Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

SillyOctpuss said:
Hi Andy. So far my strats sounding a lot better with the pickups a lot lower than I've had them before. I'll check them out at volume at rehearsal this week.

Another question I have is do you have any advice for blocking a prs trem? We're switching more between drop d and standard tuning so my prs isn't getting played. I'm assuming a wood block is the way to go but thought I'd ask for tips and best practice.

Cheers
Click to expand...
the best way is indeed a little wooden block cut to exactly fit the gap in between the trem block and the body. It is best made from hardwood and secured with double sided tape. Tape because it is actually held in place almost all of the time by being trapped between the trem block and the body. This also allows you to remove it with no modification to your guitar.
IMG_3574.jpeg

This is not one I did but serves the purpose of illustrating. I typically use mahogany or maple, not plywood.
 
Eagle said:
the best way is indeed a little wooden block cut to exactly fit the gap in between the trem block and the body. It is best made from hardwood and secured with double sided tape. Tape because it is actually held in place almost all of the time by being trapped between the trem block and the body. This also allows you to remove it with no modification to your guitar.
View attachment 30843
This is not one I did but serves the purpose of illustrating. I typically use mahogany or maple, not plywood.
Click to expand...

Most of the ones I've seen tend to be on the other side of the block. Is the side in the picture above preferable?
 
SillyOctpuss said:
Most of the ones I've seen tend to be on the other side of the block. Is the side in the picture above preferable?
Click to expand...
The other side blocks the trem from working at all and would still require this block in position. This just converts it to down bend only and if you tighten the springs it is effectively a hard tail but better is to tighten them to allow a full tone of bend in the G without tipping the trem up. This leaves you with an operating trem and solid double stop bends up to a tone. Also drop tuning.
 
Eagle said:
The other side blocks the trem from working at all and would still require this block in position. This just converts it to down bend only and if you tighten the springs it is effectively a hard tail but better is to tighten them to allow a full tone of bend in the G without tipping the trem up. This leaves you with an operating trem and solid double stop bends up to a tone. Also drop tuning.
Click to expand...

That sounds perfect. I'll give it a go this week when I get time and then find someone else to do it for me after I C*ck up making a block the right size.

I'm not very good with wood :grin, I'm better with electronics tbh
 
SillyOctpuss said:
That sounds perfect. I'll give it a go this week when I get time and then find someone else to do it for me after I C*ck up making a block the right size.

I'm not very good with wood :grin, I'm better with electronics tbh
Click to expand...
Get it close and then fit it to see. It’s easy to replace the tape and nothing gets damaged.
 
Let’s say I have a guitar with frets that i wish were taller. Since a refret is imminent, what would you say to rounding the fretboard a bit in the process. I’m pretty sure it’s 12” radius but it feels like the flattest fretboard I’ve ever owned and I wish it were a bit less flat. Can you take a 12” down to 10”? The block inlays and fret nibs may make the whole thing a no go but have you ever changed the radius on a fretboard before?

What do you do for refretting a guitar with nibs?
 
HomespunEffects said:
Let’s say I have a guitar with frets that i wish were taller. Since a refret is imminent, what would you say to rounding the fretboard a bit in the process. I’m pretty sure it’s 12” radius but it feels like the flattest fretboard I’ve ever owned and I wish it were a bit less flat. Can you take a 12” down to 10”? The block inlays and fret nibs may make the whole thing a no go but have you ever changed the radius on a fretboard before?

What do you do for refretting a guitar with nibs?
Click to expand...
Yes I do it often but not on block inlay and binding as you want. It may be possible if the neck is perfectly straight but any corrective work and that radius change would cut in to the binding too much and possibly through the inlay.
 
HomespunEffects said:
Let’s say I have a guitar with frets that i wish were taller. Since a refret is imminent, what would you say to rounding the fretboard a bit in the process. I’m pretty sure it’s 12” radius but it feels like the flattest fretboard I’ve ever owned and I wish it were a bit less flat. Can you take a 12” down to 10”? The block inlays and fret nibs may make the whole thing a no go but have you ever changed the radius on a fretboard before?

What do you do for refretting a guitar with nibs?
Click to expand...
Assuming these dimensions for neck width:

1.75" @ nut
2.25" @ last fret

To go from 12" to 10" radius...

at the nut end you'd be removing .0065" material
at the end of the neck it would be .0106"

That's the math of it. Those numbers assume no extra material needs to be removed.

Would you even feel that difference though?

Untitled.jpg
 
Hey Andy, fret sprout is not something I’ve experienced on a guitar before, but I’ve noticed that the fret edges on my SE silver sky has become quite sharp. I’ve only had the guitar for 6 months and they were very smooth upon receipt. I’m guessing filing them is the only way out of this?

