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Topic: Hello from new member and question about string height |
Blake Wilson
From:
Boulder CO, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 10:41 am |
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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/Fender/FenderStringmaster1.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 |
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Keith Cordell
From:
San Diego
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 10:53 am
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| 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. |
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Blake Wilson
From:
Boulder CO, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 1:24 pm
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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 |
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Keith Cordell
From:
San Diego
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 1:29 pm
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| 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. |
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Blake Wilson
From:
Boulder CO, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 2:43 pm
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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 |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 3:41 pm
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| 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. |
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Terry Farmer
From:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2007 4:20 pm
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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. |
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