Raising action on EB Music Man... gtr techs please.

[kevorkazito]

I just got my EB Music Man John Petrucci signature last week and now I'm finding the action a bit low. The high E and B seem a bit dead when I'm playing clean from the 5th fret onward.

I want to raise the action. Should I do it via the posts holding the tailpiece or raise the string posts? My gut tells me to do it via the tailpiece posts to get a uniform rise.

Any advice for a nubie do-it-yourselfer? TIA

 

[MikeVt]

Hey - not to avoid giving you an answer, but I've learned (mainly from this forum) that setups are HIGHLY personal. I'd actually suggest reading the FAQ first. You may not want to mess with the bridge at all:

http://www.ernieball.com/site/faq_guitar.php

Then, if you don't get it the way you want it, there are LOADS of folks here who can and will help. Welcome to the EB family - and to the best forum on the web!

Oh yeah - and post pics in the sticky - apparently it's a pre-req

Mike

 

[fogman]

Hey Kevorkazito!

If you're the guy from the Harmony Central forum that I suggested coming here, the Welcome! If you're not that guy, then Welcome!
Stick around, and you'll see that this is the best guitar forum ever!!!!
The weekends can sometimes be slower, since a lot of forumites are out jamming. You may get more replies during the week as a lot of people are online while they're at their day job!

 

[kevorkazito]

Hi fogman, Yes I'm the very Tobias Kevorkazito from the HC world. Thanks for turning me on to this forum. I appreciate it.

Well, just talked to the salemsman at Long & McQuade where I bought my MM JP and he said and go ahead and raise the action via the tailpiece posts to get the uniform rise. I kinda figured that. I just started playing my baby with not so much distortion and I noticed the playing up high the notes were dull. They aren't buzzing however I can tell that's it is close to doing so.

I'll read the link from MikeVT too.

Thanks again foggy. Do you have a MM?

I can't stop playing this guitar. I walked around the house for 5 hours last night with it strung on and was re-recording some of my tunes. Also, I haven't called my girlfriend for 5 days... I think it's over. She just can't compete with this axe.

 

[kevorkazito]

After checking that faq my action is below the factory set-up. It is a hair over 1/32". I'm going to raise it the the 1/16" they recommend. I would definitely prefer higher action to get more sustain from the string. The body does a great job at resonating the string even at the low action setting.

These guitars are wicked! I wonder if the axis is as nice as the MM JP?

If so, I'll have to get one.

I should've jumped on the Ernie Ball MM a long time ago. Better late than never.

 

[fogman]

Thanks again foggy. Do you have a MM?

I can't stop playing this guitar. I walked around the house for 5 hours last night with it strung on and was re-recording some of my tunes. Also, I haven't called my girlfriend for 5 days... I think it's over. She just can't compete with this axe.

You are very welcome!
Uhhh! No. Not yet.
I'm kind of the joke of the town here!

Yes these guitars a disease, and are very addictive. Most people here cannot stop at buying just one.

I know you're question is anwered, but still hang around here. This forum is just as addictive as the guitars. Even the president of the company Sterling Ball posts here often. His screen name is "Big Poppa". Also posted here is John Petrucci himself, Vinnie Moore, etc......

 

[lumberjack]

Hey Kevorkazito,

First off, welcome to the forums. And second, congrats on the Petruch. They are great guitars. I finally got my first ball about a month ago. I picked up an Axis SS and love it. The Petrucci and Axis are different beasts. They definately have different feels to them, but they are both great guitars. My next guitar is probably going to be a petrucci.

Like Fogman says, stick around and enjoy the forums. Everyone is very friendly and informative. And yes, Foggy gets picked on from time to time but it's all in good fun We eagerly await the day he gets his first ball. Or at the very least orders one.....Isn't that right Foggy

Take it easy,
Scott

 

[fogman]

.........We eagerly await the day he gets his first ball. Or at the very least orders one.....Isn't that right Foggy

That's right!

 

[kevorkazito]

Fogman, save your loonies and twonies (cdn $1 and $2 coins). You gotta get one of these babys. I sold my beloved, screaming Gibson Gothic Explorer to get my MM. It felt like someone died the day I shipped it. My soul was is in it. But days later I got the MM and man, it was worth the sacrifice. I wanted an axe to carry me to the next level in my professional career and this axe is it.

I've walked out of a music store with a $3600 guitar (es-335) and I hate to be vulgar but the MM knocks the snot out of it. The MM JP was $1xxxCDN and I consider that to be a bargain. Will I buy another? If I'm in a gigging band I will. For now I am a session player with aspirations of a career doing my own songs.

One thing I would like is to have a guitar like Rory Gallagher, you know, battlescarred from being played a ton. I want my JP6 to be that axe. I've already told my friends I want to be buried with but I have bequeathed to my producer buddy for he has the ears to appreciate it.

Thanks for the welcomes... I'm home!

