"fretting out" I gotta dead spot

[68 maple cap]

Hello all.

My third post here, please help.

My old tele............she's "frettin out". Big bends on the high e string from the 13, 14 15 frets.
B string is fine.

16'th fret and up are a little squeaky, but livable.

But the 13th........man, what a stinker!

I screwed up enough guitars in my time to know I personally won't attempt a fix.

Please help.

What is happing here? High frets?

Warp?

Thanks for your time.

Kindest regards,

Brian

[Scott Stulken]

Sounds like the frets just need a light leveling, preferably done with a neck-tensioning device. Your neck may not even be warped; as you wear frets 13-15 with your bends, the 16th will naturally become a higher fret... get it?

Try sighting down the neck to check if there is a "hump" in the neck after all.

Also, does straightening the neck help? Often, guitars will fret out less with the least relief possible.

Hope this helps.
- Scott

[monstermikewelch]

Try raising the action until it stops. If it's still comfortable (and it may or may not be), enjoy your new fuller, sweeter tone. If it isn't comfortable, you need to take it to a tech.

M
www.monstermikewelch.com

[r-senior]

Originally posted by monstermikewelch
Try raising the action until it stops. If it's still comfortable (and it may or may not be), enjoy your new fuller, sweeter tone. If it isn't comfortable, you need to take it to a tech.

Yep, it's probably nothing more than the action being slightly too low. It would be normal to get the worst choking around the 13th fret on the top E. Before raising the action, check that the relief on the neck is set correctly - they drift around as the temperature and humidity changes ...

Basic Guitar Setup

If in doubt about fiddling with the truss rod, take it for a pro setup and they should advise you if you need any fret work.

[68 maple cap]

Hi all!

Thanks for the info!

The tele has a factory bigsby, uses a jazzmaster type bridge.
Threaded saddles, kind of a pain, but it works.

I raised the offending saddle, enough to allow the bend to be heard
:)

I can live with the new action/string height but it's not quite following the radius curve.

I printed out the link on guitar set up, a truss adjustment may be in order.

Fret dressing as a last resort.

Monster Mike!

Thanks for your input. You sir are a great player. I really should pick up a cd of yours.

Again, my thanks to all.

Kindest regards,

Brian

[Deadwood Jack]

Hi all!

Thanks for the info!

The tele has a factory bigsby, uses a jazzmaster type bridge.
Threaded saddles, kind of a pain, but it works.

I raised the offending saddle, enough to allow the bend to be heard
:)

I can live with the new action/string height but it's not quite following the radius curve.

I printed out the link on guitar set up, a truss adjustment may be in order.

Fret dressing as a last resort.

Monster Mike!

Thanks for your input. You sir are a great player. I really should pick up a cd of yours.

Again, my thanks to all.

Kindest regards,

Brian

Get a fret dress. It won't cost much. Raising the action is only a temp fix.You can run but you can't hide.

[ragtweed]

Necks with a smaller fingerboard radius (more curvature) tend to fret out more easily making low action almost impossible. Also, the previously mentioned fret wear along with the possibility of a hump in the fingerboard will only compound the problem. I don't like low action anyway, IMHO high action and heavy strings = better tone.

[driver75]

I had the same problem with my Strat, I finally broke down and took it to Lays Guitar (Great place by the way). After a setup by them it plays better than ever. Fret level and Polish, setup and new strings was 85.00. Money well spent.

[MMP]

Y'all quit guessing. and STOP sighting down guitar necks. Your neck could have a hump in it.....or two humps.....or it could be shaped like a roller coaster or the loch ness monster. It does not matter.

A simple straight edge will tell you everything you will ever want to know about your frets. Stewart McDonald (stewmac.com) sells a good one for about $45. Can't afford a good one? Got to the local hardware store and purchase a metal 2 ft measure or metal yard stick and cut it at 2 feet with a hack saw. File off the rough edge.

Lay the edge on the fingerboard and check for space between the frets and the edge. I usually backlight this with a draftsman's lamp. With the instrument strung up, there should be a slight clearance above the fifth fret. If the frets are level, it does not matter about the shape of the neck.

If you are still unsure, take it to a qualified guitar tech.
Good luck.
:)


Quality Fretted Instrument Repairs since 1977

[music-n-motorcycle]

When ever I am unsure or need a reference, I look in "D.I.Y. GUitar Repair" by, Pieter J. Fillet. It is one of those half books that fits into a case, great for at the gig repairs.