| Strat Sound Problem |
I've always had problem on My Fender Strat playing certain notes on third, forth, fifth & sixth strings around the 13,14,and 15th frets the sound is thin and has no sustain, also when playing certain notes particularly at high gain the sound goes on and off. I've lived with it for ages, but now I'd like to sort out.
I could quite easily give it to a Guitar Lutheir - Any one had similar problems
.
I could quite easily give it to a Guitar Lutheir - Any one had similar problems
.
ULI wrote…
DEAD SPOTS!?
Sounds like a "Truss-rod"-adjustment-problem. And this should do a luthier.
If you try to fix the problem by yourself, it can "make you nuts". Better, a profi does that job.
greetz to UK
U.L.I.
Yes Dead Spots, that is it. There are a few and one particular note third string 15th fret, once you pluck the string the note is audible then almost immediately it fades quickly to nothing, it's very bizarre, there is no fret buzz - I would really like to understand why this happens, I can normally fathom out things like this, but this one has got me totally bamboozled.
I can try adjusting the Truss-Rod, I've done that before just to improve the action. I'm curious in how by adjusting the truss-rod this will cure the dead spots, please try to explain or give me a link.
I did find some information, which was hard to find on someone who had the same problem, they had a full set-up done and fret leveling, I've Had a quote.
£50 Fret leveling, £30 Bone Nut & £40 Full set-up - Sounds reasonable, I've used this Luthier before, done a nice job on my jazz guitar installing an earth wire to the bridge, would you believe many archtopts are not fitted with one, thus you get horrible earth noise at high gain or with a reasonable amount of drive.
I examined my Strat yesterday, the frets look level, but they need overhauling in that there are indentations on many, I've had the guitar for nearly 30 years and it's never been overhauled.
To be honest, if I can cure the DEAD SPOTS by adjusting the truss rod I'd be happy
I did recently replace the saddles with genuine fender ones, which did improve the tone slightly, I only got them because the screws to adjust the string heights seized up.
Denis wrote…
I'm curious in how by adjusting the truss-rod this will cure the dead spots, please try to explain or give me a link.
Another reason may be not so enjoyable :
A friend of mine is also luthier and once he told me, 70s strats haven´t been built on a high quality level at that
time. Fender was kinda careless about its quality in these years.
So it can be possible that you´ve just caught one these "bad exemplars".
This are the two possibilities crossing my mind. If adjustments don´t help it seems, you must think about an alternative such as an "Ibanez" Strat model.
But I hope you or your lutier can fix that problem.
U.L.I.
Perhaps you find some answers here
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_fix_dead_spots_on_a_guitar
.....I tried to push the "English"-button, but it´s the german site again. But if YOU can switch to english , here´s a very good explanation.
http://www.unibw.de/lrt4/forschung/forschung_fleischer/veroeffentlichungen_fleischer/deadspots_pic/deadspots_d
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_fix_dead_spots_on_a_guitar
.....I tried to push the "English"-button, but it´s the german site again. But if YOU can switch to english , here´s a very good explanation.
http://www.unibw.de/lrt4/forschung/forschung_fleischer/veroeffentlichungen_fleischer/deadspots_pic/deadspots_d
| STRAT DEAD SPOT CURE |
After a long search trying to find a remidy, came accoss this in a forum, will try it out and let you all know.
"Wrote about this before....but back off each neck screw one at a time and re-tighten...don't detune and one at a time......back each one out just until you hear a ping or a creak and re tighten screw....snug but not overly tight......make a x pattern......this will help seat neck some what......if it was me.....I would do a setup for my style at the next string change.....for me it strats at the nut.......I fret each string at 3rd fret.....and what I'm want ing is each string to just kiss the first fret when fretting at the 3rd......then I'm adjusting everything from there.....as low as I can get my action without buzzing or fret out and a slinky easy feel using D'adds 10-46...."
Edit* It did not work...lol
"Wrote about this before....but back off each neck screw one at a time and re-tighten...don't detune and one at a time......back each one out just until you hear a ping or a creak and re tighten screw....snug but not overly tight......make a x pattern......this will help seat neck some what......if it was me.....I would do a setup for my style at the next string change.....for me it strats at the nut.......I fret each string at 3rd fret.....and what I'm want ing is each string to just kiss the first fret when fretting at the 3rd......then I'm adjusting everything from there.....as low as I can get my action without buzzing or fret out and a slinky easy feel using D'adds 10-46...."
Edit* It did not work...lol
ULI wrote…
It was just an idea, coz when you loosen the truss-rod too much it might happen, that stringspace is fine until the 12th fret (for example) and everything sounds well . But if the neck becomes too concave , the stringspace is reduced again from the 13th fret and can cause such phenomenons as buzzing or dead spots or intonation probs.Denis wrote…
I'm curious in how by adjusting the truss-rod this will cure the dead spots, please try to explain or give me a link.
Another reason may be not so enjoyable :
A friend of mine is also luthier and once he told me, 70s strats haven�t been built on a high quality level at that
time. Fender was kinda careless about its quality in these years.
So it can be possible that you�ve just caught one these "bad exemplars".
This are the two possibilities crossing my mind. If adjustments don�t help it seems, you must think about an alternative such as an "Ibanez" Strat model.
But I hope you or your lutier can fix that problem.
U.L.I.
Mine is a late 78, it has a micro-tilt neck adjustment, my understanding is that these models were built well, I believe they are sought after. It is considerably heavier than most strats I've seen. I wonder what your firends thinks of them, on the back plate where the neck is screwed in it has a BIG F ....lol, apparently ones with this are one of the better ones manufactured.
This is a spitting image of the guitar
http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165539&page=3
http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165539&page=3
Here a 79 model - This one on eBay is quite battered and £1,500.00, in good nick they sell for £1,650.00
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-1977-Fender-Stratocaster-Sunburst-Strat-1970s-/130489233046?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e61c3ae96
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-1977-Fender-Stratocaster-Sunburst-Strat-1970s-/130489233046?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e61c3ae96
| re: Strat Sound Problem |
Denis wrote…
I've always had problem on My Fender Strat playing certain notes on third, forth, fifth & sixth strings around the 13,14,and 15th frets the sound is thin and has no sustain, also when playing certain notes particularly at high gain the sound goes on and off. I've lived with it for ages, but now I'd like to sort out.
I could quite easily give it to a Guitar Lutheir - Any one had similar problems
.
take it back to the shop
| re: re: Strat Sound Problem |
swordfish wrote…
Denis wrote…
I've always had problem on My Fender Strat playing certain notes on third, forth, fifth & sixth strings around the 13,14,and 15th frets the sound is thin and has no sustain, also when playing certain notes particularly at high gain the sound goes on and off. I've lived with it for ages, but now I'd like to sort out.
I could quite easily give it to a Guitar Luthier - Any one had similar problems
.
take it back to the shop :evil:
Having done my research, every guitar resonates differently. Every guitar will have certain notes that resonate more than others, all guitars will have dead spots or more to the point variance in resonation on every single note. . It's not until you pains takingly hear every single note on your guitar you can hear it.
The best conclusion I can find is F**K it. don't worry or be concerned about it - just enjoy your instrument and play to your hearts content, which is what I've been doing more or less
It's funny the VERY cheap acoustic guitar I purchased brand new, unknown brand, mahogany backs and sides, spruce top rose wood finger board resonates very well, it seems like it gets better every month.
When you think about it every guitar is unique in that they are manufactured from different individual trees.
so the question is, can you tell visually if a piece of wood is going to resonate better than others, if so you could create a perfect resonating guitar and sell it for around £1,000,000.00 +
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