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aberdeen-music

Dead fret?


Lemonade

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Hey,

I picked up a cheap SG copy the other day and I was setting it up last night, but I'm having a problem. Whenever I play the 10th fret on the D string, I get a dead note, it seems to be hitting one of the higher up frets. Raising the action didn't sort it. It seems weird to me that's it's just one fret and one string, any ideas on how to remedy this? Would tweaking the truss rod help?

Cheers

LR

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lightly file the 11th fret if it needs it. stight truss adjustment could make a difference.

is there a dent in the 10th fret?

You'll probably need to level and dress the fret that's buzzing, maybe even replace it. There's guides online if you google it.

No dent. There's a very slight dead note in the 15th as well on that string.

Before I try filing anything I wonder if it may be due to the way it's set up in general. The guy I got it off played with really heavy gauge strings, and de-tuned, whereas I play with 9's and tuned to standard E tuning. Since changing the strings I've lowered the action and fixed the intonation - is there anything else that might need adjusting that could be causing this problem, or anything else in general would need adjusting to my style?

I'm a bit of a n00b at this whole guitar setting up thing. I usually slip Fatboy or Matt from Panda Eyes a couple of quid to do it for me :up:

You probably know this guitar Bonner, I think it was one of your mates I swapped it with for a Squier Tele. A red Sheridan SG copy, previous owner:

aberdeen-music - View Profile: Malice

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The neck angle could play a (very) slight part, but I cant see it being that. Fret dress to level it out and see what its like after that. I had a dead note one one of my teles and the whole thing was the action on that string being ever so slightly too low. Is it a dead note when you just hit it, or is it when you try and bend the note.

I dont know the guitar but I know the dude you swapped with.

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i had this problem a couple of years ago. i filed down the next fret up, then the next fret up from that - but more lightly, then did the same for the fret up from that, but only very lightly. it seemed to solve the problem as it's been fine ever since, and it's my main guitar which i play almost every day. maybe i was lucky, but it worked for me.

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Worth checking truss rod first, when I got my Strat last year and put 9s on to replace the stock 10s the tension shift put the whole thing out, and I got someone who KNEW to adjust, needed loosening almost fully, since then action has been all good, only chokes out on big bends due to vintage radius. Have you sighted down the neck from the nut yet?

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I'd give the truss rod a little tweak BEFORE filing any frets. Truss can always be put back the way it was. You can't magic the fret material back.

Check to see that the fret isn't rejecting and pushing out from the board. It may need hammered back in. Obviously done carefully. :laughing:

Worth checking truss rod first, when I got my Strat last year and put 9s on to replace the stock 10s the tension shift put the whole thing out, and I got someone who KNEW to adjust, needed loosening almost fully, since then action has been all good, only chokes out on big bends due to vintage radius. Have you sighted down the neck from the nut yet?

Checked the fret, it's not sticking out. I've had a glance down the neck and there is a slight bend in it, it appears to be raised more on the side of the heavy strings than on the thin strings though, like it's been under more tension there.

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