Ive finished my cbg and strung up the first string to try it out, and it seems that when I fret a note the string also touches the fret before and after that fret too or in the spots where it doesnt touch the neighboring frets, its so close that it rattles. What did I do wrong and how might I fix it? Thanks
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This is why I don't bother with frets. Not to be a nay sayer or anything, but when it comes to cbg's.....frets to me are cool, don't get me wrong, but making a cbg was my way of geting away from the norm.....the norm? things like frets. I have yet to build a cbg with them, and doubt I ever will. Have I tried frets before? Yes, and it turned out to be a nightmare. It's straight slide playing for me.
Now, as far as action goes, it looks like maybe your nut is a bit too low. And unless the buzzing is way too bad, I would not worry about it.....it's a cbg, no rules and sometimes buzzing is cool. I would check your tuning pegs, sometimes the finger grips on the little machine heads get wore out and like to buzz, I have an old acoustic this happens too, I duck tape the thing when I play so it does not rattle.....it's worth a shot.
Tune the string first.
Then see if it buzzes. That string is too loose.
The ends of the frets need to be dressed. I DON"T SUGGEST THIS ..... But I use a bench grinder. Gotta have a very steady hand.
They also look like the need to be leveled. I do this with a long sanding block made from a level planed 2x4.
This is only for light leveling. Too much will leave flat spots.
Lol you're the second person to notice the difference in nut slots and tuners... purely for symmetry, I couldn't figure out a way of using 3 tuners that I liked so I used 4 and there will be a fake string on 1 leading to just under the middle nut slot. Also in retrospect, since the fretboard and nut is removable, with a board made for 4 strings, and an attachment at the base to hold 4 strings I could convert it to 4 if I were so inclined. As for the suggestions, Ill see what I can do about dressing the frets, and as a sign of my total inexperience, I didn't know you pressed the string between frets, so that will help too to keep the string off the next frets
Ok sticking my nose in again LOL I took the bottom picture of the frets and enlarged as big as possible. You can see lots doing this and it looks like the frets need to be as they say dressed. Try it and you will see it, it may be more than that but the frets stand out with some being higher than others.
One thing to note is nut/bridge buzz. I have had a string to buzz without being fretted. That is a nut or bridge issue. Usually for me, I cut the slot too wide or deep and the string is buzzing in the slot OR the bridge slot is cut too deep . I don't even slot bridges anymore but then again I use a copper wire over a wood bridge [learnt that trick here on the Nation]. Kinda like a zero fret at the bridge. (see third picture down).
I've seen folks use an 1/2" aluminum L-bar (Lowes has this in their stock metal display where the iron bar and threaded stock is). Makes a great bridge and nut -- real thin and little work.
Oh no, you're questions are good. Certainly ask. No stupid questions here. Everyone learns something daily. Problem is very well fret level [see our comments above]. Question is how do you determine that. Randy has a good suggestion -- one of many that work.
-WY
Roger Morin said:
Randy what I ment the top is like a table, like a sitar, not that it's to long. Of course your better at explaining things then I am. Just looking at the pictures you can see that theres a problem with the frets be level. May I should be quite and learn myself LOL.
Randy what I ment the top is like a table, like a sitar, not that it's to long. Of course your better at explaining things then I am. Just looking at the pictures you can see that theres a problem with the frets be level. May I should be quite and learn myself LOL.
Lay a metal ruler across all the frets on its side and see if there are gaps above some frets and no gaps above others. Lay the edge along the same path as each string and see if it changes or stays the same each time. You could have some uneven fretting going on.
Wes Yates said:
What he's doing is causing the string to touch the fret evenly on top and not in between. Thus the string bends upward in both directions to see what the action is. Bridges can be wide. They only have to elevate the strings. Width (other than being too short in length) is not an issue as much.
-WY
Roger Morin said:
Ok I know nothing about freting but why are you putting your finger right on the fret. Thats not how you play, push down with your finger between the frets. Also I see that all the frets aren't level. And your bridge is to wide like a sitar which will give a sitar like sound. I had a friend just do this as I was helping him build his first fretless and it buzzed like a sitar. Idid'nt notice it right away because everything else he did looked good. Look at pictures of guitar bridges to see what mean. I simple solution would be to take piece of that 1/8th rod or bigger and rest it on top of the bridge to see if that helps with the buzz or as you say rattle. JUst my 2 cents.
What he's doing is causing the string to touch the fret evenly on top and not in between. Thus the string bends upward in both directions to see what the action is. Bridges can be wide. They only have to elevate the strings. Width (other than being too short in length) is not an issue as much.
-WY
Roger Morin said:
Ok I know nothing about freting but why are you putting your finger right on the fret. Thats not how you play, push down with your finger between the frets. Also I see that all the frets aren't level. And your bridge is to wide like a sitar which will give a sitar like sound. I had a friend just do this as I was helping him build his first fretless and it buzzed like a sitar. Idid'nt notice it right away because everything else he did looked good. Look at pictures of guitar bridges to see what mean. I simple solution would be to take piece of that 1/8th rod or bigger and rest it on top of the bridge to see if that helps with the buzz or as you say rattle. JUst my 2 cents.
Replies
Now, as far as action goes, it looks like maybe your nut is a bit too low. And unless the buzzing is way too bad, I would not worry about it.....it's a cbg, no rules and sometimes buzzing is cool. I would check your tuning pegs, sometimes the finger grips on the little machine heads get wore out and like to buzz, I have an old acoustic this happens too, I duck tape the thing when I play so it does not rattle.....it's worth a shot.
Then see if it buzzes. That string is too loose.
The ends of the frets need to be dressed.
I DON"T SUGGEST THIS ..... But I use a bench grinder. Gotta have a very steady hand.
They also look like the need to be leveled. I do this with a long sanding block made from a level planed 2x4.
This is only for light leveling. Too much will leave flat spots.
Matt
I would put a 1/8 inch shim under the string at the bridge and see if raising the string helps.
And you DO have to press down on the string between the frets to make sure that all is set up correctly.
And I AM curious why the nut has three slots, but the headstock has four tuners on it... :-)
I've seen folks use an 1/2" aluminum L-bar (Lowes has this in their stock metal display where the iron bar and threaded stock is). Makes a great bridge and nut -- real thin and little work.
-WY
-WY
Roger Morin said:
Wes Yates said:
-WY
Roger Morin said:
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