string height?

[bombtek]

This is a "how to fix this" question type of thread.
On one of my guitars, the strings at the first fret are nice and low. Just above the fret .....right where I like them with NO fret buzz when strummed.

As you begin to up the neck, the strings progressively get higher and higher. When you get to frets around 17 - 22, they are ridiculous. Still absolutely playable, but I can actually have my fingers slip UNDER the next string while bending another one.

Now I am NOT a guitar tech at all. I just buy them and play them. But I am tired of spending money on fixes that I probably should be able to do myself. I think that this is probably one of those types of fixes.

Should I tighten/loosen the truss rod?
Should I look for a way to adjust the tremolo (Kahler Killer)?
Should I add a shim or two under the neck?

I KNOW it cannot be all that hard to fix this, I just don't want to do the trial and error thing, that's why I am here looking for any input by folks that have WAY more knowledge on this stuff than myself.
Thanks guys,
Bill

[toejam]

I'd lower the action at the bridge a little bit first, then tighten the truss rod a little to straighten the neck.
Hold down the low E string at the first fret and last fret, check to see how much of a gap there is between the string and frets 5 through 9... if you can fit more than a business card in there (about the size of a 10 or 11 gauge E string) then you'd tighten the rod (right/clockwise looking down the truss rod from the top of the headstock). Only do about 1/4 of a turn, wait a little bit for it to settle. Some guitars settle right away, others may take up to a day or so.

[Outlander]

I would try lowering the bridge first, write down how many turns you use to lower the action for your own reference in case you need to reset it due to other possible problems. The neck could have too much relief. Can you give us a photo of the side of the neck? bridge and nut would help us too.

[bombtek]

OK here's a few (crappy) pics to show you what I'm dealing with



Sorry about the darkness of 1st fret photo, but like I said before, there is no problems with the string height there
At the 22nd fret.....almost a friggin 1/4" !!!!!

[Ben...]

Kinda off topic, but what kind of guitar is that? The finish looks neat in the pictures.

[bombtek]

1986 Charvel Model 3 stripped and oiled

[DonP]

If you can't lower the bridge any further you'll have to shim the neck.

[bombtek]

I can lower the bridge quite a bit, but then it causes buzzing at the lower frets.
Pain in the ass trying to figure this crap out!!!
Thats why I am here LOL ......I HATE wild goose chasing problems.

[dg]

Lower fret buzz usually means you need to add relief, which means loosening the truss rod a bit. There are some good guides online for neck adjustments, but basically you want there to be roughly .010" of gap under your strings at the 7th fret when you fret at the first & 15th frets. Check it first, and my guess is that there will be no clearance at all, probably even some backbow. If that's the case, try loosening the truss rod, no more than 1/4 turn at a time, until you get some relief. Once you have some relief, you should be able to lower that bridge to a reasonable level without lower-fret buzz.

[toejam]

Yeah, if you lower the action and there's too much buzz, then you definitely need to check the relief and loosen the rod.

[DonP]

To save yourself some grief, get Dan Erlewine's "How to make your guitar play great" book. It takes you through a full setup, in the proper sequence of steps.

[bombtek]

Thanks guys...all better now. It was easy just loosen it a bit at a time and everything fell into place. Plays mucho bettero now.
I'll look into that book....looks like a good idea. Thanks again.
Bill

[bombtek]

OK another question regarding this same guitar. Could have started another thread on it ....but what the hell LOL.

Ya'll may know or not know about theKahler traditional trem that came stock on this guitar a 1986 Charvel Model 3. I replaced that trem with the Kahler Killer....my question is about the trem posts. I never bothered to replace them.

On the traditional, the posts are "cupped" to accept that specific trem's edges. Should I find and replace the posts that are in there right now to be more specific to the Killer?

And if the answer is yes, any idea where the hell I could find those things???

[Joelski]

Go here and buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-3rd/dp/0879309210

Everybody should have a copy. It's like the bible of guitar tweaking.

[metalchurch79]

Go here and buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-3rd/dp/0879309210

Everybody should have a copy. It's like the bible of guitar tweaking.

Good stuff for the beginner, but alot of us dont need it.