Help! Tech question about Albert Lee Neck problems

[deboraht]

Hi All,
I have recently started playing music man guitars, I have an Albert Lee 3MM with r/w neck and a Luke 3 with r/w neck.

I took the albert lee on a road trip from New Mex up to Oregon and back. It has always been a perfect neck, worked fine on the road, no problems.

Back in New Mex, we have a swamp cooler going 24/7, humidity is around 50.

I pulled the albert lee out to play after 3 weeks of returning and found it buzzing in the top 5 fret, G is buzzing open!

I loosened the truss rod as i felt giving it more relief was the answer, but found the truss rod very hard to turn, I back it off to the right a but, but it is still very sticky. I did manage to loosen the rod by about 3 x 1/4 turn, I got scared to do anymore as the rod was resistant.

I checked the first 5 frets with a stew mac mini level and found that the second, fourth and fifth frets were rocking. Strange as they were perfectly flat before i went on the trip.

What to do? I can level the high frets, but I am wondering why they suddenly became high, just in certain areas in the middle, i hate to mess with the great fret job, but i can't live with a buzzing open G, and B on 2 and 4. I have also left it sit overnight and still I have no relief in the neck.

What is the recommendation? I would like to actually see a bit of relief there, but with the sticky rod I am cautious about forcing it looser.

Thanks, i usually do all my own repairs, setups, frets ect, but this guitar was expensive!

 

[guitarp77]

Hi!

Welcome to the board!

What I can recommend is to contact MM cust serv. They're awesome and very helpful.

Good luck!

 

[coldsummer]

When you say back it off to the right a bit do you mean turning it clockwise looking up the neck toward the headstock? Only this would be tightening the rod, not loosening it which why it may have felt tight to you.

There are some very knowledgeable members here and I'm sure one of them will be able to give you some more technical advice but as already said by guitarp77 MM customer services are excellent and will be able to help.

 

[roburado]

I have been afraid to mess with my truss rods. It takes some doing, but really, you're not going to break it.

 

[deboraht]

Yes i just backed it up clockwise (tightening) a small amount to see if was a crick in the rod. I didn't tighten it that much, just a nudge to see if it would get over a hump..maybe there was a slight tight spot there. It didn't work!

I know which way to turn the rod, sometimes going back and forth can loosen it a little, getting rid of the bits that may be trapped etc.

 

[deboraht]

I have been afraid to mess with my truss rods. It takes some doing, but really, you're not going to break it.

Well you can snap the rod if it's too tight i guess, if the movement was more fluid I would go for it, but seeing it takes considerable pressure to move it either clockwise or anti clock, I am cautious. I have had a rod crack on me, it was on a guitar where someone had really over tightened it, scared the hell out of me.

Thing is, why are the frets all of sudden rocking? I can imagine changes in humidity changing the neck profile, but not pushing frets higher only in some spots. Really when an open string buzzes I usually look at the nut being too low.

I'll have to investigate lubricating the truss rod screw, I am not used to the rod adjustment, more used to fenders. I do have a Washburn with the wheel adjustment and it's super easy to turn.

 

[tommyindelaware]

turn the wheel counter clockwise til it is completely lose. no damage will occur . use a steel screwdriver like a craftsman. if the rod IS cranked down too far(which i suspect) the wheel will require some torque to loosen it. and using an allen key could result in the allen key snapping off and raking across your top. once the rod is loose.......evaluate from there.

 

[DrKev]

(By the way, Tommy is one of the best techs around, not just 'another forumite').

You should also get in touch with customer service. They are there to help, it's their job, let them do it.

Welcome to the family, Deborat! Unofficial forum rule - your guitars don't exist without pictures!

 

[deboraht]

turn the wheel counter clockwise til it is completely lose. no damage will occur . use a steel screwdriver like a craftsman. if the rod IS cranked down too far(which i suspect) the wheel will require some torque to loosen it. and using an allen key could result in the allen key snapping off and raking across your top. once the rod is loose.......evaluate from there.

Thanks, I did exactly that. I took the neck off and discovered a plastic disc under the wheel. I loosened the rod took off the wheel etc. I did break a screw driver in there twice, and mysteriously cant find the bits! I took off the pickguard, but the pups are screwed into the body, can't adjust them up or down (bad move)..I took all 3 pups out and there is no sign of the broken metal bits!!

Anyhow, when i restrung it I had to tighten the rod again. I like low action and the Low E is just not co-operating. i have no room to lower the saddles as they are as low on both e strings as they can go. I also lowered the bridge plate as low as it would go and still I have no play in the saddles. I am thinking I might need to get some new saddles with less depth so I have some room to take lower.

I will research the bridge mechanics, and see if I can figure if the height of the two pivots might tilt the bridge in a different way. At the moment it's not floating much, as i don't whammy up. Also a shim in the neck will raise the high end and maybe I will have play in the bridge. The string tension is now not as fluid as it was.

Any good links to the bridge adjustment? I have searched and can't find anything.


Main problem now is the low E action is not to my liking. I know it's a 9.5 radius, all the other strings are nicely profiled, but low E can't be lowered (saddle is on the bridge).

Fret 4 is now rocking, but not 2 or 5. I have never had this problem before, methinks it's something to do with the bridge, as having the saddles down to the plate is not a perfect scenario.

Pics are too big at present, will have to reduce their size

 

[tommyindelaware]

if your truss rod is completely loose and the straightedge is still rocking you need to call customer service.