Need help to cure notes choking out

[Tele_Tom64]

Are you having dead spots and lots of rattle without bending? If so, to me that just sounds like frets are not level, or the neck has negative relief (back bow).

But if this is while bending-
Are your other guitars 7.25in radius? That limits how far you can bend before cutting out compared to a flatter radius.

At what fret does this start? I find my guitars need some "fall off" in the upper frets, starting above fret 17 or so, to avoid cutting out. I do this by building up extra tape a few frets back so the file rests at an angle, then gently file. Each higher fret becomes slightly lower.

There's a phenomenon called "tongue rise" with bolt on necks where the wood might swell a bit near the end, requiring this kind of extra angle when leveling. But I found it helps new necks, too.

I suggest reading up on set up., and esp. relief. I find I can only lower the action if I have the neck nearly flat. A quick way to measure: Holding down the G or D string at frets 1 and 16, then pressing the string right on top of fret 8 shows how big or tiny the gap, and therefore how much relief there is.

I don't like using that anymore. Too much of a difference between doing that and checking with a notched straight edge on the neck or standard straight edge on the frets.

Strings said I had almost no relief while the straight edge said different. Strings, even that short, can and apparently do droop enough to affect what you perceive to be your relief. Straight edges, even unnotched, don't droop.

Considering we're working with up to 0.012" or 0.31mm, there's not a lot there to lose to droop.

 

[SRHmusic]

I don't like using that anymore. Too much of a difference between doing that and checking with a notched straight edge on the neck or standard straight edge on the frets.

Strings said I had almost no relief while the straight edge said different. Strings, even that short, can and apparently do droop enough to affect what you perceive to be your relief. Straight edges, even unnotched, don't droop.

Considering we're working with up to 0.012" or 0.31mm, there's not a lot there to lose to droop.

Agreed it's not the same as a notched straight edge. I figured OP would not have one so I suggested the quick check. Plus, once you do a setup you like you get a baseline for how much string movement to normally have. Cheers

Edit- @Tele_Tom64 Do you see the extra string droop with the guitar on its back? It's better to do this check in the playing position, also true for the straight edge, but more important for the quick check. That way gravity is pulling the strings sideways and not toward the fingerboard.

 

[58Bassman]

I do not have the tools to measure it, but I tried to catch in on camera, which of course is impossible, but at least I think it shows, that I'm not riding ultra low
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The strings can be low and still not buzz or fret out but whether it will depends on how hard you pick. A plucked/picked string doesn't just vibrate across the fretboard, it will eventually rotate around its axis, in a circle. The weight, tension and picking force determine the diameter of the circle. If you raise the action just a little, it should stop buzzing.

 

[TwoBear]

How high are the strings above the frets?

How high the moon!?

I’m sorry for that!!!