Seems peculiar to me that this would happen only on this guitar…. I’ve mostly been in guitar snob land in recent years so my gut response is “of course this happens on my one import”

But I also don’t necessarily understand why it would happen on this guitar and never on any of my others….

I live in a very dry region in the US that is prone to dramatic temperature swings, but I’d think if that was the issue it would happen to more of my guitars than just that one :idk
 
spawnofthesith said:
Hey Andy, fret sprout is not something I’ve experienced on a guitar before, but I’ve noticed that the fret edges on my SE silver sky has become quite sharp. I’ve only had the guitar for 6 months and they were very smooth upon receipt. I’m guessing filing them is the only way out of this?

Seems peculiar to me that this would happen only on this guitar…. I’ve mostly been in guitar snob land in recent years so my gut response is “of course this happens on my one import”

But I also don’t necessarily understand why it would happen on this guitar and never on any of my others….

I live in a very dry region in the US that is prone to dramatic temperature swings, but I’d think if that was the issue it would happen to more of my guitars than just that one :idk
Click to expand...
It is down to the seasoning process the wood went through as well as the difference between where it was stored and where it is now. It is nothing to worry about and something that will only require doing once. Older guitars are less likely to be affected because the process used to be longer and wood was typically cut from larger trees.
 
Hi @Eagle I need your infinite wisdom.

Bought a GraphTech UnlockNut for my Ibanez RGA to replace the Locking Nut (which I never use bc the trem's blocked). I understand, that the GraphTech stuff is always "fatter"/higher than needed and you need to sand the bottom of the nut with sanding paper to bring the action at the nut down. What is the best method to measure the right height of that new nut?

I surely could just compare it to the locking nut in a back-and-forth, but I'm sure there is a more professional way.
 
BahamaDada said:
Hi @Eagle I need your infinite wisdom.

Bought a GraphTech UnlockNut for my Ibanez RGA to replace the Locking Nut (which I never use bc the trem's blocked). I understand, that the GraphTech stuff is always "fatter"/higher than needed and you need to sand the bottom of the nut with sanding paper to bring the action at the nut down. What is the best method to measure the right height of that new nut?

I surely could just compare it to the locking nut in a back-and-forth, but I'm sure there is a more professional way.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to say that with something like this you need to sand the bottom carefully and try it often making sure you don't go too far. The reason being the controlled way of cutting nut slot depth is filing the slots themselves and with this you really don't want to alter them. Take your time and don't take much between testing it. The material is easy to over cut.
 
Eagle said:
I'm sorry to say that with something like this you need to sand the bottom carefully and try it often making sure you don't go too far. The reason being the controlled way of cutting nut slot depth is filing the slots themselves and with this you really don't want to alter them. Take your time and don't take much between testing it. The material is easy to over cut.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I never worked with Tusq, so I don't have experience with how easy it is to (over)sand. If it's  that easy to sand, then I will just go back and forth. The little phamplet that came with it said something like press behind 2nd fret and measure at first fret. Low e should have 0.1''. Don't even have a thing at hand to measure that fine.
 
I think pressing at the 2nd fret and just having the smallest clearance on the 1st is good, no?
 
Hey Andy,

What do you recommend for nut files? I have an electric that needs a new nut and I'm considering taking a shot at fitting one myself. Don't worry, it is a cheap Epiphone and I fully expect that I'll fail few times before makin one that is actually usable.

I am considering either the StewMac or the Music Nomad diamond files. Is there another option that I should consider?

Thanks!
 
OrganicZed said:
Hey Andy,

What do you recommend for nut files? I have an electric that needs a new nut and I'm considering taking a shot at fitting one myself. Don't worry, it is a cheap Epiphone and I fully expect that I'll fail few times before makin one that is actually usable.

I am considering either the StewMac or the Music Nomad diamond files. Is there another option that I should consider?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
The other ones are Hosco .
You can get Hosco sets of three double sided that are quite good but this type tends to be over sized.
The stew Mac ones the opposite,you probably need to use a 10 file for a 9 string. They also need the file back on the thinner ones. All in all the double sided Hosco and the Music Nomad are the easiest to use.
 
This is the Hosco set.
IMG_4131.jpeg

There is a knock off set on Amazon that are actually ok and half the price.
If you are only going to be using them occasionally they are worth a look. You can always send them back if they are not good.
IMG_4132.jpeg

Yes the individual ones are a bit better but not much and you could cut a perfectly good nut with any as long as they are within tolerance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top