Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on February 14, 2010 at 4:33pm

It sounds like you just have the action too low. You could raise it up by either putting something in the slots on the nut to raise it there, or you could raise the bridge.

If you can put a penny under the strings right at the nut, and the string just touches the penny, then your height at the nut is probably OK.

I would shim up the bridge until you see what height will get rid of your problems and then go from there.

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on February 15, 2010 at 3:41am

How about a pic? Nut and bridge, kinda from the side.
But I suspect Iggy is right.


Matt

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 15, 2010 at 4:21am

Also you might want to make sure the fretboard was as flat as possible. Tho its possible to level the frets once fretted, if you have a serious bow or hump, the frets will be flat. But that's kind hind sight. The guys above show the easiest way to adjust for this tho you really need to look at the fret level.

You can 'dress' frets by getting a fine tooth (but wide) flat bastard file, run a black marker line over the top of the frets, running the file over the top of the frets until all the marker is gone from the frets. This way, all the frets are more or less level with each other. If you find that one or more frets are getting REALLY thin or flat, might be time to remove the frets and sand that sucker flat. Redo the slots and re-fret.

Another great idea which is popular is to lightly sand the frets on a belt grinder. Do the same with the marker to make sure you aren't going too deep.

-WY

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Permalink Reply by Bull Dogg on February 17, 2010 at 2:50am

Heres the pics. I used 18ga wire for the frets and 1/8 inch rod for the zero fret, both set in groves on the fret board. The string isn't extremely tight, just enough to make a sound, but that couldn't be it could it? 3.5 pennies high at the bridge, 2 at the zero fret.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Morin on February 17, 2010 at 3:17am

Ok I know nothing about freting but why are you putting your finger right on the fret. Thats not how you play, push down with your finger between the frets. Also I see that all the frets aren't level. And your bridge is to wide like a sitar which will give a sitar like sound. I had a friend just do this as I was helping him build his first fretless and it buzzed like a sitar. Idid'nt notice it right away because everything else he did looked good. Look at pictures of guitar bridges to see what mean. I simple solution would be to take piece of that 1/8th rod or bigger and rest it on top of the bridge to see if that helps with the buzz or as you say rattle. JUst my 2 cents.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 17, 2010 at 4:03am

What he's doing is causing the string to touch the fret evenly on top and not in between. Thus the string bends upward in both directions to see what the action is. Bridges can be wide. They only have to elevate the strings. Width (other than being too short in length) is not an issue as much.

-WY

Roger Morin said:

Ok I know nothing about freting but why are you putting your finger right on the fret. Thats not how you play, push down with your finger between the frets. Also I see that all the frets aren't level. And your bridge is to wide like a sitar which will give a sitar like sound. I had a friend just do this as I was helping him build his first fretless and it buzzed like a sitar. Idid'nt notice it right away because everything else he did looked good. Look at pictures of guitar bridges to see what mean. I simple solution would be to take piece of that 1/8th rod or bigger and rest it on top of the bridge to see if that helps with the buzz or as you say rattle. JUst my 2 cents.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on February 17, 2010 at 4:12am

Lay a metal ruler across all the frets on its side and see if there are gaps above some frets and no gaps above others. Lay the edge along the same path as each string and see if it changes or stays the same each time. You could have some uneven fretting going on.

Wes Yates said:

What he's doing is causing the string to touch the fret evenly on top and not in between. Thus the string bends upward in both directions to see what the action is. Bridges can be wide. They only have to elevate the strings. Width (other than being too short in length) is not an issue as much.

-WY

Roger Morin said:

Ok I know nothing about freting but why are you putting your finger right on the fret. Thats not how you play, push down with your finger between the frets. Also I see that all the frets aren't level. And your bridge is to wide like a sitar which will give a sitar like sound. I had a friend just do this as I was helping him build his first fretless and it buzzed like a sitar. Idid'nt notice it right away because everything else he did looked good. Look at pictures of guitar bridges to see what mean. I simple solution would be to take piece of that 1/8th rod or bigger and rest it on top of the bridge to see if that helps with the buzz or as you say rattle. JUst my 2 cents.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Morin on February 17, 2010 at 4:38am

Randy what I ment the top is like a table, like a sitar, not that it's to long. Of course your better at explaining things then I am. Just looking at the pictures you can see that theres a problem with the frets be level. May I should be quite and learn myself LOL.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 17, 2010 at 4:59am

Oh no, you're questions are good. Certainly ask. No stupid questions here. Everyone learns something daily. Problem is very well fret level [see our comments above]. Question is how do you determine that. Randy has a good suggestion -- one of many that work.

-WY

Roger Morin said:

Randy what I ment the top is like a table, like a sitar, not that it's to long. Of course your better at explaining things then I am. Just looking at the pictures you can see that theres a problem with the frets be level. May I should be quite and learn myself LOL.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 17, 2010 at 5:04am

One thing to note is nut/bridge buzz. I have had a string to buzz without being fretted. That is a nut or bridge issue. Usually for me, I cut the slot too wide or deep and the string is buzzing in the slot OR the bridge slot is cut too deep . I don't even slot bridges anymore but then again I use a copper wire over a wood bridge [learnt that trick here on the Nation]. Kinda like a zero fret at the bridge. (see third picture down).

I've seen folks use an 1/2" aluminum L-bar (Lowes has this in their stock metal display where the iron bar and threaded stock is). Makes a great bridge and nut -- real thin and little work.

-WY

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Permalink Reply by Roger Morin on February 17, 2010 at 5:56am

Ok sticking my nose in again LOL I took the bottom picture of the frets and enlarged as big as possible. You can see lots doing this and it looks like the frets need to be as they say dressed. Try it and you will see it, it may be more than that but the frets stand out with some being higher than others.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on February 17, 2010 at 7:02am

By all means, make sure that the tops of the frets are even, and that the fingerboard is not warped or crooked.

I would put a 1/8 inch shim under the string at the bridge and see if raising the string helps.

And you DO have to press down on the string between the frets to make sure that all is set up correctly.

And I AM curious why the nut has three slots, but the headstock has four tuners on it... :-)

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