Shim neck or file down frets?

Cat Fancier

Cat Fancier

Nov 21, 2023
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#1
Schecter Stiletto Extreme. Buzzes on most, but not all frets above the ninth. Some have worse buzzing than ones above them. But everything lower than the ninth is fine. Don't know if it means anything, but when unfretted, there is more distance to the stings than the lower frets. Overall action is still too high, despite having lowered the saddles almost out of adjustment range.

Only tool I have for measurement is a 1mm Dunlop tortex. Action at first fret is a little lower than that, well above that at the other end.
 
#3
If I’m reading that correctly the string height is too high at the 12th or 17th or whichever fret you’re measuring at but the bridge saddles are too low? Discounting the other factors for now that’s a classic case for a neck shim assuming it’s a bolt on neck. After installing the shim do a complete set up checking the relief and string height over the first fret also.

That doesn’t mean you don’t also need to level the frets but start with being able to set the string height where you want it.
 
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#4
Cat Fancier said:
Schecter Stiletto Extreme. Buzzes on most, but not all frets above the ninth. Some have worse buzzing than ones above them. But everything lower than the ninth is fine. Don't know if it means anything, but when unfretted, there is more distance to the stings than the lower frets. Overall action is still too high, despite having lowered the saddles almost out of adjustment range.

Only tool I have for measurement is a 1mm Dunlop tortex. Action at first fret is a little lower than that, well above that at the other end.
Click to expand...
A shim will not fix buzzing frets. If you have buzzing on most of the frets above the 9th, your saddles are too low. You may also have a ski jump, in which case you might be able to compensate by filing down the upper frets, but that is a workaround and not a fix.

Start by reducing the relief and raising the saddles.
 
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#5
Turnaround said:
A shim will not fix buzzing frets. If you have buzzing on most of the frets above the 9th, your saddles are too low. You may also have a ski jump, in which case you might be able to compensate by filing down the upper frets, but that is a workaround and not a fix.

Start by reducing the relief and raising the saddles.
Click to expand...
My shim suggestion was meant as more of a “if yer gonna try something, try something reversible”. Not an actual solution.

I’m glad I have good guitar techs I can go to when I run into something like that, which is seldom. Granted, both of them are a 3-hour drive….:facepalm:, but they work me in and I can wait. Not to mention, both of them are great to hang out with during the process.
 
#6
Turnaround said:
A shim will not fix buzzing frets. If you have buzzing on most of the frets above the 9th, your saddles are too low. You may also have a ski jump, in which case you might be able to compensate by filing down the upper frets, but that is a workaround and not a fix.

Start by reducing the relief and raising the saddles.
Click to expand...

Turns out that my years away from bass had me expecting unreasonably low action. I decided to use a nickel, which has a known thickness of 1.95mm. The height of all strings at the 12th fret is just slightly less than that. Height at 1st is a bit under 1mm. So I overcompensated. Going back to somewhere in between what it was and what it is now.

The height adjustment screws are all stripped, so I have to completely remove the saddles and twist them by finger. Again. Great fun! :rollno:
 
#7
Cat Fancier said:
The height adjustment screws are all stripped, so I have to completely remove the saddles and twist them by finger. Again. Great fun! :rollno:
Click to expand...

That sounds like the polar opposite of great fun, no doubt!

You should be able to find those screws from the bridge manufacturer. If not, perhaps there's a local bolt & screw place you could get reasonable replacement screws.

Barring that, McMaster-Carr is a great source for such items. See if a local guitar tech can measure the screws for you (height, size, screw pitch, and offer to pay for his time, of course) and order the screws from them.

Good luck!
 
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#8
Cat Fancier said:
Turns out that my years away from bass had me expecting unreasonably low action. I decided to use a nickel, which has a known thickness of 1.95mm. The height of all strings at the 12th fret is just slightly less than that. Height at 1st is a bit under 1mm. So I overcompensated. Going back to somewhere in between what it was and what it is now.

The height adjustment screws are all stripped, so I have to completely remove the saddles and twist them by finger. Again. Great fun! :rollno:
Click to expand...
Knowing the height of the strings at the 12th fret is not useful without knowing what amount of relief there is in the neck. Fret at the first and 15th frets and measure the relief at the 7th fret. Then we can better determine what is going on.
 
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#12
Make sure you are checking the relief with the strings capoed at the first fret and pressed down at the last fret. Fender manuals say check at 7th fret and looking for .014”. Other basses may vary. The measurement the op is describing, I think are without any strings pressed.
 
#17
Shimming the neck and filing the frets are for two different reasons, and while you might improve things, fixing one thing won't fix the problems associated with the other.
 
#18
To clarify: the last measurement was for relief, using a 1mm Dunlop for reference. First and fifteent frets held down. Relief found to probably be no less than .5mm, which is high. Currently thinking I should adjust relief at truss rod.

Also: thanks for quickly helping this poor, befuddled amateur.
 
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#19
If you don't understand and do your own setups (and there's certainly no shame in that), I would strongly suggest you take it to an experienced, qualified guitar repair person and have it evaluated.

Frets needing leveling and whether a screw-on neck needs a shim are two entirely different problems and answers.
 
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#20
J Wilson said:
If you don't understand and do your own setups (and there's certainly no shame in that), I would strongly suggest you take it to an experienced, qualified guitar repair person and have it evaluated.

Frets needing leveling and whether a screw-on neck needing a shim are two entirely different problems and answers.
Click to expand...

Trying to learn and save money at the same time.
 
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