret rocker.

 

[ElysianGuitars]

Based on this, and what @ElRay said, a router sled is going to be the cheapest option. At SOME point, I want to get into building, and do so in the cheapest, but best, way. (In other words, I'm not going to buy $20,000 worth of equipment just to make a handful of guitars, but at the same time I don't want to make do with crappy stuff). So maybe I'll consider a CNC, as well.

Next question - since I'm clearly on my way to making my life difficult, lol: How easy is it to remove and replace a fretboard?

If you're curious where this is all coming from, it's because I just bought a cheap Galveston 8 string bass, and, while it will be functional, I'd love to enjoy looking at it, as well. I can probably forego the retopping, but I reeeeeally would like to swap out the FB for an ebony one, and refret it. (Or have it done by someone.)

Pulling a fretboard is way easier than the top replacement stuff. Can be done with a blade (I've literally used a butcher knife), an iron, and time.

 

[lurè]

Good call. I was zeroing in on the 10th fret as suspect ( being too high) but I think that you're more likely correct and certainly worth checking with the fret-rocker.

That was exactly the reason of the buzzing.

10th fret was a tiny bit too high on the high E; a couple of hits and the buzzing seems gone.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

That was exactly the reason of the buzzing.

10th fret was a tiny bit too high on the high E; a couple of hits and the buzzing seems gone.

Good deal. Hope that it stays seated and I'm glad that you didn't have to level it.

 

[brontology]

Q: Bridge Positioning, 7 string multiscale - Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how far back your 7th (low) string is for intonation on a 26.5"-27" scale? I'm close to my measurement ( i think) but want to make sure I have enough room for the low string to intonate (mine will be .059 string, regular-ish tuning- B, A, or G probably - not super dropped). My guesstimate is @ .25" - .3" from theoretical scale length but i don't have one to check. thanks!

 

[Alberto7]

Q: Bridge Positioning, 7 string multiscale - Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how far back your 7th (low) string is for intonation on a 26.5"-27" scale? I'm close to my measurement ( i think) but want to make sure I have enough room for the low string to intonate (mine will be .059 string, regular-ish tuning- B, A, or G probably - not super dropped). My guesstimate is @ .25" - .3" from theoretical scale length but i don't have one to check. thanks!

I don't know about 27", but I suppose this could help give you an idea:

- My strandberg 8 has a nominal scale length of 28" on the 8th string. It is set up to play in F# with a 0.080", and I just measured 28 and 1/8".

- My Oni 8 string has a nominal scale length of 29.14" (740 mm) on the 8th string. I set it up to play it in drop E with a 0.076" string, and I remember measuring 29.3", though that measurement was kinda quick and dirty and it is from memory, so assume it could have a +/- 0.1" error.

I don't know what standard practices are, so hopefully someone with more experience weighs in, but the thickest strings and the G strings should have a pretty healthy margin for adjustment, like +/- a quarter inch on either way, at the very least. I've run into problems with a couple guitars where I did not have a large enough range, and it's pretty annoying. (A couple of the cheaper tune o matics with the short adjustment range, and also an RGA121 that I had trouble setting up to drop C.)

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I open this because I think there are loads of little questions that don't deserve a proper thread, but can eventually be posted here and have a (probably) fast answer from the community

I start with one
What is the (fabric?) material used in the trem cavities under Floyd/Edges?
My Jackson arrived with it unglued and ripped, so I would like to change it

I replaced mine with a plexiglass mirror that I cut to size. It reflects the light right back out.

 

[brontology]

I don't know about 27", but I suppose this could help give you an idea:

- My strandberg 8 has a nominal scale length of 28" on the 8th string. It is set up to play in F# with a 0.080", and I just measured 28 and 1/8".

- My Oni 8 string has a nominal scale length of 29.14" (740 mm) on the 8th string. I set it up to play it in drop E with a 0.076" string, and I remember measuring 29.3", though that measurement was kinda quick and dirty and it is from memory, so assume it could have a +/- 0.1" error.

I don't know what standard practices are, so hopefully someone with more experience weighs in, but the thickest strings and the G strings should have a pretty healthy margin for adjustment, like +/- a quarter inch on either way, at the very least. I've run into problems with a couple guitars where I did not have a large enough range, and it's pretty annoying. (A couple of the cheaper tune o matics with the short adjustment range, and also an RGA121 that I had trouble setting up to drop C.)

Thanks Alberto7, this is good info. My 6 string E is about .2" back, I can place the bridge for about .3" movement back for the low 7 before I have to worry about the high string )(it's a one piece bridge). If your low 8s are less than my 6 string E, I should be OK. I just don't have a physical instrument to measure. much appreciation to you!

