I think my neck has moved.

Haych

I'm having an issue with my Les Paul.  Last year I had it set up with a full fret dress and recrown - it was playing great, sounded great etc. etc.

More recently though I've noticed a lot of fret buzz and choking on the high e and b strings around the third fret - that's just the fretted note, not bending the string or anything.

I've just checked the neck relief on the treble side and using the old 1st fret, body fret method I can't detect any relief at the 7th fret, and I certainly can't get a 0.05mm feeler gauge between 7th fret and high e string.

On the bass side of the neck there's about 0.10mm clearance at the 7th fret using the same 1st fret, body fret method.

Is it perhaps time to back the truss rod off a tad?  Or has the neck twisted a bit, since there's clearance on one side but not the other?

rash

This time of year necks will inevitably move a bit, especially on nitro finished guitars in my experience.

bbill335

Might need to raise the bridge a little bit at the treble side. Slacken the strings and turn the thumbscrew a little bit, tune up and check again. 

guitars4you

sounds like a tweak is required

Imagine a clock face, so 12 -11 is all that is required - slacken it - You can always do more later if required

I use the Low E string as my guide - left hand on 1st fret and at the same time, with the right hand  pivot thumb on the last fret and reach over to view the gap on the 12th fret - Hope that makes sense - You can use a capo on the first fret if you like - then look for a slight gap, barely visible at the 12th fret - How big a gap you require will depend on if you pick/stroke gently or more aggressive/positive - And to a degree what level of 'buzz' you tolerate as some don't mind a touch as they prefer a shred low action

Yet I would expect some relief on both sides - There is a chance the 3rd/4th fret might be to high, but you mentioned a fret dress - However the fret might have 'popped'out a touch

Haych

rash said:

This time of year necks will inevitably move a bit, especially on nitro finished guitars in my experience.

I don't doubt it at all.  In fact I have heard from good authority that winter is the best time to have a guitar fettled.  That might be baloney of course

ICBM

That could be the reaction to the truss rod nut friction - since the rod tightens clockwise, if you tighten it and then stop, there will be an anti-clockwise force left on the neck, which will make it straighter on the treble side than the bass - which is what you want normally, but it sounds like yours is a little too much. Try loosening the truss rod by just the smallest amount so the friction is released, without the nut moving too much.

If you sight down a guitar with a headstock-end truss rod adjustment from the headstock towards the body you will often see the head is rotated slightly anticlockwise, this is the reason.

Henrytwang

It’s worth giving the truss rod a little tweak in order to reduce the tension a bit . If done gradually you can’t really damage anything. It might also be worth checking with a straight edge that a fret hasn’t popped up above the third fret.

merciful-evans

The 'twist' you describe is a good twist. The low E needs a little more room to vibrate because of its increased amplitude. Most necks are a little 'twisted' this way. I suspect because of the the higher tension of wound strings compared to the unwound ones.

You need a little more relief overall though. Try a quarter turn. Hopefully it will correct straight away. though some necks need more time to respond.