Case Studies

New Fender American Strat needs strings changed to lighter gauge but found manufacturing flaws along the way.

Here I check the string height at the nut on low E. It was .039. Spec is .024 so when I checked all six strings at the nut they were too high which means, from the first fret up, it would be hard to play this expensive ($1,800.00) guitar.

Here I measure the string height at the 12th fret and it is also higher than specifications so this guitar plays more like a $300.00 guitar. The guitar was .080 at the 12th fret. Spec is .078.

My remedy for this Stratocaster was to file out the nut slots on all six strings to get an even lower than spec height and lower the saddles at the bridge accordingly.

I finished up filing the nut and now polish up this beauty, restring it and here's the tally of what was done. The proud owner Steve Conroe of Piranha Sound in Erie stated this plays amazing, now better than when it came from the Fender factory.

 

Re-slot nut OPEN String

• Low was .039
• High was .030
• Specification is .024
• Spec is .010
• After I cleaned it up .020
• Now is .010

12th Fret Measurements

• Low was .080
• High was .072
• Specification is .078
• Spec is .063
• Now is .070
• Now is .052