Hi everyone, I have assembled myself a nice partscaster. All she needs is a final setup. She has a fender classic 50s neck. It has the 7.25 radius. It is my first guitar with this style neck. It also has the small vintage frets. My other tele and strats all have the 9.5 radius necks. I have the string heights all set at 3/32, which is the same as 6/64, Straight across at the 17th fret on the guitars that have 9.5 radius necks. The saddles follow the radius almost perfectly on those guitars. They play well for me like that. I do know fenders setup guide has the bass strings at 5/64 and treble at 4/64 on the 7.25 necks. I just wanted to know if the strings need to be staggered like that, bass strings 1/64th higher than treble, To follow the 7.25 radius ? If so , I need the action to be a bit higher than fenders specs so if I raise it to say 6 or 7/64 on the bass side and 5 or 6/64 on the treble. Will the string heights still follow the 7.25 radius if it set it up that way ?
First time setting up a 7.25 neck got ???
- Thread starter briang77
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pauljo1963
Tele-Holic
the most important point is that they follow the radius of the neck
so if each is 3/32 above the fret at the 17th fret, they the bridge will be set at 7.25
so if each is 3/32 above the fret at the 17th fret, they the bridge will be set at 7.25
Thanks for the reply. I stated in my post that all my 9.5 radius necks are setup just like you mentioned, 3/32 across at the 17th. That works great for the 9.5 radius necks. The thing is this neck is 7.25 and fender setup guide states that the bass strings should be 1/64 higher than the treble strings. It's a bit different on these 7.25 necks there's a little more of a curve to them. The 3/32 all the way across gives the saddles a radius that would match a fender 9.5 radius neck.
I like low action, and shoot for 4/64 bass x 3/64 treble. As long as the frets are properly dressed, it's easy to get this action. I start by setting relief to about half of Fender suggested: .005.
The reason to use higher action on the bass side is because the heavier strings make a larger elliptical shape as they vibrate. They actually need more room to wiggle, without hitting frets. You could set everything that high, but you don't need to, and lower action on the treble side feels better to many players.
Your nut, if properly cut, follows a similar taper from bass to treble. Simultaneously following the radius, and dropping towards the high strings.
I follow this process for any radius, even though I could get it lower on flatter necks like my Gretsch 6120 for example. But this is low enough for me.
BUT... if it's a 7.25 neck, after doing all of the above, I then check for choked out bends. I raise the action a little on the treble strings as necessary to accomodate 1.5 or 2 step bends. This way the process stays the same, and I get the lowest possible action, but a playable 7.25.
EDIT: re-reading your initial post, you use very high action, 6/64 on the treble side (and everywhere). I don't think you'll have any problem with bends choking out on a 7.25. Just do what you normally do.
The reason to use higher action on the bass side is because the heavier strings make a larger elliptical shape as they vibrate. They actually need more room to wiggle, without hitting frets. You could set everything that high, but you don't need to, and lower action on the treble side feels better to many players.
Your nut, if properly cut, follows a similar taper from bass to treble. Simultaneously following the radius, and dropping towards the high strings.
I follow this process for any radius, even though I could get it lower on flatter necks like my Gretsch 6120 for example. But this is low enough for me.
BUT... if it's a 7.25 neck, after doing all of the above, I then check for choked out bends. I raise the action a little on the treble strings as necessary to accomodate 1.5 or 2 step bends. This way the process stays the same, and I get the lowest possible action, but a playable 7.25.
EDIT: re-reading your initial post, you use very high action, 6/64 on the treble side (and everywhere). I don't think you'll have any problem with bends choking out on a 7.25. Just do what you normally do.
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Set the high e string so that you can bend up a minor 3rd at the 15th fret without any choking.
Set the b string so you can bend up a minor 3rd at the 15th fret without any choking.
Set the g string so you can bend up a major 3rd at 15th fret without any choking.
Set the bottom 3 strings to your preference based on how hard you play and how much rattle you can tolerate.
The top two strings, in particular will be set higher than a strict 7.25 radius or a consistent measurement would have you just to keep from fretting out.
Set the b string so you can bend up a minor 3rd at the 15th fret without any choking.
Set the g string so you can bend up a major 3rd at 15th fret without any choking.
Set the bottom 3 strings to your preference based on how hard you play and how much rattle you can tolerate.
The top two strings, in particular will be set higher than a strict 7.25 radius or a consistent measurement would have you just to keep from fretting out.
Thank you this is awesome, Yes I'm not having any choked out bends at all haha but I initially set them all at 3/32 and it just didn't play right with that style neck. It felt off to me. I'm a big dude and I hit the strings too hard sometimes, So I need the action kinda high. Fender recommends 5/64 bass and 4/64 treble so I'm only 1-2/64th higher than fenders setup guide recommends. Also do you set it for only half of the relief so you can lower the action? I'm going to drop the treble side down to 5/64 and see how it feels......thanks for the help
Yes. I shoot for .004-005. With my action low, and living in a humid area, I do a minor setup every time I change strings (6-8 weeks). Sometimes things have drifted, but the guitar still plays well, so I don't change anything. Some of my guitars play nicely with a nearly flat neck (.003). I play with a light touch.
