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The Featherweights, R4 and ebony R7

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
These are my current Les Pauls. Both Wildwood featherweights. I'm not really into bursts, although just for the sake of completing the trio I may go for a lightly flamed more authentic looking R8 or R9, at some point, if I can actually find one with all the alleged custom shop drama going on. I am into light guitars though and I don't think I'd get one that is over 8.2 lbs. The R4 is 7.88lbs, and the R7 is 7.98lbs, but with that p/u switch medallion I took off, they are about an ounce and a half lighter probably. Anyone every weight that thing? Anyway, most importantly they sound glorious. I've set them both up to my liking, and I got the R7 to play like the best I've ever played. The R4 unfortunately has the G string cut a little low in the nut, and it buzzes a bit, which is annoying. As such I set the relief at .010" for the R4 (.009" for the R7) which is just a slight touch to slack for me but it alleviates the G string buzz. I also like the tone and snappiness of the strings of a guitar with a certain tension in the strings as affected by a pretty flat relief. I like .006-.009 depending on the guitar. The R4's neck is .93" and 1.00", and the R7's neck is .92" and 1.00", which is just about perfect for me, although I honestly could play much thinner necks just fine. But getting back to the set up, interestingly, for the R7 instead of keeping the tail piece screwed down all the way touching the wood, today I decided to leave just a tiny gap between the screw and the top of the wood, like a 0.5mm air space space, and I swear that the tailpiece assembly rings more now and I'm getting more ringing sustain ala the R4 with its wrap bridge. I am wondering if any of you have noticed a bit more ringing sustain with the tailpiece allowed to vibrate off the top of the guitar. Of course string angle over the bridge and string down pressure on the bridge also come into play probably too. Anyway, I don't name my guitars, but for this post, I'll name the Goldtop "Freedom", and the Ebony top "Enterprise" (Jim Morrison fans?). Oh but getting back to the R4, I'm seriously thinking of changing the nut so that I can get rid of that G string buzz. Anyone know where I can get the nylon 6 nuts? Or should I just go for bone, or TusQ? Assuming I can even get the right nylon I don't know if my luthier will work with it (I really need to learn how to cut a nut).

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tonar8353

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
490
Great looking guitars. I do not have an answer to your question about the nylon nut and I can't tell from the photo if you have a Mojo Axe wrap bridge on the R4 or not but I highly recommend one. I put one on my R4 and it got rid of the sitar sizzle that was happening with the stock bridge.
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Great looking guitars. I do not have an answer to your question about the nylon nut and I can't tell from the photo if you have a Mojo Axe wrap bridge on the R4 or not but I highly recommend one. I put one on my R4 and it got rid of the sitar sizzle that was happening with the stock bridge.

Thank you very much kind sir. I do have a Mojo Axe bridge on there, with the extra long Vintage steel tone pros locking screws. The Mojo bridge is superb. That G string buzz only occurs when I play the string open, if I hit it just a wee bit too hard, and I really think it is a low cut nut slot. I will actually take my feeler gauges and measure the height of that G string at the first fret tomorrow and report back what it is.
 

corpse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
4,876
Try this first- I have done it and it works. Other scoff at it- I have done it and it works.
Loosen the string- move it to one side. Put a pinch of baking powder in the offending slot. With a toothpick or needle put a drop of very thin crazy glue on top- nothing special- the stuff in the little plastic tube that is sold at grocery stores is fine. Let it dry for twenty minutes- although it is dry in seconds- I am superstitious.
Fold a piece of emery cloth in half and lightly pass it across the top of the added material three or four time just to smooth it. Try it. If it still buzzes try it a second time.
What have you got to lose at this point?
If some of the glue gets on the board just remove it with a straight razor- it will pop right off.
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Try this first- I have done it and it works. Other scoff at it- I have done it and it works.
Loosen the string- move it to one side. Put a pinch of baking powder in the offending slot. With a toothpick or needle put a drop of very thin crazy glue on top- nothing special- the stuff in the little plastic tube that is sold at grocery stores is fine. Let it dry for twenty minutes- although it is dry in seconds- I am superstitious.
Fold a piece of emery cloth in half and lightly pass it across the top of the added material three or four time just to smooth it. Try it. If it still buzzes try it a second time.
What have you got to lose at this point?
If some of the glue gets on the board just remove it with a straight razor- it will pop right off.

Many thanks for the tip, I may try this at some point, but please see below. But furthermore regarding the baking soda/super glue trick, I had read that it works really well with bone nuts but I wasn't sure about the nylon. Have you tried it with nylon?

Incidentally I had written down the supposed optimal action at the first fret as found on some website, and the G string is supposed to have a .015" clearance, and using my feeler gauges, the G string is definitely lower, probably closer to .013 or .012 even.

I put the guitar on the bench again and my relief was actually closer to the .011 - .012" level - so a little slack, arguably (capo at 1st fret and fretting the 17th fret). My action at the 12th fret was like .065" on the low E string, and .060" on the high string ..so pretty low. This set up made the string just a wee bit too floppy for me which I think was exacerbating the buzz. So I set it up with a relief of .009-.010" and raised the bridge to give me an action of just a hair over .070" for the low E, and left the high E at .060"..so still a pretty low action, but this gave me a much snappier and taught feel which I associate with better tone, so I gave it essentially the same set up as the R7 which I love. Since the G string is also less floppy, it seems like I'm getting less buzz. If I hit it too hard it will buzz, but I could live with it now. The other key is that I wasn't really playing this guitar in loud settings, so I'd hit the strings harder when playing. With a loud amp and a more restrained playing style there is an acceptable amount of buzz, or lack thereof currently. Now, if I was a real man and raised the action just a bit more, then all my problems would be solved, but I suffer from liking a relatively low action (.060-.065" high E, and .070-.075" on the low E is where I like it, depending on the string tension of the guitar I'm playing).

Anyway, I spent most of yesterday playing these guitars and I luuurve them so. :hank
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Nice axen duder!

Many thanks Sir Renderit, a very modest duo compared to the plethora of foxy axen you've shared pictures of with the forum, but they truly represent all that I require from a Les Paul, tone and looks wise ...now I need me one of those Juniors like you have to fondle :D
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Very nice guitars!

Can I ask what year the R4 is?

Muchos gR4cias! It is a 2014!

Btw the R7 is also a 2014 that I bought in the spring of 2016 and got a great deal on as it was old stock by that point.. but then again..I have like 5 wildwood shirts so they where inclined to cut me a good deal on it too.
 
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