Ask a guitar tech

[paulyc]

Welcome!!!

I have a hss super strat that has a really bright bridge pickup. I’m not sure if it’s wired wrong but the guitar sounds great for the most part. What can I do to tame the highs of the bridge pickup?

thanks.

Use a 250 K volume pot instead of 500 K .

 

[Hyperionguitarworks]

Use a 250 K volume pot instead of 500 K .

I don't subscribe to this. IMO i haven't heard a noticeable between 500k and 250k or even 1 meg like people use in vintage LPs. The idea behind different value pots is that the lower amount of resistance bleeds the high end to ground easier than high resistance so its really only valid when you start to roll the volume down. This is because when the pot it full "on" you have a dead short (or as close as possible) from the pickup lead to the output lug on the pot but as you start to roll the pot off you add resistance between the pickup and the output lug. Check out this blog from a guy who's way smarter than I'am.

https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/03/03/volume-tone-pots-101/

 

[jchrisf]

Normally with floyd nuts you should be ok but sometime they shim them to high. i like about .013 of clearance at the first fret when holding the string down at the 3rd fret.

I would have never thought to check this... just did, and mine is .010. Seems to play just fine though?

 

[Hyperionguitarworks]

I would have never thought to check this... just did, and mine is .010. Seems to play just fine though?

.010 is good i think standard is between .010 and .013 lower is better but run the risk of getting buzz on the open strings

 

[jchrisf]

.010 is good i think standard is between .010 and .013 lower is better but run the risk of getting buzz on the open strings

Now that I've got all the tools necessary to do a good setup, I finally got all my guitars setup correctly. By eye I was leaving to much relief. They all play much better now.

My Floyd Rose guitars have extremely low 1st fret clearance. They seem to play great though except my 88' Charvel which has no clearance. I need to shim up that nut.

 

[Hyperionguitarworks]

Now that I've got all the tools necessary to do a good setup, I finally got all my guitars setup correctly. By eye I was leaving to much relief. They all play much better now.

My Floyd Rose guitars have extremely low 1st fret clearance. They seem to play great though except my 88' Charvel which has no clearance. I need to shim up that nut.

you can buy brass shims for a floyd but sticky sand paper will also work.

 

[jchrisf]

you can buy brass shims for a floyd but sticky sand paper will also work.

This one actually has a real nut before the locking part. Not mine but similar

 

[Hyperionguitarworks]

This one actually has a real nut before the locking part. Not mine but similar

I see. if your slots are low you can sand the top of the nut, lets the dust settle in the string slot and then superglue the dust to get the action hight at the nut or replace that nut.

 

[Briman24]

When i can't get adhesive backed sandpaper, i put masking tape or painters tape on my leveling block and a few dabs of super glue and then put regular sandpaper on. When sandpaper is done, just peel off the the tape and no mess!