Everything Guitar - Adjusting String Height and Neck Relief / Bow

[MrPranKings]

wtf is heith

[freddog1231]

does it reduce fret buzz?

[thatcoolG]

Thanks a lot man really helped me out. A lot of string height adjustments made 0 sense this one did. Thanks again

[geeiwoder]

does changing the height change the tone?

[EvrythngGtr]

@geeiwoder strings being closer to or farther from the pickup will change the tone and output level slightly. Also, you may introduce more fret buzz, which also can alter the sound a little. Don't look for anything drastic, though.

[jklmnug]

hite not heith

[timberland1108]

what is the measurement for 11 gaguge ? thanks

[EvrythngGtr]

@timberland1108 If you're not tuning down, then you can probably get away with the strings being just a little lower. Otherwise it'll be around the same (4/64). If you're a hard-hitter, you might have to raise it just a little. Be sure to check your intonation after changing string gauges and adjusting the height.

[Blizzard56k]

4/64?, please say 1/16, haha, it sounds so wrong.

[tootone76]

on my LP Studio - if you tighten or turn the Truss rod clockwise - it decreases bow - or makes the neck more convex. if you loosen the truss rod /anti-clockwise - it increases the bow or makes the neck more concave. I don't know if mine is a one-off, but it might be worth checking/confirming your statements

[EvrythngGtr]

@tootone76 you must have hid my annotations. I noted that I said it backwards in the video.

[Xerosnake90]

Hey, I want to say thanks for the video. For months I've been holding off on adjusting my truss rod because everyone always says it could easily snap your neck. After watching this video I decided to just go for it, and have now fixed my fret buzz that my guitar has had for YEARS. I also adjusted the string height. Unfortunately my hex key cannot turn one side of the bridge, thus I had to actually raise my higher strings to match. It's still around 1.9something so it's alright. Thanks man =]

[EvrythngGtr]

@Xerosnake90 You're welcome. The people who snap necks are the ones who turn the rod way too much, adjust it with the strings still tight, or expose to the guitar to extreme temperature/humidity changes while doing it. For example, taking it out of a case after being in freezing weather for hours, then adjusting the neck. Not a good idea. ..Now that I think of it, I should mention in the video to loosen the strings before adjusting the rod.

[SkirtSoPlain]

I would not repeatedly crash a metal ruler into a beautiful guitar like that. Better to just eyeball it.

[katodmx007]

4/64 (1.59 millimetres) on the 12th fret??

how do you get so low? my (epiphone) is close to 10/64 (3.97mm) !!! it was lower but i would get buzzing on majority of the strings around the 14-17th fret. is it because my neck is pretty much flat?

[katodmx007]

@katodmx007 i just lowered the bridge and it pretty much comes down to the A and D string buzzing on the 15th string. or i press down as hard as i can.

[EvrythngGtr]

@katodmx007 that could be a fret that's not seated properly. Take a piece of wood and a hammer. Place the wood on top the 15th fret, then tap it with the hammer to seat the fret down into the fretboard.

[EvrythngGtr]

@katodmx007 Sounds like you actually have too much neck relief. Fret the guitar at the 1st and 15th frets, then see how much of a gap there is between the string and the 7th fret. It shouldn't be any more than 1/64" (.015"), probably about half that. You'd need a set of feeler gauges to get it exact, but anywhere between .008" and .015" should work. Adjust the neck accordingly, then set your string height.

[havaden96]

i like our guitar ;) nice burst

[MegaAluchi]

Hi, thanks for your video, it is very informative. I have a Michael Kelly patriot special with a bridge that has end piece with saddle in one unit. I notice a lot of annoying buzzing when I play shuffle blues, but when I pluck each string individually at each fret, there is no buzz. I pluck lightly, but still I experience buzzing at the A and Low E strinngs. could this be a bridge problem?

I use 9's gauge on this guitar.

thanks

[EvrythngGtr]

@MegaAluchi unless you can compare the amount of buzz to something, it's hard to say. I doubt it's a bridge problem. I'd have a tech check it out, but it sounds like you might just be playing harder than you think. Try raising the bridge in tiny increments on the E/A string side until the buzz goes away. Also, when you check for buzz, are you checking with the guitar in playing position?

