So unless you have been living on the moon, never got a Fender P or J with this issue, or you are a rookie, you know about the dreaded "A string rattle" on P & J standard and Deluxe models. For the uninitiated, this issue presents itself two ways:
So after quite a of research, mostly the King of bass sites, Talkbass, many luthiers and veterans have determined this issue is occurs under certain conditions, with one primary reason:
So the options are to either get the nut fixed, place a small bit of material in the nut cut under the A string, or really focus on your string cut length and winds, making sure you wind from the top down ending at the base of the peg. As far as getting the nut fixed, getting the factory nut off can be quite challenging. For the average Joe, this can be too intrusive. This means a repair shop, and that can cost $$, not to mention if the tech is unaware of this issue, it may not get fixed the first time. The other option is to really watch the cut and wind, but some say while it works initially, the rattle comes back once the string is worn in.
I have only experienced this on my 1998 American P Deluxe. My previous Fenders did not have the issue. My 2011 American Fender J Deluxe has a device designed and sold to Fender by Hipshot called the "Strong-Arm string retainer", which Fender will NOT sell as a spare part. You can buy an entire set of tuners with the Hipshot for around $100.00, then sell yours and get close to that. Many luthiers and players state that this is a "band-aid" and they need to fix the real issue at the nut, (and I agree). To be fair to Fender, I have read reports of this same issue with other manufacturers and guitars as well.
So one day last week, I was really bored and decided to try and see if I could make a retainer myself. I used a piece of 18 gauge steel and went to work. After a lot of bending, twisting, and beating, I finished it and mounted it on the 98 P Deluxe. I intentionally did a half-assed wind and tested. It works perfectly. From far away, the prototype does not look too bad either.
So on closer look, you can see the rough prototype compared to the Hipshot.
So I could do a better one, then get it chrome plated to look better, but this was just to see if I could do it.
- A heavy "rattle" when hitting an open A string
- Much lower output volume than the other strings when hitting the open A string
So after quite a of research, mostly the King of bass sites, Talkbass, many luthiers and veterans have determined this issue is occurs under certain conditions, with one primary reason:
- Nut cut incorrect from the factory, This is really the issue. The A string does not straddle the slot creating a lack of pressure.
- Incorrect or not enough winds when replacing strings
So the options are to either get the nut fixed, place a small bit of material in the nut cut under the A string, or really focus on your string cut length and winds, making sure you wind from the top down ending at the base of the peg. As far as getting the nut fixed, getting the factory nut off can be quite challenging. For the average Joe, this can be too intrusive. This means a repair shop, and that can cost $$, not to mention if the tech is unaware of this issue, it may not get fixed the first time. The other option is to really watch the cut and wind, but some say while it works initially, the rattle comes back once the string is worn in.
I have only experienced this on my 1998 American P Deluxe. My previous Fenders did not have the issue. My 2011 American Fender J Deluxe has a device designed and sold to Fender by Hipshot called the "Strong-Arm string retainer", which Fender will NOT sell as a spare part. You can buy an entire set of tuners with the Hipshot for around $100.00, then sell yours and get close to that. Many luthiers and players state that this is a "band-aid" and they need to fix the real issue at the nut, (and I agree). To be fair to Fender, I have read reports of this same issue with other manufacturers and guitars as well.
So one day last week, I was really bored and decided to try and see if I could make a retainer myself. I used a piece of 18 gauge steel and went to work. After a lot of bending, twisting, and beating, I finished it and mounted it on the 98 P Deluxe. I intentionally did a half-assed wind and tested. It works perfectly. From far away, the prototype does not look too bad either.
So on closer look, you can see the rough prototype compared to the Hipshot.
So I could do a better one, then get it chrome plated to look better, but this was just to see if I could do it.
