13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

[dgreen97]

Hey everyone,

Having an issue on a guitar where the high E 13th fret note frets out but every other note is fine on the guitar. I took it to a guitar tech and he rocked across the frets to see if there was a high one, checked out the guitar in general and said it was fine. He recommended trying out an 8 or 10 string instead of a 9, so I put a 10 on there and that didn't help at all. He said try putting a saddle shim only on the high e string (its a floyd rose) but I dont see how thats going to help since even if I raise the action the note still frets out to some degree. Any ideas on what could be causing this since it isn't a high fret?

 

[CTN]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

what kinda guitar is this?
does it fret out when playing normally or bending?

My thought is that it might be an issue with the truss rod or maybe the neck is slightly twisted. The frets could still read as level with each other while the neck is twisted.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

If it's not a high fret, maybe the next fret down is low.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

Agreed. Your guitar tech ought to have checked this by eye after the straight edge test for any high frets.

 

[BrianS.]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

Are the frets pretty worn? Like, flat on the top?

 

[dgreen97]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

This is a 7 string guitar, rusty cooley rc7e exotic, brand new. It frets out when playing the guitar normally not bending. I can get the action down to 1mm on the high e and all of the other frets are fine except for the 13th. If the fret was too low I think the tech would have pointed that out. I dont know if the neck is twisted or not.. if it is why would only one fret be affected? very strange to me that only on the high e string, only on that fret, that the note frets out. Frets are brand new look like dunlop 6000 or 6100.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

Fretting out can only possibly occur when the fret that you are playing is not tall enough for the sounding portion of the fretted string to clear any remaining frets between it and the bridge.

EITHER One fret is lower than the next few along the string
OR the fingerboard is rising at the heel end
OR the excursion pattern of the string is being affected by magnetic pull from the polepieces of a pickup.

Wood shrinkage can affect how frets sit. Your problem fret could be perfect but the adjacent ones could have shifted. As has already been mentioned, the entire neck could have taken on a twist or an S curve.

 

[LReese]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

It its brand new why not let the manufacturer handle it? 1mm sounds really low through, 12th or 24th fret measurement. Not saying its impossible or unrealistic, just sounds really low.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

It its brand new why not let the manufacturer handle it?

Maybe he changed the strings and voided the warranty.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

Where was the guitar constructed and where is it now? Climate and, especially, humidity variations can affect the wood. With an action set at 1mm on the high E string 12th fret, tiny shifts can occur, requiring a fresh set up.

Do not assume that a brand new guitar is "finished" and ready to play straight out of the box.

Perform another straight edge "rocking" test. Try to get a feeler guage between the straight edge and the crown of the suspect fret.

Consider raising the action fractionally on the high E string side.

Get stoned … and reprofiled.

 

[LReese]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

Get a buzz

FTFY

 

[dgreen97]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

yeah i did change the strings on it when i got it (i do this with every guitar i have). i didn't expect the guitar to be setup perfectly out of the box. since it comes from korea, its going through many climates and conditions so i expected to set it up when i got it which i did. i changed the tuning to 1/2 step down, adjusted the floyd rose, adjusted the truss rod, etc. i tried very little relief in the neck to more relief than i usually use (more relief made the problem worse and i had more notes fretting out that way). i know 1mm sounds pretty low but that depends on what kind of music you play. playing fast, little changes in the action can make a big difference in playability so going from 1mm to 1.5mm is a pretty big difference. if i raise it to 1.5mm its definitely less perceptible but its still there.

the reason i dont want to send the guitar back is because i had it preordered for over 3 months, it finally got in and then i noticed the fret buzz that night as i was playing it. not really on the top of my list to send it all the way back to the factory and go through that whole process again.

im not sure if there is anything i can do on this forum here that you guys could get a better view of whats going on. i know its best to have something actually look at it but i did that already and he didn't know why the fret was buzzing. i mean it could possibly be a slightly lower fret but how would you find out if this is the case? I dont think rocking over the frets with a straightedge would show that would it?

ive never heard of changing the strings on a guitar voiding the warranty is this true? and with my luck they'll want me to pay return shipping which i found out not that long ago is expensive as hell.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: 13th fret, only high E string, note fretting out but not a high fret?

From the high E side of the neck, take a photograph of a six inch steel rule, resting across the frets on approximately the same line that the string takes.

For your own peace of mind, offer up a feeler gauge to the ruler and the top of the thirteenth fret. Can you get a .0003" gauge through?

In my opinion, the guitar needs time to adjust to your local climatic conditions, then a good fret dress.