1st string feels much tighter than the rest

[ehsaan]

hi all i own a gorgeous sunburst classic which sounds like a million bucks. however i find that the 1st string always feels a lot tighter than the rest of the strings. i use d'addario 10 to 46 strings. i adjusted the guitar exactly as per the instructions i got and somehow even lowering the action doesnt seem to take this tightness away. its uncomfortable to play . i own a bunch of other high end guitars and somehow have not come across this problem. question # 1 could the nut be cut a little high ? #2 could the neck be tilted ? the guitar has the buzz fieten system. i live in bombay , india and dont have much here by the way of pro. help so any advice would be welcome.
thanks
regards
ehsaan
www.shankarehsaanloy.com

[tom]

nut or saddle being higher than the rest could make it feel that way. hold the strings down at the third fret and compare how high they are off the first fret. or try a .0095 string.

[ehsaan]

hey tom thanks but if the nut is high what is the solution ? replacing the nut or filing it ?
thanks
ehsaan

[tom]

making that slot deeper. what's the date on our guitar?

[ehsaan]

hi tom i cant find the date but the serial number is 03-18-03P
thanks
ehsaan

[ehsaan]

one more observation tom , all the strings bend fine except the 1st when i do one of those huge blues bends i can here a light straining sound that originates somewhere around the headstock /nut / string tree

[thefunkyone]

hi tom i cant find the date but the serial number is 03-18-03P
thanks
ehsaan


Just an FYI the serial number on Tom Anderson guitars IS the date. Your guitar would have been finished/shipped March 18th 2003 in the afternoon.

[tom]

without knowing where it's been and what it's been doing for the last several years, i'll have to guess. i would lube the nut and retainer. lots of people like nut sauce, i like tri flow, some like vaseline. that may affect you bending feel or not. as for the feel, you may have worn slots on some of the strings making them lower, or someone may have done some nut slot "correction". it's hard to say without seeing it. i would also check the nuts that tighten the tuners down. i have seen loose ones of those make funny vibrations. that probably has a spring under the string retainer, you could also try lower the retainer a bit.

[ehsaan]

thanks tom 2 last questions :) if i need to change the nut how do i get a new one ? can i detatch the neck and send it to u by fedex or something with an enclosed payment for the return ?
please do let me know
strangely this guitar looked completely un played there is not a scratch or blemish on it , it looks brand new
thanks
warm regards
ehsaan
p.s just some info :) i am the brand ambassador for fender , india

[Suriel Zayas]

p.s just some info :) i am the brand ambassador for fender , india

bad boy.:D

[tom]

the nut needs to be cut while the neck is on the guitar. i would first determine what the problem is before worrying about how to solve it.

[sylvanshine]

Your guitar would have been finished/shipped March 18th 2003 in the afternoon.
Common misperception. Guitars will be finished and shipped close to that date, but not exactly. A quick search through the serial numbers on the TAG web site shows guitars that have dates when the factory was closed (holidays, weekends, etc.)

Anderson makes over 800 guitars a year. Some quick math (since I'm a geek):

3 guitars per day (A, N, P) times 5 days a week = 15 guitars/week
15/week x 52 weeks = only 780 guitars

And 52 weeks is a stretch since they are closed for NAMM and assorted holidays.

Sorry to burst the born on date bubble. :o

[tom]

since you're a geek:D i'll further clarify. we've only made over 800 a couple times and not in the last few years. the guys in the shop only work tuesday-friday, 10 hour days, so that's 4 days a week. they each get 3 weeks vacation, 1 week of sick days and a weeks worth of holidays. we don't close namm week. they still get dates that are within a couple days of "real" born on dates. so you can recalculate.
that's why we use all the days of the month.

[thefunkyone]

since you're a geek:D i'll further clarify. we've only made over 800 a couple times and not in the last few years. the guys in the shop only work tuesday-friday, 10 hour days, so that's 4 days a week. they each get 3 weeks vacation, 1 week of sick days and a weeks worth of holidays. we don't close namm week. they still get dates that are within a couple days of "real" born on dates. so you can recalculate.
that's why we use all the days of the month.



So carry the one add nine divided by pi...


Lets just say the born on date is close? Works for me!

:D

[bruce]

Back on the topic... Is the high E string really in fact a .010 gauge in that set? This problem sounds fishy to me. Just because there is a creaking sound when you stretch it doesn't mean that string is nessecarily higher or lower for that matter... just that it needs some lubrication.

Just want to help get to the bottom of this.

[ehsaan]

lubrication in the nut slot ?

[bruce]

Yes, also under the string retainer for the B and E.

Did you figure out if that high E string was in fact a .010?? The reason I ask is because I've seen it where someone mixed-up the B and E strings when putting them on.

[ehsaan]

seems like it is the correct guage