[MegaAluchi]

@EvrythngGtr Hi,

1-I first adjusted the truss rod and it is a little bowed(back bow) under

being perfect straight. I fretted the first fret and the fret before the

neck joins the body (17th) , and I tap in the middle, there is a little

play.

2- I play all the notes on the low E, and A strings individually, so

yesterday I noticed the buzz start to increase from the 8th fret and higher.

could telecasters go lower action than Les Paul copy guitars?

[EvrythngGtr]

@MegaAluchi 1 - there should be very, very little play at that 7th fret. At a glance it would look like the string's touching the fret, but pressing on it reveals the tiny gap.

[EvrythngGtr]

@MegaAluchi 2 - On a perfectly built tele and paul, you should be able to produce the same action. In the real world, it depends on the specific guitar. I've seen both pauls and teles that just wouldn't set up properly, period. I guess they weren't built right. On a side note, you can adjust the neck angle on a tele much easier than a paul, since teles have a bolt-on neck.

[ScooterUnke]

You are mispronouncing the word height. It ends with a t, not a th.

[MrBoggles]

string height with a T not "th" sound

[MrGlenntipton]

setting the bow on your neck ? reALLY?i ll leave this one alone

[petedogg369]

His description of the adjust is ass backwards.

[antni2251]

@petedogg369 you mean bass ackwards. ha!

[petedogg369]

This dude is wrong about which way to turn the truss rod. Tightening it to the right/clockwise makes the neck flatter- less relief ! To the left adds more bow- more relief.

[EvrythngGtr]

@petedogg369 You're right, I did say it backwards. Tighten it to flatten out the neck, loosen to add more bow.

[petedogg369]

tune-o-matic



[petedogg369]

As far as Tube-o-matic bridges go the Tone Pros is the way to go. They have set screws that lock the bridge to the posts so it doesn't fall off. No tape needed brother.

[petedogg369]

They sell string and fretboard cleaner that is made to be used after each time you play, solves that problem. Most adjustments are string on. Strings don't hurt anything. One string at a time is best for Floyds, otherwise you run into lots of other problems. One at a time is the best way.

[TheKirkhammett96]

Does tightning the truss rod remove the Buzzing sound ?? PLZ ANSWER ASAP !! I have a gibsonSG , and i have a really annoying buzzy sound all over the neck , probably from 1st fret to the 11th fret , Plz should tighten or loosen the truss rod ? thx a lot in advance

[6stringzstrummin]

also i have toggle switch problems (i have epi les paul not gibson) i am gonna have the switch replaced when i get pickups installed. wondering if u know of anything else i should do internally as long as i am having a guitar tech tearing into my axe. i know there are not as good of electronics in epiphones and maybe i could do a few things to help this??? i love the guitar but i know it could sound a lot better cuz i have played a gibson and the sound is unbelievably better.

[SMDpeps]

what kind of ruler do you use to measure the string height?

[petedogg369]

Change the strings one at a time and you don't have to worry about the bridge moving.

[EvrythngGtr]

@petedogg369 Yeah, but then you can't oil/clean the neck, or do any other 'string-off' adjustments.

[lewhandsome]

why does everyone say heighth?

[EvrythngGtr]

@lewhandsome probably the same reason many people pronounce aunt like 'ant'. ...I think next video I'll pronounce guitar like 'gooeytar'.  That should generate some comments.

[lewhandsome]

@EvrythngGtr calm down i just found it weird how thats how everyone pronounces it on every video about adjusting string height.

[EvrythngGtr]

@lewhandsome I just get mad when people say I use extra h's! Arghhhhhhh!...oh wait, sorry.

[MartinAndrei91]

hey i want to use .009 gauge strings on my guitar, but until now i only used .010 gauge ... will the neck bow backwards or do i need to adjust something to it ?

[EvrythngGtr]

@MartinAndrei91 The 9's will exert less tension on the neck. So yes, you may need to loosen the truss rod a little. Probably a quarter-turn or so would be all might need.

[MartinAndrei91]

@EvrythngGtr some guys told me that I need to adjust the bridge height , the intonation and the neck.....so I decided to use 10's in stead:) I appreciate your reply thank you!

[EvrythngGtr]

@MartinAndrei91 They're right, although the amounts wouldn't be much.  Just curious, what type of music do you play? What makes you want to use 9's? Nothing against that gauge, just interested in knowing.

