Jazzmaster Staytrem owners - help please

GavRichList

http://i.imgur.com/DrO8XDt.jpg

stickyfiddle

Have checked mine. Maybe just a smidge lower than Gav's I reckon. The bottom E is only a hair clear of the saddle adjustment screw but it's enough. I think I put a cornflake-packet thickness shim in when I built it. I'd actually prefer a bigger shim and higher bridge ideally, but that would definitely mean the strings would foul on the back of the bridge. 

As to the OP's issue, you can't necessarily tell much about a setup from bridge height alone, since the geometry of a guitar has too many other factors. 

Generally speaking buzz everywhere suggests a bridge that's too low (irrespective of its height from the body, but relative to the fretboard), but more buzz at higher frets suggests a relief issue too. Ideally you want just a tiny amount of relief - you can check by fretting your G string at the first and last frets and looking at the gap between the 9th fret and the string. There should be a small gap, but it should ideally be less than the thickness of the high e. If the gap is too big, you can tighten the truss a little. If no gap, you should loosen it. 

Once you have the neck (almost) straight, you can set your overall action by moving the bridge height. 





Action is as below with 9's (yes, I know, JMs are built for 13's...)

jonnygreentrees

Thanks Sticky, super helpful

jonnygreentrees

OK here's a photo of my bridge and action





It does seem quite a bit higher than most others'

stickyfiddle

Yeah, that does look a bit high, but the bridge is not necessarily wrong depending. On the geometry of the neck - nut height, relief and condition of frets.

If you have buzzing with that action then relief is the next thing to check. You probably have it too straight or even back-bowed a smidge, especially if it was previously setup for 9’s (as a lot of new guitars are) and you now have 11’s on it now.

If the neck is straight (ideally just a fraction less than straight, bowed towards the strings), then it suggests an issue with fret heights, in which case you need someone to level them.

But sort out relief before you do anything else.

stickyfiddle

It’s worth nothing that even once you’re relief is right your bridge might still sit higher than those above. That’s not a inherently a problem if the guitar is playing well. it’s just a factor of the geometry of the neck joint and any shims on your specific guitars. 

FWIW I actually like a decent sized shim and a high bridge to move the feel a little closer towards a Gibson’s thing

GavRichList

Happy now @meltedbuzzbox ?! it was due a tweak anyhow, winter n’all that. 

http://i.imgur.com/LjQ6ImX.jpg

And I’ll do a 12th fret... these always make the action look waaaay higher than it is - in reality I like it low. “Fag paper low” as Jack would testify. 

http://i.imgur.com/ITBbuZQ.jpg

bbill335

jonnygreentrees said:

OK here's a photo of my bridge and action



It does seem quite a bit higher than most others'

Looks OK to me, the pickups are a bit low  (depending on what they are, of course)

meltedbuzzbox

GavRichList said:

Happy now @meltedbuzzbox ?! it was due a tweak anyhow, winter n’all that. 

http://i.imgur.com/LjQ6ImX.jpg

And I’ll do a 12th fret... these always make the action look waaaay higher than it is - in reality I like it low. “Fag paper low” as Jack would testify. 

http://i.imgur.com/ITBbuZQ.jpg

My happiness is irrelevant when it come to the playability of your guitar mate. As long as the pickups sound balanced it's all good

GavRichList

meltedbuzzbox said:

GavRichList said:

Happy now @meltedbuzzbox ?! it was due a tweak anyhow, winter n’all that. 

http://i.imgur.com/LjQ6ImX.jpg

And I’ll do a 12th fret... these always make the action look waaaay higher than it is - in reality I like it low. “Fag paper low” as Jack would testify. 

http://i.imgur.com/ITBbuZQ.jpg

My happiness is irrelevant when it come to the playability of your guitar mate. As long as the pickups sound balanced it's all good

They did. They still do. Lowering was relative. It was a little on the loud side before! 

meltedbuzzbox

I thought it looked way too high if you had an overwound bridge pickup

GavRichList

I do actually use the bridge pickup during our set too - especially with chorus. This is now a little more in keeping with the Jag - A/B’ing before was very heavily weighted towards the JM for volume. 

jonnygreentrees

Thanks for all the advice.

Had my friend look at it at the weekend (he's more knowledgeable than me and has built his own guitar) and managed to get the action sorted!