Higher action after string change on CIJ Jazzmaster

[gusgorman]

Hello all,

I've just switch from round wound 11s to Pyramid Gold Flatwound 11s and the action seems to have lifted a bit. I know nothing about setup..... so a few questions:

I'm guessing this is because the extra tension has affected the neck a bit?

If so does the truss rod need tweaking? I've had a quick look and am I imaging it or would the pick guard and neck pickup need to be removed to do this?

Worth getting a trusted tech to do it rather than having a go myself?

thansk!

[oid]

It could be from the difference in tension, could be a coincidence or that you just happened to notice the change at the string change. In reality the neck is always moving and the action always changing even if the tension is constant.

A quater or half turn tighter on the truss is about all you will need, as to how to go about that, you did not tell us what sort of guitar you have but since you mention taking off the.pickguard you likely have a fender with heel adjust truss rod. You need to slack the strings and back the neck screws out most of the way. This will allow you to pull neck up enough to turn the truss.

You can do it or a tech can, if the guitar has never had a full setup/check up, it never hurts to have it done, even if you are going to deal with the General stuff yourself. Setups are also a good reasonably cheap way to check out luthiers so you can find one you like before you need one and have to pick one based on word of mouth.

[spacecadet]

First check that you really need a truss rod adjustment. Fret the guitar at the 1st and 12th fret. (Easiest thing to do is use a capo, because you're going to need another hand.) Then stick a credit card at the 7th fret between the strings and the fretboard. It should just barely have room to clear. If you don't have a capo, you can just try to eyeball it and/or just reach over with one finger while fretting with another on the same hand to feel how much of a gap there is. There should be just enough air between the strings and fretboard to fit that credit card through.

If there's more, then you should adjust the truss rod. As oid says, the neck unscrews, not the pickguard and pickup.

If you do that little check and it seems fine, then it's not the truss rod. Only other thing I can think of is that the bridge alignment changed, although it seems more likely it would have been out of position before and now it's straight (since it'd be very slightly higher when straight).

Or as oid said, it could just be that the strings are harder to fret now, so it feels like the action's higher.

[gusgorman]

It could be from the difference in tension, could be a coincidence or that you just happened to notice the change at the string change. In reality the neck is always moving and the action always changing even if the tension is constant.

A quater or half turn tighter on the truss is about all you will need, as to how to go about that, you did not tell us what sort of guitar you have but since you mention taking off the.pickguard you likely have a fender with heel adjust truss rod. You need to slack the strings and back the neck screws out most of the way. This will allow you to pull neck up enough to turn the truss.

You can do it or a tech can, if the guitar has never had a full setup/check up, it never hurts to have it done, even if you are going to deal with the General stuff yourself. Setups are also a good reasonably cheap way to check out luthiers so you can find one you like before you need one and have to pick one based on word of mouth.

First check that you really need a truss rod adjustment. Fret the guitar at the 1st and 12th fret. (Easiest thing to do is use a capo, because you're going to need another hand.) Then stick a credit card at the 7th fret between the strings and the fretboard. It should just barely have room to clear. If you don't have a capo, you can just try to eyeball it and/or just reach over with one finger while fretting with another on the same hand to feel how much of a gap there is. There should be just enough air between the strings and fretboard to fit that credit card through.

If there's more, then you should adjust the truss rod. As oid says, the neck unscrews, not the pickguard and pickup.

If you do that little check and it seems fine, then it's not the truss rod. Only other thing I can think of is that the bridge alignment changed, although it seems more likely it would have been out of position before and now it's straight (since it'd be very slightly higher when straight).

Or as oid said, it could just be that the strings are harder to fret now, so it feels like the action's higher.

Sorry I didn't see these replies before, thanks to both of you!
I have got a capo so I'll check tonight.

[gusgorman]

First check that you really need a truss rod adjustment. Fret the guitar at the 1st and 12th fret. (Easiest thing to do is use a capo, because you're going to need another hand.) Then stick a credit card at the 7th fret between the strings and the fretboard. It should just barely have room to clear. If you don't have a capo, you can just try to eyeball it and/or just reach over with one finger while fretting with another on the same hand to feel how much of a gap there is. There should be just enough air between the strings and fretboard to fit that credit card through.

If there's more, then you should adjust the truss rod. As oid says, the neck unscrews, not the pickguard and pickup.

If you do that little check and it seems fine, then it's not the truss rod. Only other thing I can think of is that the bridge alignment changed, although it seems more likely it would have been out of position before and now it's straight (since it'd be very slightly higher when straight).

Or as oid said, it could just be that the strings are harder to fret now, so it feels like the action's higher.

Thanks again for this... have done that and it isn't the truss rod. So glad I [posted.... thinking about it I'm an idiot, someone repaired the trem and the circuit switch for me 4 or 5 days before I changed the strings, so the bridge alignment has probably been different since then, can't believe I forgot that

[Fiddy]

[

Thanks again for this... have done that and it isn't the truss rod. So glad I [posted.... thinking about it I'm an idiot, someone repaired the trem and the circuit switch for me 4 or 5 days before I changed the strings, so the bridge alignment has probably been different since then, can't believe I forgot that

Your "tech" may have raised the bridge to get rid of some buzzing...