[MartinAndrei91]

@EvrythngGtr weI usually play metal but also blues jazz funk...i just wanted to try them out a little...but i was afraid for the tone loss....the guitar is 2x humbucker solid mahogany

[EvrythngGtr]

@MartinAndrei91 I'd recommend you stick with 10's as well. You'd need a very light touch if you used 9's in most of those genres.

[6stringzstrummin]

4/64th's  thats 1/16th

[EvrythngGtr]

@6stringzstrummin Yep, but string height measurements are usually reported in 64ths. Also, many small rulers with these measurements are marked and numbered for 64ths, not 16ths.

[6stringzstrummin]

@EvrythngGtr haha yeah i know i was just being a smart ass!! thanks 4 the vid i did this and helped out a lot. i am a noob and appreciate all of these instructional vids. this and the intonation vid helped me a lot. also i just ordered the same pickups u have (even got the zebras) i am gonna get them professionally installed and i hope they r as good as people say they are cuz its gonna run me about $250 for the set and installed. any advice u got 4 me would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

[MrRuss192]

Nice and simple explanation - got my les paul sorted - many thanks my friend.

[EvrythngGtr]

@MrRuss192 Welcome. Les pauls with the slim / 60's necks profile are not the strongest necks. They typically need to be checked more often, especially if you change tunings or string gauges.

[chawlahariwansh]

I thought tightening the truss rod will straighten the bow but you said opposite to that.. Are you sure ?

[EvrythngGtr]

@chawlahariwansh Did I? Well, tightening the rod moves the rod towards the end of the neck, typically straightening out the neck. I've seen guitars with convex necks though, likely from how the truss rod was installed in the neck. You'd need to loosen the rod in those cases to make the neck straight again, as there's too much tension on the rod. Not nearly as common, but I have come across it.

[petedogg369]

@chawlahariwansh He is ass backwards. Tightening does just what it says. Think about it this way, tightening the rod is like tightening the strings to the fretboard. So tightening the rod brings the strings closer to the fretboard.

[MrGlenntipton]

@petedogg369 i noticed that

[sjfman]

Did he say "string HEIGHTH". This is the second guy I've heard saying heigh-th instead of height today . What the hell are you yanks up to over there, is this some kind of conspiracy to further butcher the english language? Height only has one H, their is no silent H in Height. Jesus first you take the U out of colour and now you add an extra H in Height.

[EvrythngGtr]

@sjfman yep, i did. i don't know if being from TN makes me a 'yank' though. The extra h is just a habit. If that bothers you too much, maybe you should seek help for ocd.

[ncboy65]

great video my friend. Bryant from north carolina



[EvrythngGtr]

@ncboy65 Thanks. It's definitely received the most views of all my vids.

[Mvspelheim1]

Hey man, sorry i didn`t reply before, mine it´s a CRATE ELECTRA guitar and as far as i know it`s a begginers guitar, but even though i`m not an expert, i can tell you that it works just fine at least for me jejeje, i don`t know much about Crate company, but i know they make excellent amps, but that`s all, so if yuo know something `bout the guitars please let me know, and again thanx for thhe help and keep the good work. Greetings from El Salvador

[EvrythngGtr]

@Mvspelheim1 I just realized you'd already told me what model guitar you had. It must have been a long day when I sent that reply. Anyways, yeah the Crate Electra is a beginner guitar, but that doesn't mean it's not good. If it was built right, and is set up right, then it'll be a good guitar for a while.

[Mvspelheim1]

Hey man how are you, sorry bothering you but i have a problem with my guitar, it´s a Crate Electra guitar, it´s really for beginners so that´s kinda me lol, well my problem is tha i´m having a serious buzzing issues and it´s on all my 6 strings from 1st fret to the 3rd. So please could you give me some advice or teach me how to fix it. Well basically that´s what happens so i hope you can reply and help me. Thanx a lot

[EvrythngGtr]

@Mvspelheim1 The first to things that come to mind are: 1. the string slots in the nut are cut too deep, so the strings are too close to the frets at the top of the neck (frets 1-3), or 2. The 4th fret is high.

Fix 1: You'll have to fill the nut, or install a new one. I'd recommend taking it somewhere and having them cut and install the nut for you. Shouldn't cost too much.