You play with a heavy hand, OK, but if you are forced to raise the treble side to 6/64 to avoid buzzing (I'm not sure if you're saying that), you might benefit from a fret dress. You can't get a good setup on out-of-level frets.
Even brand new necks can need fretwork.
Frets are good, I know because I took it to a good luthier to cut a nut for it. He checked that for me. I just like 6/64 for my bass side. I can get it down to 4/64 no problem but when I strike the strings they rattle and I know that it's me causing it, Not the guitar itself.
pretty much. I keep my music room air conditioned, and the cases humidified in winter, and the necks still move around a bit. The guys in California always chime in with "I have never adjusted my truss rod in 40 years". Must be nice.
If I am understanding correctly you seem to prefer your strings a little higher than Fender specs. There's not a thing wrong with this as long as it feels good to you. SRV liked his action set quite high, and he did all right!
Rex
Ricky D.
Doctor of Teleocity
Swamp Yankee!
Those specs in the book can give you a place to start, but IMO that's all they are good for. Your personal playing touch is a variable the book can't incorporate.
I have a heavy touch, and I won't tolerate string buzz, plugged in or unplugged. I'll start by adjusting each string as low as possible with no buzz. Then I make the comfort adjustment: raise individual strings as needed so the upper surface forms a smooth arc from low to high. At that point, they will mimic the curvature of the fingerboard, but tilted a little higher for the low strings.
Regardless of the fingerboard radius, I always end up around 6/64" for the low E and 4/64" for the high E, decreasing gradually (and evenly) in between.
Yup, I do prefer my action a bit higher than fender specs. Not crazy high just a 64th or 2 higher than fender states in the tele setup guide. I use 10 gauge strings on my strats and teles. My original question was on the fender 9.5 radius necks you can set each string to the same height across and the strings will follow the radius. On the 7.25 radius necks it doesn't really work like that. You can use that method, But then the treble strings feel way high off the fretboard. So I looked up fenders setup guide for teles, And it states that the bass strings should be at 5/64 and treble at 4/64 on the necks with 7.25 radius . I was wondering if that 1/64 difference between treble and bass is so that the strings would follow the rounder 7.25 radius ? I ended up settling on 6/64 on bass and 5/64 on treble. I get no choke out on bends at all and I'm only a 64th higher than fenders specs. I suppose I could just go order a 7.25 radius gauge and do it like that but it feels fine like this and if I could find one or make one free radius gauge I may go that route.
Right on, I am with you on that no buzz ever it drives me insaneSwamp Yankee!
Those specs in the book can give you a place to start, but IMO that's all they are good for. Your personal playing touch is a variable the book can't incorporate.
I have a heavy touch, and I won't tolerate string buzz, plugged in or unplugged. I'll start by adjusting each string as low as possible with no buzz. Then I make the comfort adjustment: raise individual strings as needed so the upper surface forms a smooth arc from low to high. At that point, they will mimic the curvature of the fingerboard, but tilted a little higher for the low strings.
Regardless of the fingerboard radius, I always end up around 6/64" for the low E and 4/64" for the high E, decreasing gradually (and evenly) in between.
Ricky D.
Doctor of Teleocity
I got one of these about 8 years ago when I was binging in the Stew-Mac catalog. The edges are straight enough to use as a fret rocker, and to get the string radius very even I just measure each string. (link removed)
Looks like $22.95 gets you a set of radius gauges. (link removed)
If you just want to make one, use a thumbtack, string, and a pencil to draw a 7 1/4" arc on some card stock and cut it out. That's what I would do. If I was a pro luthier, I would want the tools because they are fast, accurate, and durable. At home, I just don't have the need, set up by feel as described above.
Looks like $22.95 gets you a set of radius gauges. (link removed)
If you just want to make one, use a thumbtack, string, and a pencil to draw a 7 1/4" arc on some card stock and cut it out. That's what I would do. If I was a pro luthier, I would want the tools because they are fast, accurate, and durable. At home, I just don't have the need, set up by feel as described above.
briang, as long as you're not talking about a compound radius neck (and you're not), basic geometry dictates that if you set all strings at the same height, you'll still conform to the radius. I don't know why it feels okay on a 9.5, but not on a 7.25.
I generally don't use gauges. I just set the low E to 4/64, and the high E to 3/64, and then I adjust the strings in between by .003 each, roughly, to form an even taper. It ends up feeling right first, and conforming to the radius as a side effect.
You may wonder how the heck I can measure a .003 difference... I don't use a ruler like most people. I have trouble determining which 64ths line is nearest the string. I think it's my brain and eyes combined. I work around it by using a (link removed). I place it at the 12th fret, and zero the gauge right at the point where the plunger touches the string, but doesn't deflect it. Then, press the gauge down, so the string is on the fret. Measure to .001 tolerance. I do it in playing position, because at those tolerances, gravity has an effect. It took a while to get used to, but now it's second nature, and I can set all 6 strings in a minute or so. I'm probably the only person who does this. Works for me.
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