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New frets to decrease action?   You are logged in as Guest
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HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

New frets to decrease action? 
hi there guys, I did a search on fret height and it came up with 1.1mm (roughly) as a good fret height..
I just got a guitar, FREAKING sweet tone, but the high E is 4mm..
there is not much saddle to shave (altho I might shave about 1mm more off, only abut less than 2mm is protruding on the high E side).

the frets on that guitar is pretty flat and low (maybe 0.7-0.8, hard to tell I'm just eyeballing it), I find that I have to press much more accurately right behind the fret to get the proper tone.
if I press in the middle of the fretboard (between 2 frets), I find that I have to push harder else there will be buzzing, due to lack of downward pressure, when compared to my other guitar.

Can a refret with higher frets (maybe 1.3mm) help decrease the action over the high E string? and would that do anything bad to the guitar?

cheers
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 6:25:16
 
jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005
 

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to HolyEvil) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: HolyEvil

I just got a guitar, FREAKING sweet tone, but the high E is 4mm..
there is not much saddle to shave (altho I might shave about 1mm more off, only abut less than 2mm is protruding on the high E side).

When you say string height on high e is 4mm is that at the 12th fret? How did you measure it (fret top to string bottom)? Is this a flamenco guitar?
quote:


Can a refret with higher frets (maybe 1.3mm) help decrease the action over the high E string? and would that do anything bad to the guitar?


Will 1/3 mm be enough? Not likely. No it wouldn't hurt the guitar.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 10:18:30
 
Jeff Highland

 

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to HolyEvil) 
Refretting will not reduce the action much of itself, but if you have the fretboard planed down at the nut end during the refret process that will effectively change the neck angle to lower the action.
What is the string height above the soundboard at the bridge?
Hard to be specific without seeing the guitar, if you want to bring it up I will look at it
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 13:26:31
 
HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to jshelton5040) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: jshelton5040

quote:

ORIGINAL: HolyEvil

I just got a guitar, FREAKING sweet tone, but the high E is 4mm..
there is not much saddle to shave (altho I might shave about 1mm more off, only abut less than 2mm is protruding on the high E side).

When you say string height on high e is 4mm is that at the 12th fret? How did you measure it (fret top to string bottom)? Is this a flamenco guitar?
quote:


Can a refret with higher frets (maybe 1.3mm) help decrease the action over the high E string? and would that do anything bad to the guitar?


Will 1/3 mm be enough? Not likely. No it wouldn't hurt the guitar.


hey there mate, yeah it's a flamenco guitar.. high e string bottom of string to top of fret..
but the high action is only kinda noticable at the treble strings, 7th fret and above, everywhere else on the bass and the trebles is very easy to play...

cheers mate =)
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 14:47:41
 
HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to Jeff Highland) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: Jeff Highland

Refretting will not reduce the action much of itself, but if you have the fretboard planed down at the nut end during the refret process that will effectively change the neck angle to lower the action.
What is the string height above the soundboard at the bridge?
Hard to be specific without seeing the guitar, if you want to bring it up I will look at it


hey mate, the height over soundboard is 8mm at the lower part of the soundhole..
would planning lower or increase the height over the soundboard?
i really don't understand planning... will it end up with a lower nut?
I understand adding a wedge under the fretboard.. but this planning the fretboard this always confused me..

where is caves beach?


can you please send me your details?
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 14:50:35
 
jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005
 

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to HolyEvil) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: HolyEvil


hey there mate, yeah it's a flamenco guitar.. high e string bottom of string to top of fret..
but the high action is only kinda noticable at the treble strings, 7th fret and above, everywhere else on the bass and the trebles is very easy to play...

cheers mate =)

But you still didn't answer my question. Where are you measuring the 1st string? Is it at the 12th fret. Jeff Highland has given you one option for adjusting an over deflected neck. The other option is to remove the back and reset the neck, this option is not normally done unless it is a high end guitar due to cost. The neck planing he is talking about is essentially putting a taper in the fingerboard from the sound hole to the nut. The fingerboard ends up thinner at the nut. Only problem with this approach is if your neck doesn't have enough thickness it will warp. This can be compensated by building an arch into the the neck from the nut to the sound hole so that the pull of the strings causes the neck to be straight at concert pitch. As you can imagine this can be complicated and take a lot of time. In guitar repairs time is money. So it really depends on how much you like this guitar and how much money you're will to invest in it.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 15:56:53
 
HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to jshelton5040) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: jshelton5040

quote:

ORIGINAL: HolyEvil


hey there mate, yeah it's a flamenco guitar.. high e string bottom of string to top of fret..
but the high action is only kinda noticable at the treble strings, 7th fret and above, everywhere else on the bass and the trebles is very easy to play...

cheers mate =)

But you still didn't answer my question. Where are you measuring the 1st string? Is it at the 12th fret. Jeff Highland has given you one option for adjusting an over deflected neck. The other option is to remove the back and reset the neck, this option is not normally done unless it is a high end guitar due to cost. The neck planing he is talking about is essentially putting a taper in the fingerboard from the sound hole to the nut. The fingerboard ends up thinner at the nut. Only problem with this approach is if your neck doesn't have enough thickness it will warp. This can be compensated by building an arch into the the neck from the nut to the sound hole so that the pull of the strings causes the neck to be straight at concert pitch. As you can imagine this can be complicated and take a lot of time. In guitar repairs time is money. So it really depends on how much you like this guitar and how much money you're will to invest in it.



oops.. it is at the 12th fret.. sorry I didn't realise that I didn't put that down..

arch.. so instead of planing it to flat. it becomes somewhat convex and the pull of the strings pulls it straight? is this the idea?
man you luthiers are like magicians.. =)
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 16:12:02
 
Jeff Highland

 

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to HolyEvil) 
Or you can put a new fretboard on which is tapered to be thicker at the soundhole end
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 14 2010 16:51:16
 
jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005
 

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to Jeff Highland) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: Jeff Highland

Or you can put a new fretboard on which is tapered to be thicker at the soundhole end

Quite true but if the neck is pulled up a lot that can look really ugly.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 15 2010 7:01:37
 
Jeff Highland

 

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to HolyEvil) 
Yes John, taken to extremes it can look very ugly.
I have seen the guitar now and it is do able without excessive thickness (at the moment the board tapers from thickest at nut )
Nut and saddle have both already been taken too low
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 15 2010 11:36:58
 
jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005
 

RE: New frets to decrease action? (in reply to Jeff Highland) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: Jeff Highland

Yes John, taken to extremes it can look very ugly.
I have seen the guitar now and it is do able without excessive thickness (at the moment the board tapers from thickest at nut )
Nut and saddle have both already been taken too low

Good, I'm glad the problem can be resolved easily. I'm sure you'll do a splendid job.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 15 2010 15:41:48
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