Fix 2: Take a small piece of wood and lay it on the 4th fret. Then, hit the wood with a hammer to seat the fret.

[Mvspelheim1]

@EvrythngGtr  Hey man! Thanks for the help XD as you said I´ve replaced the nut and then shazzam wahahah the F·$%% buzzing problem has gone, now i can keep on my practice, really man thanx a lot, keep the good job theaching us good stuff. `till the next time (Again THANXXXXDDD). Greetings from El Salvador!

[EvrythngGtr]

@Mvspelheim1 Glad to help. Just out of curiosity, what model guitar do you have?

[EvrythngGtr]

@Mvspelheim1 Fix 2 (continued): Try this first. If it doesn't fix it, then look into having the nut replaced.

[TheZHBolinger]

Sup Billy ?? Hey, I have a 2010 LP Custom. Love it. Pickups are reeeaaally hot. Almost a touch too hot. Very overall high end sound. If I lower them a touch Would that decrease some of the high end or just effect volume ?? Thanks!

[EvrythngGtr]

@TheZHBolinger ...Billy?? ...Well, if you lower the pickups, it will mostly decrease output. You will lose just a little high end, but not much. If the guitar is too bright for you, I'd recommend having the tone pots changed from 500k pots over to 250k pots. Any guitar shop should be able to do this for you. You could do it as well, if you're handy with a soldering iron. Lower impedance tone pots rolls more of the high end off.

[SandpiperN121PP]

Excellent video! Thank you for the info. I just changed my strings on my Gibson Les Paul... and have been having trouble with string buzz on my D string. This really did help out alot! :)

[EvrythngGtr]

@SandpiperN121PP you're welcome. Glad it helped. If you're having fret buzz on just one string, also check to see if you have a high fret. You can do this by running a straight edge down the neck right beside the D string. If the straight edge rocks back and forth anywhere on the neck, the fret it's pivoting on is high. Take a small piece of flat wood, place it on that section of the fret, and tap it with a hammer a few times. That'll press the fret back into the slot, and fix the buzz.

[zuhairreza41]

Nice and very informative indeed my friend. I have a question: you said that once we take all the strings off on these Gibson style TOM bridges, we should use a tape to hold the loose bridge so it does not move. What happens if it moves or completely comes off? You can put it back again, right? That's what I did once.

Thanks!

[EvrythngGtr]

@zuhairreza41 yep. the main thing is to keep the screw-in height adjusters from moving too much. Put a piece of tape on those and the body so they don't move too much. Otherwise you'll be doing more string height adjustments after you restring.

[TwelthChapter]

If it bows down its called hump!!

[iTra1000]

@Erniedope

What kind of guitar do you own? (brand/model)?

[EvrythngGtr]

@iTra1000 The two in the video are a Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro, and a Fender American Standard Telecaster.  They're my main two guitars.

[EvrythngGtr]

Oh, and the bass is a Peavy BXP. It's a cheapo, but still works and sounds surprisingly nice.

[wipers86]

@EvrythngGtr does adjusting the neck increase sustain on your guitar ?

[EvrythngGtr]

@wipers86 Typically not, unless your current setup is causing your strings to buzz or hit against the neck. If your strings aren't sustaining, then it's probably bad slots cut into the nut/bridge, old/bad strings, or hardware that's not properly mounted.

[wipers86]

@EvrythngGtr thnx for the feed back man I appreciate it very much :))

[Erniedope]

Hi! Dude }i have an awful problem, all the string buzzes from 15 to 19th fret HelP! What should I do?? Thanks in advance>

[EvrythngGtr]

@Erniedope what model guitar is it? you can raise the string height until the buzz goes away, but you probably have a tall fret around the 19th that is causing the buzzing.

Check for a tell fret by placing a straight edge on the frets and see if it rocks back and forth. Whichever fret causes it to rock is the tall one. Take a small piece of hard plastic or wood and place it on the fret. Tap the plastic / wood with a hammer to seat the fret.

[richargl68]

Thaks for your help......in return i give you this..Height is pronounced like fight..... not with a th at the end......

[EvrythngGtr]

@richargl68 yeah I know. It's just an old habit, like how people say "ant" instead of aunt.

[rampage222555]

can you do a video on acoustic guitar string height.

