Hey folks. Just finishing up my first CBG. I'm pretty happy with it but it's got an issue or two.
First of all what does it mean that it gets sharper up the neck? The notes are not getting progressively sharper, they're just one click sharp on my tuner from the first fret all the way to the last. Should I just tune it in the first fret? Seems like I've come across that issue somewhere but I don't remember where.
Also my ninth fret, all the strings are rattling and buzzing like crazy. The fret looks OK to me. It doesn't rattle or buzz anywhere else on the fretboard. Should I redo that fret?
Thanks for any advice.
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I finally got the buzzing to stop by using a slightly bigger bridge. 1mm bigger was all it took. But of course now my action is higher than I'd like it to be. I see now why people put an angle on the neck. That would help so much with string height. Gonna try that on the next one.
the frets were likely measured & cut from the edge of the nut slot as though a bone/wood nut would be put in place with the string contact point at the edge of the nut, not the center of a bolt which sits 2 or 3 mm farther away.
go back to your fret calculator and check that, you may need to trim some fingerboard to move the bolt closer to the first fret to get the string contact point where the fret claclulatror says the nut edge or zero fret should sit.
As far as your intonation (a tick sharp at each fret), anytime you adjust the string height (action), you will need to adjust the bridge for proper intonation...
The ideal length (2x distance to the 12th fret) will be a tad (1/8" ish) short as fretting will tighten the string a tad. You compensate for that by adjusting the bridge out. I adjust intonation at the 12th, then check at the 5th... if the 5th is off, I will compromise between the two...
Hope this helps.
You found a nice box, wooden camacho boxes are becoming rare now, and the newer ones are MDF only...
Once you have positioned the bridge correctly, I would try to fix the ninth fret issue first before you start to lower the strings: is there just this fret a bit higher than the adjacent ones? If so try to lower it hammering it carefully. Put a strip of tape onto the first and highest fret and press a string down on the taped frets: are the frets in line? If the string touches a fret somewhere, add strips of tape until the string is free on all frets. Try with the lowest and highest string. This way you can identify problematic spots one after the other.
Wait a week or so before you start lowering the strings, let settle down box and neck under string tension.
Here's a shot of the first fret and the 12th. I think the strings may be hitting the 10th when I press on the ninth.
first fret.JPG
12 fret.JPG
CBG.JPG
OK, a couple of things come to mind, if you can lower the nut and 1/2 that gap at the 1st fret, it will help a lot, it will also lower the string 1/2 as much at the 12th fret, that will still be a touch high, but much better, you say that your fretting is consistantly 1/2 a note out all up the neck, that leads me to think the bridge may be off a touch, check the scale length again, making sure that on the thinnest string it is 2x nut to 12th fret to the bridge, tune that to whatever note you are chasing, most likely g, then check it at the 12th fret, if sharp, you might have to move the bridge back a fraction, or vice versa, once you have that ok, do the thickest string, if you are tuning gdg, once again a g, often to get intonation correct the bass side of the bridge may have to slant rearward a touch, then your middle string will be whatever it is, usually very close to correct. check your scale length 1st, but i think lowering the nut will be the main issue, I don't know how much playing experience you have, or if you intend to do a lot of slide playing, but for fretting, a string gap to fret distance of about 1.5 mm at the 1st fret, and around 2.2 mm at the 12th should be ok
Thanks Darryl. I will try those suggestions.
Um...playing experience? None yet. I'm trying though.
As you are just learning, i wouldn,t lower the bridge much yet, it will make you a touch sharp higher up the fret board, but a lot easier as you learn, but definitely lower the nut
If i'm reading you right Patrick, it seems like your scale length is out, all frets being sharp,seems to suggest your bridge is a little long, or your action is way high, confirm your scale length as nut to 12th fret distance x2 to bridge, as to action height, a picture might help someone advise you
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