Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

HomespunEffects said:
On a Strat, if your low E doesn’t buzz a little, your action isn’t low enough. 😄
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On a guitar that works 100% correctly it would not buzz at all however low. It slaps the strings once on attack and then rings the remaining energy. This is less 1in ten guitars at any price though.
 
I’ve got a PRS McCarty with a wraparound bridge. The high E is sitaring just a little, I’m probably the only one that notices it but it’s definitely there.

The reason for it is that many years ago PRS support told me to hit it with some very fine sandpaper to remove a burr that was cutting strings. The problem is that they gave that instruction to a dumb kid who had no business getting near a guitar with sandpaper and I probably got just a touch carried away.

So my question is what to do about it? Can that one string be corrected without negatively impacting the way it all works together (relative action height and intonation)? Do all the string slots need to be adjusted now? Should I just replace the bridge (really expensive solution so I hope not)?

I’m probably not up to doing this myself. Mainly due to fear and lack of experience filing bridges like this, theoretically it wouldn’t be that different than a nut slot other than the medium is different and the stakes are higher - obviously it’s the second bit that concerns me.

D
 
dk_ace said:
I’ve got a PRS McCarty with a wraparound bridge. The high E is sitaring just a little, I’m probably the only one that notices it but it’s definitely there.

The reason for it is that many years ago PRS support told me to hit it with some very fine sandpaper to remove a burr that was cutting strings. The problem is that they gave that instruction to a dumb kid who had no business getting near a guitar with sandpaper and I probably got just a touch carried away.

So my question is what to do about it? Can that one string be corrected without negatively impacting the way it all works together (relative action height and intonation)? Do all the string slots need to be adjusted now? Should I just replace the bridge (really expensive solution so I hope not)?

I’m probably not up to doing this myself. Mainly due to fear and lack of experience filing bridges like this, theoretically it wouldn’t be that different than a nut slot other than the medium is different and the stakes are higher - obviously it’s the second bit that concerns me.

D
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It really depends on exactly what is causing it. It is possible that the string is creating a burr or imprint in the bottom of the slot causing a poor connection. This can easily be smoothed out with an appropriate file. Alternatively the leading edge of the slot has an unfortunate angle or poor take off point . You would need to take some very precise measurements of the action over the treble strings to determine the leeway.
A close up high res image of the witness point will help.
 
What you hear often is that the Mexican Fender and the American Fender are really close. What i read most is that the finishing and the craftsman ship on the American models are better. Fretwork etc.

Then people start discussing diminishing results but that is so much about personal taste it becomes useless.

What I don’t understand and can’t really find on google: In what way can an Mexican Fender be handed over to somebody like you and make it into equal quality of the American?

Or would that mean replacing to many things so it’s just not doable / worth it?

Or are there things that are just not possible outside of the factory?
 
mercifulfuzziness said:
What you hear often is that the Mexican Fender and the American Fender are really close. What i read most is that the finishing and the craftsman ship on the American models are better. Fretwork etc.

Then people start discussing diminishing results but that is so much about personal taste it becomes useless.

What I don’t understand and can’t really find on google: In what way can an Mexican Fender be handed over to somebody like you and make it into equal quality of the American?

Or would that mean replacing to many things so it’s just not doable / worth it?

Or are there things that are just not possible outside of the factory?
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It depends what you want.
If you wanted a pro 2 or a player 2 the difference is worth it the hardware and pickups are better and so is the detail work . But consider the fret size difference too Pro 2 has 6105 so that is a big deal.
Mexican Fender are excellent for the money but they are actually quite different products. The Player 2 is actually incredibly close in specs to the Am Std of the early 90s . It is as good. The Vintage reissue models are also very good but not similar to the USA versions. They have been vey careful to prevent there being a direct competition between US and M guitars . If you want the spec of the pro 2 you would spend the difference to get the player 2 to be the same . BUT the player is a great choice if you like the spec. You could also make it a lot better with a decent tech but it’s a different instrument in core specs.
 
Eagle said:
It depends what you want.
If you wanted a pro 2 or a player 2 the difference is worth it the hardware and pickups are better and so is the detail work . But consider the fret size difference too Pro 2 has 6105 so that is a big deal.
Mexican Fender are excellent for the money but they are actually quite different products. The Player 2 is actually incredibly close in specs to the Am Std of the early 90s . It is as good. The Vintage reissue models are also very good but not similar to the USA versions. They have been vey careful to prevent there being a direct competition between US and M guitars . If you want the spec of the pro 2 you would spend the difference to get the player 2 to be the same . BUT the player is a great choice if you like the spec. You could also make it a lot better with a decent tech but it’s a different instrument in core specs.
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Player 2 is 2018+ right?

That’s the one I have. I was pretty amazed that a lot of the equipment is the same as the American one, maple neck, Adler body… but then the picks ups are Alcino 5 and some nuances.

It’s interesting to hear you could get it to higher quality but you might spend as much as getting a new guitar.

I made want a custom ship some day. Those relics I find so sexy. Even more on the Strat vs on the Tele
 
mercifulfuzziness said:
Player 2 is 2018+ right?

That’s the one I have. I was pretty amazed that a lot of the equipment is the same as the American one, maple neck, Adler body… but then the picks ups are Alcino 5 and some nuances.

It’s interesting to hear you could get it to higher quality but you might spend as much as getting a new guitar.

I made want a custom ship some day. Those relics I find so sexy. Even more on the Strat vs on the Tele
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No player 2 is last year.
 
Hi Andy,

I have a 1980 Ibanez LR10. I've seen that a common problem with this guitar is that the binding disintegrates over time. I have noticed increased discoloration of the binding on my guitar. So far the binding seems solid enough, and I don't see any cracks or separation from the body of the guitar. My question is, is there anything that I can do to preserve the binding? I currently don't play this guitar much and I've considered selling it. My main reason for keeping it is because I bought it from a friend who was down on his luck. I've kept it safe thinking he may want to buy it back when things turn around. However, if the binding problems are inevitable and not preventable, then it might be time to sell it before the value tanks. Pics are below. Not the best pics for a detailed look at the binding, but at least an idea of how things look. These pics were taken in 2022. The discoloration has gotten worse in the last two years. Any thoughts about this?
 
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The value wouldn’t really change much as the binding fades. It is the plastic itself that is discolouring. There isn’t anything you can do except keep it out of direct sunlight or any light. The binding is unlikely to loose structural integrity and I would just keep it in the case.
 
Andy, what's your opinion about how well the nut is cut?
I've noticed that even the tiniest over-height can throw off the entire guitar.
 
James Freeman said:
Andy, what's your opinion about how well the nut is cut?
I've noticed that even the tiniest over-height can throw off the entire guitar.
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Yes you’re right. I like to fret the string at the second and see a hair over the first. Any more and it can start to interfere with the intonation. I also use fret 3 and 15 to set intonation so it needs to be right.
 
Ask Me Anything, Andy:

What did you do for your Birthday? Was there Cake? Booze? Both?? :idk
 
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