By the way, I raised the action to 1/16" and it is a lot better. I spent the night recording and love the clean, single coiled sound. Now, if there isn't anything on Austin City Limits, it's going to be a night of playing. Did I mention how much I love this guitar

 

[Larry]

just to let you know you cant post retail prices you might want to edit your post

 

[fogman]

Fogman, save your loonies and twonies (cdn $1 and $2 coins). You gotta get one of these babys.

Oh I will. Things just haven't gone my way for a while.
Been Finally turning around though.

I've walked out of a music store with a $3600 guitar (es-335) and I hate to be vulgar but the MM knocks the snot out of it. The MM JP was $1640CDN and I consider that to be a bargain. Will I buy another?

You will buy another! You won't be able to help it.
No other guitar has been good enough ever since I came across the MMs.

One thing I would like is to have a guitar like Rory Gallagher, you know, battlescarred from being played a ton. I want my JP6 to be that axe.

I'm the same way. I think that is awesome!


.

 

[kevorkazito]

Oops! Thanks for the heads up. Gotta read the rules eh?

just to let you know you cant post retail prices you might want to edit your post

 

[kevorkazito]

Hey fog... I hear you, from August 2004 to November 2005 I couldn't work b/c of 4 herniated discs! I was in the poor house for awhile... sold many guitars to survive including said 335. Then I decided that while I had a bad back, the bad back didn't have me... I turned my life around and got healthy! I'm feeling much better although I have to hang upside down everyday like a diabetic needs insulin. Now I just got a great job, and at the end of the month I moving out of my crack/meth/violence infested low-rent neighborhood into gov't subsidized housing... I can't believe how good things are going now; months ago I was on the precipice of income assistance and things are rosy now... hang in there.

I came out of that period with a lot of music, and frankly, playing guitar saved my life as I didn't have a reason to go on suffering as long as I did. I met another fellow at the doctor and he said he just had a kid and still wanted to put a gun barrel in his mouth because of all the pain. I didn't sleep for about 4 months, no ****. I gotta thank my M.D. tho' for beggin' me not to get into addictive pain killing meds... now I'm a raw-foodist and live clean. Not to be preachy or anything; just empathising with you.

Oh I will. Things just haven't gone my way for a while.
Been Finally turning around though.

 

[brentrocks]

welcome to the forums....love your avatar pic!!

 

[Eilif]

Hee hee....hahahahahaha.....ROFLMAO!!!


And, by the way, welcome!

Thanks again foggy. Do you have a MM?

 

[pauldogx]

Just a quick note ------whenever action issues crop up with me I always check the neck first. Its more lickely the neck moved than anything on the bridge. Small movements of the neck can greatly effect the action hight. Sounds like your neck may be almost flat with no relief. A quick 1/4 turn of the truss rod to add some relief is better than fooling with the bridge for minor action changes.

 

[kevorkazito]

Interesting... I don't know why adusting the neck always freaks me out but I know how to do... looking down from the headstock (always); righty-tighty, lefty-loosey

OK, I'll try that.

Is adding relief tightening it so that it has a miniscule concave shape?

Should you be able see any bow? I might have to get an uber-tech to look at it, this is freaking me out

Just a quick note ------whenever action issues crop up with me I always check the neck first. Its more lickely the neck moved than anything on the bridge. Small movements of the neck can greatly effect the action hight. Sounds like your neck may be almost flat with no relief. A quick 1/4 turn of the truss rod to add some relief is better than fooling with the bridge for minor action changes.

 

[pauldogx]

i only ever adjust the neck in 1/8 to 1/4 turn increments----relief is a slight upbow or concave shape. The opposite of relief is backbow. Start with a dead flat neck (which some people like Eric Johnson prefer) and ideally you want to add a little relief or upbow. Dan Erlewine has a widely available book out called Make your guitar play Great. Get it---its worth the 20 bucks. I was a guitar tech for years and I still learned alot from that book.

 

[beej]

+1 on that book. A good reference!

Don't be freaked out man. (Great avatar, btw!). Fret the guitar at the first string and the 15th string at the same time. Look to see a tiny bit of air between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret at the 7-9th frets. Just a wee bit higher than the fret. That's a good starting point in lieu of a straight edge.

Once you get this down ... you'll be able to tweak all of your guitars so that they play EXACTLY the way you want. You'll never look back

 

[kevorkazito]

Last night i got down with Dan Erlwine's book 'Guitar Repair...' and studied it closely. I'm ready to do the neck adjustment. One thing he suggested was to get a long straight edge metal ruler and some big piece of white paper for the backdrop.

Time to take the plunge with the neck adjustment. I want to learn how to do everything with my axe. It costs $50 for a simple intonation setup around here. I learned how to do that pretty fast (actually back when it was costing $30).

Almost 2 weeks with my MM and I love it more each day.... I really can't put it down. What a good addiction to have