This 50s Esquire copy came in for a setup and to look at some excessive noise the owner was experiencing. I checked the electronics and found nothing wrong, although I did think the pickups sounded a little underpowered. There’s a chance the amp or effects are having to be cranked and therefore amplifying normal noise that you wouldn’t usually hear.
One of the screws holding the control plate on was held on with masking tape. It looked like at some point there had been an extra piece of wood glued in as there wasn’t room for the screw, but this was long gone. I used a small piece of ash, glued it in place and re-drilled the screw hole.
Once I’d moved to the setup I noticed there was no truss rod. Unfortunately there was quite a bit of relief on the neck even with he strings off. The nut was also too low and needed replacing.
To get a lower action the owner might want to consider 9s and standard 10s rather than the 10 – 52s that are currently on it. There is also a slight dead spot and usually I’d suggest a fret level but without the truss rod I’m not sure.