[EvrythngGtr]

@rampage222555 sorry i didn't reply sooner. The only difference on steel string acoustics is the average height changes to 5/64 or 6/64 around the 12th fret. Adjusting the neck is the same, but adjusting the string height requires you to modify the saddle. If you have to raise it, you can "shim" it by laying a small thin piece of wood underneath. If it's too high, you can sand the bottom of it down a little. You want to avoid using shims if possible, so sand just a little at a time.

[MillyWhatever]

dude i got a terrible buzz on my g string mostly around 7-9 frets. what can be done?! please help !

[EvrythngGtr]

@MillyWhatever sounds like a tall fret. check out my replies to @SandpiperN121PP and @Erniedope to see how to level out a high fret.

[dmantsio]

ok i have a new les paul gibson standard and i want to change the height of the strings.Should i change the neck bow also??Is the intonation affected if you change 1/64 of an inch?

[EvrythngGtr]

@dmantsio Having a higher string height usually means you can flatten the neck out a little more. So yes, I would check the neck as well. You may not have to change it if you raise the stings just a small amount. But, if you have high strings and lots of concave neck bow, then the guitar will consistently seem out of tune when you're fretting it.

[JEUXolim]

@EvrythngGtr Hi, I was just wondering whether it's normal to have strings that don't appear straight from a side view. What I mean is, the strings raise towards to the bridge. They are straight-ish (not very straight) until the middle point between my two pick-ups (I have an Epiphone Les Paul) and then they go up to the bridge.

[EvrythngGtr]

@JEUXolim well, that sounds odd, but i bet it's just an optical illusion. Also, it could be the magnetic pickups pulling the strings down slightly. Take something with a straight edge and rest it on the string. That'll tell you if it's straight. If it's not, then..um.., stop using old horrible strings. :)

[JEUXolim]

@EvrythngGtr No, it's not an illusion, don't worry lol, I'm not some small child. Honestly, that's what it was like. Now, it's much, much better, I've done a lot of adjusting on my bridge, and they seem nearly straight, it's still there a little but it's much better. However, this time, they just appear to dip half way between the bridge and the headstock, so half way down the scale, it's like they have very little tension and are very loose but they aren't, maybe just old strings.

[EvrythngGtr]

@dmantsio Also, the intonation will be affected if you change the string height by any amount. The higher the string height, the more you have to bend the string to push it down to the fret, and vice versa. You'll need to check the intonation, and probably make just a slight adjustment.

[angusgrandison]

What is 3 6/4 4/64 in mm?

[EvrythngGtr]

@angusgrandison It's not exact. 3/64 would be 1.19mm. 4/64 (or 1/16) would be 1.59mm. There's some good conversion charts out there too. Just search for inches to mm conversion.

If you're looking for a small ruler with 64th's on it, I picked mine up from a local hardware store. Lowes and Home Depot didn't have them.

[angusgrandison]

@EvrythngGtr Cheers

[MrOMG9199]

It's height not heighth for Christ's sake pronounce it right!

[EvrythngGtr]

@MrOMG9199 I'll be sure to correct my grammerth.

[OughtaKrawl]

@MrOMG9199

Shouldn't you be writing big red 'F's' on Third Graders spelling tests? Instead of farting around watching youtube videos, which only agitate and rile you up in the first place mister? Hmmmm? Now you march in there and you finish correcting all that bad grammar so those kids can lead a fulfilling and joyful life when they grow up! Just like you were able to do for yourself...apparently.

[untidy87]

Thanks you.

[EvrythngGtr]

@untidy87 Welcome. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to cover.

[qbert401]

how would u adjust the string height when u wanna tune a half step down

[EvrythngGtr]

@qbert401 If you kept the same strings, and just wanted to tune a half-step down, here's what you'd need to adjust: **Neck Bow** - make sure the neck hasn't bowed up any more, since there's less pull coming from the strings. Adjust 1st if needed. **String Height** - the strings may 'flop' more since there's less tension, so you may need to raise the height. **Intonation** - it'll probably be just a little off after adjusting the neck and string height, so check it too.

[EvrythngGtr]

@qbert401 If you're just tuning down a half-step occasionally, and mostly play in standard tuning, I'd not worry about making adjustments. I'd just keep the guitar set up for standard tuning.