Hello from new member and question about string height

Blake Wilson · Post by **Blake Wilson** » 15 Mar 2007 10:41 am

Hi everyone:

I'm Blake Wilson and a new SWP player. I own an early '50s Fender Dual 8 Professional (trap pickups, non-script Fender logo on metal plate between the necks; it's basically this:http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/steels ... aster1.jpg). I've noticed that there is a fairly serious discrepancy between the heights of the individual strings. If I lay the bar down at the first fret, using my normal pressure (very light) the top and bottom strings (say, 1 and 2 and 7 and 8) are fretted but the middle strings buzz or remain open. This continues up the neck but decreases in effect; I'm finding that I need to dig in to make clean contact with several strings at once. This happens on both necks. First is C6, second is E13. When I got the D-8 last week, I cobbled together strings from what I had in the drawer according to Cindy Cashdollar's spec's for these tunings, and ending up using D'Angelico Flatwound guitar strings as an experiment. Could those be the culprit? If I replace the flatwounds and still experience this height issue, what should I do? Or is it an issue at all, and should I just learn to deal with it? I see no way to adjust the bridge or nut, and obviously I can't adjust the truss rod (joke...).

Thanks,

Blake Wilson

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 15 Mar 2007 10:53 am

The string gauges you switched to are probably larger than the nut slots, and it needs a set up. Get someone who knows steels to do it, if you want it done right.

Blake Wilson · Post by **Blake Wilson** » 15 Mar 2007 1:24 pm

Keith thanks for your reply.

The nut slots look just like this:

There really isn't way for strings to be "too large", I believe. And since the nut and bridge are non-adjustable, what would a set up do? I'd normally get any new instrument set up, but with this unit I'm unsure what could be done.

Thanks again,

Blake

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 15 Mar 2007 1:29 pm

There is with most instruments, if the gauge is larger it changes the plane across the strings- especially if they don't sit all the way in the slots. If they do, there are other problems.

Blake Wilson · Post by **Blake Wilson** » 15 Mar 2007 2:43 pm

I've just ordered "dedicated" 8 string sets in the tunings I'm using, so maybe that will help. Thanks again for your input, Keith.

Blake

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 15 Mar 2007 3:41 pm

If you use a nut file to fit them, you must know what you are doing, and it's also a pain in the ass.

Terry Farmer · Post by **Terry Farmer** » 15 Mar 2007 4:20 pm

Try putting little pieces of matchbook covers under the low strings (between the string and the nut) until the problem dissapears. I think I read somewhere that Jerry Byrd did this to solve the same problem. Trim away the extra cardboard with a razor when you get it right. You won't even notice the "fix".

Now that it's rattled around in my head for a while, I'll bet layers of tin foil would work even better. Good luck.