 

[WillyTheMLGPro]

My tele baritone neck curves in on the bass side which means the 6th string which comes off the fretboard sometimes while i'm playing.
Worth fixing by cutting a new nut with narrower spacing or just by getting a Warmoth baritone neck?

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I don't know about 27", but I suppose this could help give you an idea:

- My strandberg 8 has a nominal scale length of 28" on the 8th string. It is set up to play in F# with a 0.080", and I just measured 28 and 1/8".

- My Oni 8 string has a nominal scale length of 29.14" (740 mm) on the 8th string. I set it up to play it in drop E with a 0.076" string, and I remember measuring 29.3", though that measurement was kinda quick and dirty and it is from memory, so assume it could have a +/- 0.1" error.

I don't know what standard practices are, so hopefully someone with more experience weighs in, but the thickest strings and the G strings should have a pretty healthy margin for adjustment, like +/- a quarter inch on either way, at the very least. I've run into problems with a couple guitars where I did not have a large enough range, and it's pretty annoying. (A couple of the cheaper tune o matics with the short adjustment range, and also an RGA121 that I had trouble setting up to drop C.)

Out of interest, with your RGA121, what's the lowest tuning you've achieved with good intonation?

 

[narad]

So I'm wiring in this free-way switch and it has all these lugs for each pickup ground. But the ground leads on the pickups are too short to reach the switch... I think they're cut specifically to length to just about where the vol pot will be. Is there any problem just wiring all 3 to the back of the vol pot as ground?

 

[Asdrael]

Out of interest, with your RGA121, what's the lowest tuning you've achieved with good intonation?

I know it wasn't directed to me but with an unmoded RGA321 (basically the same model) it's hard to get proper intonation in C with a 52 string. This is due to the string of the saddle preventing it from going back far enough and is a 1 minute fix.

 

[Alberto7]

Out of interest, with your RGA121, what's the lowest tuning you've achieved with good intonation?

I know it wasn't directed to me but with an unmoded RGA321 (basically the same model) it's hard to get proper intonation in C with a 52 string. This is due to the string of the saddle preventing it from going back far enough and is a 1 minute fix.

Yeah that's it. I tune it to either D standard or drop C. I had to cut the springs in the bridge, and I haven't cut quite enough wire to intonate a low C correctly, but it's close enough given that I swap it between D and C very often. Imo not a super ideal solution, but it is easy indeed.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'd assume that the spring is now too short to go back to E standard with good intonation (not enough spring length to push the saddle back). There's a chance I may have to buy replacement springs if I want to go back to E, or if I decide to sell the guitar.

EDIT: I'm an idiot actually, the string will just pull the saddle lol now that I think of it, the spring probably isn't super necessary to have.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Yeah that's it. I tune it to either D standard or drop C. I had to cut the springs in the bridge, and I haven't cut quite enough wire to intonate a low C correctly, but it's close enough given that I swap it between D and C very often. Imo not a super ideal solution, but it is easy indeed.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'd assume that the spring is now too short to go back to E standard with good intonation (not enough spring length to push the saddle back). There's a chance I may have to buy replacement springs if I want to go back to E, or if I decide to sell the guitar.

EDIT: I'm an idiot actually, the string will just pull the saddle lol now that I think of it, the spring probably isn't super necessary to have.

Could you get it to intonate ok in D standard without any mods?

Where are the springs?

 

[Alberto7]

Could you get it to intonate ok in D standard without any mods?

Where are the springs?

View attachment 141870

Nope, for D standard I had to cut the springs, and now it intonates well. It's just for C that I still need to cut a little bit more.

The springs are around the intonation screws in slots under the bridge where the saddles sit. The springs sit behind the saddle. It has been a while that I haven't disassembled one of these bridges, but you'll need to remove the bridge and unscrew the intonation screw all the way out.

Slots with screws inside:


Slots under the bridge:

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Nope, for D standard I had to cut the springs, and now it intonates well. It's just for C that I still need to cut a little bit more.

The springs are around the intonation screws in slots under the bridge where the saddles sit. The springs sit behind the saddle. It has been a while that I haven't disassembled one of these bridges, but you'll need to remove the bridge and unscrew the intonation screw all the way out.

Slots with screws inside:
View attachment 141872

Slots under the bridge:
View attachment 141873

The saddles on my RGA321F are all very close to the neck side of the bridge (it's in E standard), so the springs aren't visible. I've never disassembled it and had assumed it was just screws.

Do the springs prevent the saddles from moving all the way back to end of what appears to be the range of movement then?