The low E string on my 330 sounds hollow and has very little sustain in comparison to the other strings. The problem only occurs when it is fretted, and it seems to get worse the farther up the fretboard. Could this be a problem with the neck or becuase of too low action?
I don't have a feeler gauage, but the neck relief measured at the 7th fret (because that's where the gap seems the largest) is slightly less than the thickness of a Fender pick and string height at the 12th fret is 5/64".
Dead sounding E string
Moderator: jingle_jangle
Dear Walrus: I would first check to see that the neck is straight. Hold down the low E at the first and 17th frets and see how much space is between the fretboard and the the bottom edge of the string. Is there more space in one area of the fretboard that another. What are your observations? Is the gap still largest at the 7th fret?
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
-
i_am_the_walrus
- New member
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2003 12:49 pm
I would go with a truss rod adjustment to straighten out the neck. Do you have a new or older Rickenbacker Model 330? If you haven't adjusted the truss rods before, be sure what you are doing before proceeding. You can pop off your fretboard if you aren't careful.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
-
adam_swapp
- Member
- Posts: 389
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 7:49 pm
- Contact:
Walrus,
If you don't have any noticeable buzz (i.e. the string is just dead), try replacing the string. You might just have a bad string. Never discount the easy solution.
Failing that, or if you hear a buzz, look at the neck. A slight bow (relief) in the neck is normal; somewhere around .010". As a rough guide, capo at the first fret, hold the string at the 17th fret (just like you did), and slide a business card under the string at the 7th fret. It should just brush the string.
One possibility is a high fret that's popping loose at one end. If you think about the geometry of the string as you move up the neck, the clearance decreases; a high fret would become more noticeable as you move towards the bridge. The first thing to is look at the neck; you might be able to see a fret that has worked its way out of the slot. Try moving up the neck one fret at a time to see if the deadness disappears at a particular fret. If it does, you've found the culprit; it's the fret you're fingering at the time. If you're lucky, you can whack the offending fret back down (use a plastic hammer or a block of wood on top of the fret; don't hit the fret with a metal hammer, and move the strings aside). If it won't stay down, a drop of superglue and a quick clamp job may do the trick. Worst case is a level and crown; in California I was just quoted $200 and 2 weeks (WTF?), but in Ohio it's $45 and 2 days. YMMV.
Responsibility requires that I disclose that I've heard it said that the optimal setup for a Rick is with an absolutely straight neck (i.e. no relief). It has never been explained to my satisfaction why this is so, or why the same physical principles that apply to every other guitar in the world don't apply to a Rick. If someone takes issue with my suggestions for this reason, perhaps they could incorporate a detailed explanation into their analysis.
If you don't have any noticeable buzz (i.e. the string is just dead), try replacing the string. You might just have a bad string. Never discount the easy solution.
Failing that, or if you hear a buzz, look at the neck. A slight bow (relief) in the neck is normal; somewhere around .010". As a rough guide, capo at the first fret, hold the string at the 17th fret (just like you did), and slide a business card under the string at the 7th fret. It should just brush the string.
One possibility is a high fret that's popping loose at one end. If you think about the geometry of the string as you move up the neck, the clearance decreases; a high fret would become more noticeable as you move towards the bridge. The first thing to is look at the neck; you might be able to see a fret that has worked its way out of the slot. Try moving up the neck one fret at a time to see if the deadness disappears at a particular fret. If it does, you've found the culprit; it's the fret you're fingering at the time. If you're lucky, you can whack the offending fret back down (use a plastic hammer or a block of wood on top of the fret; don't hit the fret with a metal hammer, and move the strings aside). If it won't stay down, a drop of superglue and a quick clamp job may do the trick. Worst case is a level and crown; in California I was just quoted $200 and 2 weeks (WTF?), but in Ohio it's $45 and 2 days. YMMV.
Responsibility requires that I disclose that I've heard it said that the optimal setup for a Rick is with an absolutely straight neck (i.e. no relief). It has never been explained to my satisfaction why this is so, or why the same physical principles that apply to every other guitar in the world don't apply to a Rick. If someone takes issue with my suggestions for this reason, perhaps they could incorporate a detailed explanation into their analysis.
You want to put that where?