Les Paul choking on higher frets

[Jim Sloves]

Quick question I hope.... noob question

A new Les Paul plays great from frets 1 to about 12. After that in the higher registers, the high B & E strings choke on the frets when I bend up a step or more.

I think I should just adjust the thumbwheel on the treble side of the bridge/saddles to raise those strings. ...As opposed to adjusting the trussrod?

Yes? No? Other?

 

[Mark Kane]

Every new LP I've owned has had way too much relief in the neck. They play and sound great in the middle of the neck but fret out up high because of the low bridge height to get the action playable with all the relief. Straighten the neck and raise the bridge. That should take care of it.

 

[Skoorbdooh]

Every new LP I've owned has had way too much relief in the neck. They play and sound great in the middle of the neck but fret out up high because of the low bridge height to get the action playable with all the relief. Straighten the neck and raise the bridge. That should take care of it.

+1,000,000 - 90% of all the guitars I work on have too much relief.

 

[Jim Sloves]

To me it seems counter intuitive that too much relief (frontward bowing) would cause buzzing at the higher frets but I'll take your word for it and tighten the trussrod a 1/4 turn and wait a day.

Thanks.

 

[JohnH]

Tightening the rod will initially lower the action generally, making the problem worse. But then you will raise the bridge to compensate, which will restore the action to the middle frets, giving a bit more action than before to the higher frets. The risk is if you do all that too much, the lower relief will cause buzzes at the lower frets.

John

 

[Leña_Costoso]

To me it seems counter intuitive that too much relief (frontward bowing) would cause buzzing at the higher frets but I'll take your word for it and tighten the trussrod a 1/4 turn and wait a day.

Thanks.

How about measuring the relief there sportsfan...before you tightening willy nilly and waiting for magic to occur.

When you tighten the nut on the rod, the effect is about 95 percent immediate. You'll know if its good.

 

[Jim Sloves]

Actually, the relief is pretty decent. I raised the bridge and that seems to have done the trick.

 

[plaintop60]

Every new LP I've owned has had way too much relief in the neck. They play and sound great in the middle of the neck but fret out up high because of the low bridge height to get the action playable with all the relief. Straighten the neck and raise the bridge. That should take care of it.

Yes!!! On most guitars a few thousandths relief is enough. IMO, the straightest neck you can get away with to reduce buzzing to acceptable levels is the optimum amount of relief.

 

[Troels]

Yes... too much relief. My new LP suffered the same. A truss rod adjustment made it perfect - even with very low action.

 

[spurvo]

To me it seems counter intuitive that too much relief (frontward bowing) would cause buzzing at the higher frets but I'll take your word for it and tighten the trussrod a 1/4 turn and wait a day.

Thanks.

The thing that happens is the neck bows in the middle, around frets 7 to 9, then comes back up where it meets the body. The body provides a great deal of stability to the neck over the area that is joined to the body, creating an odd shape where things are relatively flat until fret 12 or so, then "drop" into the relief, then come back by the nut.

So what you are trying to do is to get the rest of the neck to match what's going on at the 12-14 fret up to 22.. Often, though, the frets have not been dressed properly with this taken into account, causing dead spots above 12th fret, even in a neck that is essentially flat.

Fun, eh?

 

[jktsrs]

I have done all the things mentioned above. My B string is almost unusable anywhere past the 9th fret. Is there a home remedy for this or should I take it to a pro?

 

[L.A.Man]

The problem is you are used to that goldtop with all the cracks in the finish, usually surrounded by fine looking ladies, thats why you have to tighten your nut and wait a day. :hee

Jim, with the changes in weather daily at this time of year, especially where you live, the guitar can be all over the place. A quarter turn is fine, and IMO the right level of adjustment to start off with. The thumbwheel is your friend, twist it accordingly.

 

[StSpider]

I have done all the things mentioned above. My B string is almost unusable anywhere past the 9th fret. Is there a home remedy for this or should I take it to a pro?

If it's that severe, and limited to one string, it may depend on a badly cut nut slot. Fixable by an average joe but requires the right tools, better take it to a tech since it's just a quick operation for an expert.

 

[keef]

Some LP's have or develop a hump on the part of the fingerboard protruding over the body that cannot be countered by a mere truss rod tweak. A fret dressing might help, but in more extreme cases the board must be planed and refretted.

 

[jktsrs]

Took it to a guitar tech, turns out the the screw for the saddle adjustment on the tune-o-matic came up and was was choking out the B string on the high frets. Just wanted to let people know incase they are experiencing the same thing.

 

[nutrientcobra]

Some LP's have or develop a hump on the part of the fingerboard protruding over the body that cannot be countered by a mere truss rod tweak. A fret dressing might help, but in more extreme cases the board must be planed and refretted.

This is the issue usually and you are right. The dreaded hump where the neck meets the body. Collings guitars are done perfect. They actually get the neck true, glue and set the neck, recheck, than fret. Gibson I believe does the frets before setting the neck.. That is not 100 percent, but what I have heard from luthiers. But than again, nothing sounds like a Les Paul.

 

[jkp44]

+1,000,000 - 90% of all the guitars I work on have too much relief.

what is the ideal relief to you?