My first Strat - String action question

[mc_aus]

Hi Everyone

Very exciting day today as I picked up my first ever Strat! I have only ever had a Telecaster but picked up an American Vintage II 61.
Absolutely great guitar, sounds amazing and plays well straight out the box.

My only question is that I’d prefer the action a little lower if possible, has anyone done this on an AV2? Not sure how low I can go and I usually get this professionally done rather than doing it myself

Still can’t get over how good this thing sounds though! Very happy with it

 

[3bolt79]

Welcome! Adjust your neck relief. Then adjust the string heights.

If the string buzzes after lowering the saddles, raise the saddle just to the point where the buzzing is gone.

Then Intonate.

 

[SpeedKing]

If relief and everything else is fine all you need do is reduce string heights at the saddles using the tiny Allan key provided.

If you go to low and get fret buzz adjust back upwards till it disappears. Simples!

Learning how to do a full set up though (relief and intonation etc etc) will teach you loads about your guitar and save a fortune in trips to a tech or luthier etc....

 

[mc_aus]

Welcome! Adjust your neck relief. Then adjust the string heights.

If the string buzzes after lowering the saddles, raise the saddle just to the point where the buzzing is gone.

Then Intonate.

Thank you!

 

[mc_aus]

If relief and everything else is fine all you need do is reduce string heights at the saddles using the tiny Allan key provided.

If you go to low and get fret buzz adjust back upwards till it disappears. Simples!

Learning how to do a full set up though (relief and intonation etc etc) will teach you loads about your guitar and save a fortune in trips to a tech or luthier etc....

Thank you @SpeedKing
Everything else feels great so I will give that a shot

 

[FrieAsABird]

Hey, gorgeous guitar, congrats! I would suggest watching some YouTube videos dealing with Strat setups. You can lower the saddles to lower the action, but you should check your neck relief first. If you don’t know how to, Google it, there’s many great videos. Learning to do your own setups is one of the best things you can do

 

[Nate D]

Welcome! Adjust your neck relief. Then adjust the string heights.

If the string buzzes after lowering the saddles, raise the saddle just to the point where the buzzing is gone.

Then Intonate.

If relief and everything else is fine all you need do is reduce string heights at the saddles using the tiny Allan key provided.

If you go to low and get fret buzz adjust back upwards till it disappears. Simples!

Learning how to do a full set up though (relief and intonation etc etc) will teach you loads about your guitar and save a fortune in trips to a tech or luthier etc....

What these folks said

 

[dirocyn]

Check the tremolo angle before you raise or lower the saddles. The saddles are on top of the trem, so when it rises up, the saddles do too.

Trem, relief, action, intonation--in that order, if you don't want to do some of these things twice.

 

[Murdog]

Nice! HNGD!

 

[Fenderbaum]

Tune up..
Check Relief
Set action
Intonate...
Play..

 

[Hal Nico]

Hi Everyone

Very exciting day today as I picked up my first ever Strat! I have only ever had a Telecaster but picked up an American Vintage II 61.
Absolutely great guitar, sounds amazing and plays well straight out the box.

My only question is that I’d prefer the action a little lower if possible, has anyone done this on an AV2? Not sure how low I can go and I usually get this professionally done rather than doing it myself

Bookmark this guy's YT channel,



Easy to follow setup instructions.

HTH

 

[D7alt]

That is a beautiful Strat, congrats! Is it brand new?
Is this a 9.5 or 7.25 radius?.
What gauge of strings are on it, 10s, 9s else?
Is the bridge set to float?
Anyway, if it's your first give it some time to get to know her better.

 

[BamaStrat]

Bookmark this guy's YT channel,



Easy to follow setup instructions.

HTH

Excellent video for a novice or reference.

 

[Sparrow5150]

Check the tremolo angle before you raise or lower the saddles. The saddles are on top of the trem, so when it rises up, the saddles do too.

Trem, relief, action, intonation--in that order, if you don't want to do some of these things twice.

I've had a few different guitars now, strats/superstrats. Most recently I've acquired a 2004 squier. Until recently, I had two cheap humbuckers in the scratch plate just to have something in there, but the wood sounds divine, it's one of those guitars that came out just right, so I wanted good pickups for it. I installed a yjm fury loaded plate, but now I have a sound like fretbuzz on all the strings, and all the notes, but it's not frets, the neck is straight, it has a good bridge, new nut, good frets. I've adjusted pickup action to exact spec, and then lower or higher to see if that worked. No change, still a weird chorus/vibration. Any help would be massively appreciated

 

[dirocyn]

I've had a few different guitars now, strats/superstrats. Most recently I've acquired a 2004 squier. Until recently, I had two cheap humbuckers in the scratch plate just to have something in there, but the wood sounds divine, it's one of those guitars that came out just right, so I wanted good pickups for it. I installed a yjm fury loaded plate, but now I have a sound like fretbuzz on all the strings, and all the notes, but it's not frets, the neck is straight, it has a good bridge, new nut, good frets. I've adjusted pickup action to exact spec, and then lower or higher to see if that worked. No change, still a weird chorus/vibration. Any help would be massively appreciated

I see you are new here, is this your first post? Welcome.

I suggest you start your own thread, your guitar has different issues than the one we are talking about in this thread. It gets really confusing if we are talking about two different guitars with different issues, all in the same thread. Please start a new conversation, show us pictures of your gear, and we'll go from there.

 

[EJay]

I've had a few different guitars now, strats/superstrats. Most recently I've acquired a 2004 squier. Until recently, I had two cheap humbuckers in the scratch plate just to have something in there, but the wood sounds divine, it's one of those guitars that came out just right, so I wanted good pickups for it. I installed a yjm fury loaded plate, but now I have a sound like fretbuzz on all the strings, and all the notes, but it's not frets, the neck is straight, it has a good bridge, new nut, good frets. I've adjusted pickup action to exact spec, and then lower or higher to see if that worked. No change, still a weird chorus/vibration. Any help would be massively appreciated

I agree with other guy you need a new thread, but I bet it’s your trem springs vibrating.

 

[mc_aus]

Thanks everyone! Dropping the trem down flat was enough to lower the strings to the perfect spot.
Getting a bit of buzz now but after watching the video above have this sorted

Also seems to have changed the tone a bit but still sounds great

 

[mc_aus]

This might be a dumb question but do the pickups need to be lowered by the same amount as the strings after dropping the trem down? It does sound different, maybe I’ll just have a play with the pick up height and find out

 

[SpeedKing]

Yeah just have a play, the worse that can happen is you go too low (level with or below the guard) and the screw actually comes loose from the pickup .... then you have to get the strings and guard off to reseat it!

If you want the trem decked what you've done is fine but carry on and try again if you like a floating bridge as it should be possible to have both... a floating trem and the right string height.

 

[Stratattack72]

Fender has a site with all the basic specs once you have adjusted them to those your in the ball park and can adjust things to taste from there.