Hey guys, i’ve got a weird thing that I might have fucked up a bit, but any tips are welcome.
I’ve got an old cheap guitar which I though I’d improve a bit with some other pickups I had. Installed the pickups, also got some new strings. So weirdly enough, for some reason the new strings touched the first few frets. I could adjust this at the bridge but it really needed to be lifted a lot, which screws up the action in my opinion. Didn’t screw with any other part of the guitar besides pickup, the only reason I could imagine was that the neck was warped from sitting around without strings for a bit (but it wasn’t even that long I believe? But maybe cheap guitar = cheap materials?).
The neck doesn’t seem warped to the eye, but have to admit that I’m starting to doubt the straightness of my references for straightness. It feels as if the neck is ever so slightly crooked on the body (like leaning forward a bit), but again I can’t imagine this suddenly happening when changing the pickups?
I know some might say “just take it to the shop” but I like DIYing and I really want to learn more about this stuff, and especially what the hell is going on. Anyone got any thoughts on this?
(Could post some pictures but on pictures nothing really stands out).
Got a few things you can look into Pickups are magnetic, if new pick ups are set higher they might be pulling down on the strings? (Just a theory not sure if it’s possible). You should be able to lower or lift the pickups and see if it helps. The new strings, are they the same gauge? Different gauges pull at different tensions so that could be it. Also, you can look into adjusting the truss rod. Look up videos of how to and where to find it, it varies on guitars. Good luck bro.
Yeah, Truss rod would be my first guess. If OP went with thicker strings then that’s going to put more tension on the neck and could cause the issue.
OP, if you see this, look up videos on youtube on how to properly set up your guitar for neck straightness, string height, and intonation. Stew Mac has a ton of videos so I would start there.
Truss rod was my immediate and almost certain thought as well.
I picked up a little diy guitar book a few years back. Went from having everything in tune at 1st fret and horribly out of tune at the 7th to an in tune everywhere, solid sounding, easy action, no buzz, and glorious sustain.
I don’t have a feeling the pickups pull on them that much harder than the previous set, and it wouldn’t pull it harder than what the bridge allows. Also this new one is already a bit lower. String i’m testing it with now is actually the one that was on it before, but it could indeed be that the new set has a slightly higher gauge. I started using the old string just to not damage the new one too much but putting it on, adjust stuff, taking it off etc etc etc
The truss rod is a very good recommendation, have heard of that but didn’t think about adjusting that myself, but from what google shows it could be a cool solution. Thanks for the tip!
Good luck, update your post if you figure it out
Definitly, will prolly try some stuff this weekend, will update!
Sorry if I’m late to the party… Once a guitar is set up properly, the only adjustment you should really ever have to make is the truss rod unless you make a major change ir some sort of event (fell over, etc). OP says they (possibly) changed to a heavier gage string, if your action was already set low, this could be the culprit as some truss rods are more stout than others. Over time this will cause the “bow and arrow” effect, but in the short term the gage of the strings might be enough to cause buzzing. Some other possibilities-
If it’s a bolt-on neck, is the neck plate screwed in tight?
If it’s a Fender with that horrid “tilt” option, maybe back that adjustment screw out AFTER loosening the neck plate, then tighten the neck plate back down
Is the guitar now in a more humid environment? This could cause swelling of the wood, possibly pushing some frets slightly out of their seat and may need to be pressed and glued in.
Does the guitar have a trem? Then the heavier gage strings might ultimately be the issue as the stronger pull as it’s tuned to pitch would pull it lower. If it does and you look at the trem, it should sit at the same level/angle as the body. If it’s tilted forward toward the headstock, there’s your issue.
I’m by no means an expert, but I’ve set up all of my guitars and probably another 12-15 for friends and have had no complaints. If you really want to be pointed in the right direction for guitar setups on YouTube, look for DWOFS (Dave’s World Of Fun Stuff). If he hasn’t set up your exact model he’s definitely done one similar enough where you should be able to figure out what’s going on.
As always, take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt, a lot of helpful posters in this thread but we’re all trying to triage sight unseen.
That’s what I wondered.
Even if the new pick ups don’t have stronger magnets, I guess lighter strings could get pulled on more easily…? Or maybe the new strings have a higher iron content and are more prone to magnetic pool? (as I write this is sounding less plausible!).