My HM fender- poorly.

[Sea Chief]

No, decreasing (lowering) relief = decreasing (lowering) action. Low action requires small relief. An almost straight neck has close to no relief thus allows for lowest action.

(You are still misspelling decrease and increase.)


You will need to tighten (turn clockwise) the truss rod nut. Start with a quarter turn only and check again.
Body-side nut is a PITA - not only for you.

Helmholtz how do you use a string as a feeler guage.. do you have a way to do it, maybe v.lightly glue it ontop of a fret/ remove? or you just cut a bit off & poke it in?

[Helmholtz]

Guitar needs to be stringed and tuned. Use the method with capo at first fret I described in post #5.
Slide the feeler string between frets and strings. If it moves freely, relief is more than feeler string diameter, if it gets stuck relief is less.

[Sea Chief]

Guitar needs to be stringed and tuned. Use the method with capo at first fret I described in post #5.
Slide the feeler string between frets and strings. If it moves freely, relief is more than feeler string diameter, if it gets stuck relief is less.

I understand how to do the truss rod, Ive done it a hundred times on many gtrs. But never ever so low.

So, do you just cut a bit of string off & slide it in- or do you have a method to keep it in place?

[Helmholtz]

So, do you just cut a bit of string off & slide it in

Exactly that. One hand presses guitar strings down at last fret, the other hand slides the feeler in and "feels" how freely it's slides.

[Sea Chief]

Exactly that. One hand presses guitar strings down at last fret, the other hand slides the feeler in and "feels" how easy it's slides.

Oh hang on a minute.. I forgot to press the string on last fret down, when I measured 1mm. Dammit. I think I might have the 0.2mm dialed in..

[Sea Chief]

First thing I'd do is checking relief. I use a long straight edge that covers the whole neck, but this method also works:

- Capo down strings at first fret. Look for the gap between each string and the top of frets 7-9 when pressing down at last fret. I want a gap (relief) of 0.008" to 0.010". A short piece of a high e-string makes a good feeler gauge.

- If there's no gap (zero relief), the neck is likely to have a back bow. Loosen truss rod by a quarter turn and check again.

- Relief should be about the same for each string. If not the neck might be twisted - severe problem.

(Neck relief changes with temperature, humidity, string gauge and different tunings.)


Second step: Adjust string action at the bridge. With a strat I typically go for around 2mm (0.08") between top of fret #17 and bottom of strings. Bass strings can lie a bit higher. Preferred action depends on player and style.

Another issue could be a tongue hump aka raised neck tongue.

I missed this reply Helmholtz- no idea you put this up (I was replying to pdf64 at the time, & I got no notification you had posted: this occasionally happens: so unless I remember to reload/ refresh the page totally, time after time [I'll forget to now & then] many many times a day.. the odd reply is made without me knowing).

Thanks I'm going over your method now.

[Sea Chief]

Exactly that. One hand presses guitar strings down at last fret, the other hand slides the feeler in and "feels" how freely it's slides.

Right. Ive redone the 1st > last fret test. I have conflicting measurements. If I do it with a straight metal rule.. I get a gap @ 8th fret (bass E string) I can just slide the e-string through: cannot get through @ 7th, nor @ 9th. But different results capo'ing the string & holding down at last fret. So I'm going with the rule results only.

If I do the same on the top E string, I cannot get get the e-string through 7,8,9 at all. There is a very tiny tiny gap still (the metal rule can move here, just side to side) but its different to bass E string.

But we are talking -tiny- incriments here. I now have the feeling I might have too -much- relief (the neck is too straight, is what I am trying to say) if most of the gaps Ive measured I cannot fit the 0.009 e-string into (so all but the bass E, on one fret, the 8th).

I can't believe how tiny these gaps are to measure, one to the next: I'm having great difficulty using a metal rule & keeping it in place, then to try & see a tiny thin string on the fret.. is almost impossible. I'd be very surprised if any gibson say, has these tiniest of gaps absolutely perfect low E to the top E.

[Helmholtz]

If correctly done, both relief measuring methods should give more or less same results. It is essential that the metal rule is perfectly straight and long enough to sit on first and last frets.
If you get at least a tiny gap below each string, it means that you have a small relief ( = a little forward bow). I would leave it at that. Some players even like a perfectly straight neck (no relief).

Now adress action as described.

[Sea Chief]

If correctly done, both relief measuring methods should give more or less same results. It is essential that the metal rule is perfectly straight and long enough to sit on first and last frets.
If you get at least a tiny gap below each string, it means that you have a small relief ( = a little forward bow). I would leave it at that. Some players even like a perfectly straight neck (no relief).

Now adress action as described.

Im doing it correctly, & rule is of course long enough 60cm (& Im making sure the bridge p/u isn't getting in the way etc).. & flipping rule over gets same results, so its ok straight. Its just I think not very accurate using the string as a straight line, meaning Im getting a fraction of difference in results.

So what am I doing now? just raising all the string H @ the saddle then?

[vintagekiki]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxmgZBzny1w
Complete DIY Guitar Setup Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in-ybc6wri8
Complete Guitar Setup in 60 Seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4WhvgF8PaU
How to setup your Stratocaster like a Pro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dEZxBykRto
Setting strings height action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J34tzntFUtc
How to tune strings on a guitar with a fixed bridge

[Sea Chief]

Just spent ages upping the string H @ the saddles- & Ive just about made the fret buzz all go on every string in all spots (still not perfect/ a bit damped in places) & the strings ring out much better.. but the low E is for over a full 1cm above the pickguard now (1.2cm between bridge p/u & saddles (which are all at their tops pretty much). I had to raise them all a significant ammount until I heard 0 (or as close as I can) fret buzz. And the action is really big now like a cr*p cheapo gtr. All that silky buttery feel gone, replaced with much more of an acoustic feel to the strings.


I just don't get it.

[Helmholtz]

just raising all the string H @ the saddle then?

Yes, raise string height at the bridge until buzzing stops.

[Sea Chief]

Yes, raise string height at the bridge until buzzing stops.

Just done/ posted results just a few seconds before you ^^. thanks SC

[Helmholtz]

What action (gap) do you measure between top of fret 12 and bottom of strings?

[Sea Chief]

What action (gap) do you measure between top of fret 12 and bottom of strings?

1.95mm low E, 2.2mm top E.