Guitar frets out at 12th Fret

[Fatcat]

When I bend the high E string at the 12th and 14th fret the string mutes out. The action is fairly low but comfortable and I really dont want to raise it up because of one string. Is this something that could be dealt with by adjusting the truss rod or is it more likely a high fret somewhere that needs filing down by a tech? Any suggestions or comments are appreciated!

[Mark Hammer]

Is this a set neck or a bolt-on?

This might be the sort of thing that a fret height manipulation can solve. If it is a budget instrument, that is often one of the ways in which production costs are minimized: whack the frets in and don't worry about dressing them properly. I'm not saying that's what it IS, but it is known to happen on an instrument with less attention to detail.

[jrfrond]

You didn't mention what guitar it is. Electric? Acoustic? Model? Brand?

This sounds like a condition that affect mainly bolt-on neck guitars called "rising tongue". But it could be other things as well.

[Fatcat]

Is this a set neck or a bolt-on?

This might be the sort of thing that a fret height manipulation can solve. If it is a budget instrument, that is often one of the ways in which production costs are minimized: whack the frets in and don't worry about dressing them properly. I'm not saying that's what it IS, but it is known to happen on an instrument with less attention to detail.

Its a Squier Affinity Telecaster with a bolt on neck! Yes its an inexpensive guitar but its also one that I really like. When you say to Whack the frets what tools do you need? Is there an easy way to determine which frets are high so that I dont touch any more than I have to? Thanks for your help.

[Jag]

He's not saying that the fix is to whack them in. He's saying that, to cut costs, the manufacturer jusr "whacked them in" and didn't do a proper fret dressing before shipping.

Unless you've done fretwork before, you might want to have a tech do the work. A partial dressing usually doesn't cost too much. See if you can identify the high frest(s) by sighting along the neck. If you see a fret that looks high, check first to see if it's popped up out of the slot a little bit. If you push donw on the fret, does it noticably move, or can you see a gap under the edge of the fret? If so, the fret has probably come loose and could be tapped back in. It may also need a small amount of diluted white glue to stay in. If the fret seems to be snug and does not move when you pursh on it, it probably needs to b e dressed. You could try filing/sanding it until it's in-line with the rest of the frets. Remember to polish the levelled fret(s) when you're done. Be careful and go slow! If you mess it up badly enough, you could end up shelling out for a partial or complete refret and that could cost a fair bit more. Again, if you haven't done this sort work before, you might be better off taking it to a shop. I don't know where you got the guitar, or how long ago, but many stores will resolve this sort of issue under warrantee if the guitar was purchased from them and it's within the first three months to year of the purchase.

A truss rod tweak might not have a lot of effect on the higher frets but you could try a little extra relief, mayby a quarter turn counter-clockwise.

Is there a shim under the neck? Sometimes that can cause a "hump" in the upper part of the neck. If there is a shim there, see if you can remove it and adjust the action back to where you have it now. That might help. If you can't get the action low enough without the shim, see if you can replace it with a "wedge" type shim, which gradually tapers toward the headstock, that will support the length of the heel.

[Mark Hammer]

I concur with Jag. Ultimately, it is the sort of repair that you can do yourself, but quite frankly, by the time you've purchased all the necessary materials to do it, you may as well just bring it in to a tech....it'll be cheaper and faster. If you pay this tech to dress and crown the whole fretboard, you'll find a huge improvement in playability, without any change in tone. It,s the sort of thing oine ought to do on any budget instrument, even if it doesn't fret out.

It CAN be the case that frets buzz out because the strings are too light. I have an old Kalamazoo archtop, and had put a set of medium lights on it (I think the top E was an .011). Gradually, I found the frets were starting to buzz up around the 10th to 12th, and eventually fretting out.

I brought the instrument to a tech wh educated me about neck relief. On instruments that anticipate use of heavier gauge strings, the neck is bowed slightly back, such that when the strings are installed and the neck is bent forward again, the bending imposed by the string pressure is offset by the truss-rod imposed bend in the opposite direction. Since I wasn't imposing enough string pressure by my poor choice of lighter gauge, the neck relief was dominating, and the strings were fretting out. Unfortunately, the guitar has a nonadjustable truss-rod (great neck, otherwise, though), so the only cure was to do what I should have done in the first place: used a set of 12-56! Took a month or two, post installation, but worked like a charm.

[David Schwab]

Does the note on the 13th fret play? If so, the 13th fret is too high, or the 12th is too low.

Also some bolt on necks get a hump around where the neck attaches to the body, but that's up a bit more.

In both cases a good fret leveling is all you need.

[jrfrond]

There are a number of reasons this could happen. You should seek out a professional setup.

[Fatcat]

Does the note on the 13th fret play? If so, the 13th fret is too high, or the 12th is too low.

Also some bolt on necks get a hump around where the neck attaches to the body, but that's up a bit more.

In both cases a good fret leveling is all you need.

It blanks out on the 12th and 14th fret when I bend the high E hard. 13th is ok! I will get it to a tech one day soon.

[Fatcat]

It CAN be the case that frets buzz out because the strings are too light. I have an old Kalamazoo archtop, and had put a set of medium lights on it (I think the top E was an .011). Gradually, I found the frets were starting to buzz up around the 10th to 12th, and eventually fretting out.

I brought the instrument to a tech wh educated me about neck relief. On instruments that anticipate use of heavier gauge strings, the neck is bowed slightly back, such that when the strings are installed and the neck is bent forward again, the bending imposed by the string pressure is offset by the truss-rod imposed bend in the opposite direction. Since I wasn't imposing enough string pressure by my poor choice of lighter gauge, the neck relief was dominating, and the strings were fretting out. Unfortunately, the guitar has a nonadjustable truss-rod (great neck, otherwise, though), so the only cure was to do what I should have done in the first place: used a set of 12-56! Took a month or two, post installation, but worked like a charm.

The strings are .010s. I gave the neck a little more relief and it didnt make any noticable difference. Its off to the Tech for this one!

[movek1]

sounds like you need a fret dress for sure, at least from the 12th fret and higher, and dont forget about your saddle radius compared to your neck radius

[pdf64]

'It blanks out on the 12th and 14th fret when I bend the high E hard. 13th is ok!'

How about higher up the neck?
Vintage style finderboards with a small radius profile (ie they curve more than the modern flatter types, think PRS) tend to choke out strings as they are pushed up. Especially Fenders. So if you bend strings, this type of neck will always need to have a higher action than, say, a Gibson.
It becomes more noticeable the higher up the neck you go, because the strings have to be pushed across further to get the same increase in pitch, compared to lower down.
But hopefully your problem here is just 1 raised fret.

[David Schwab]

The strings are .010s. I gave the neck a little more relief and it didnt make any noticable difference. Its off to the Tech for this one!

Relief effects the middle of the neck. Yeah, take it to a tech and have it looked at. My guess is the upper end of the fretboard needs leveling.