https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZXT8RE_Xqg&list=PL8ShMd1uHUAD8CQZHdO6n5HCsFlxUS4g-&t=0s&index=16. If I fret around the 18th fret with the D string it buzzes hard, even deadens quickly. The following measurements are approximate, not official. Youll get slightly different opinions on these measurements depending on who you ask, or where you search on the Web. and youre right, they can potentially cause distortions or other issues in that upper-fret area. For me, its always been just a single string. I have no open string buzz and the intonation at the first fret is good on all strings apart form the low e where the first fret wavers one yellow bar sharp on the snark, also does this slightly on the a but the decays very quickly to being spot on. If so, filing-down a saddle is the main way we lower the action on an acoustic guitar. I belive that they just dont know how to did it. This is an issue on all of my guitars, so Im guessing its an issue for many people, they just may not even be aware since all they are checking for is proper tuning and 12th fret intonation. E String (6) height at 12th fret 2.00 mm (0,079) That said, here are some of my thoughts. I specifically stated that I did not want the saddle filed down. Within the next few days, Ill be adding an acoustic guitar setup guide on my Sketchy Setup Guides page. Better to pay a pro to do that or practice doing nut work on some junkers first (you can find cheap necks on ebay for less than $20). Im pretty sure the action is to high. Im following the technical spec provided by Ibanez. strings classical string med rc guitar The store guy recommends action on 12th fret: 7/64 treble and 7.5/64 bass (if I calculated properly it is 2.78 and 2.97 mm). I still struggle with certain bar chords and my acoustic has ultra light strings AND really low action. Most do this to account for seasonal/weather variations that can affect action due to how the wood reacts. I really appreciate it. Low E (6) 2.30mm Generally, if you were to raise your action enough, without compensating for it by adjusting intonation, your note would be just a tad sharp when pressed. Only then is it time to troubleshoot and start looking for ways to improve. Now all I need to do is to master that annoying Bm chord!
Im already getting a tiny bit of fret buzz so I cant lower it any further. Hi Mike. If your guitar feels good to you, then it IS good. There is an annoying buzz on the B string from fret 1 3. what about the 4 middle strings..Ive just bought some nut files and was thinking of lowering them, could I use the 3rd fret method and lower them all so the are a whisper above the first fret when I am pressing the string down on the third fret? Any qualified guitar tech or luthier should know all this stuff and be able to make a better recommendation than I can over the internet. Im guessing that youve probably never had the guitar professionally set up, which is something just about ever new guitar Ive ever played needs. Were dealing with very small, very precise measurements here, and thats why you need an accurate measuring tool like the String Action Gauge Im using here: A string action gauge isnt the only way to measure string height, but it sure makes life a lot easier. That said, my acoustics relief is .005 (0.13mm). Does this should be at .006? Also, when you pull the saddle out, keep track of which side is treble and which is bass. 2. But I still would like to get down to 2.00mm and 1.5mm, What I did was to adjust the truss rod a tiny bit and I got it exactly to: Since Im not quite at the recommended .2.5 or 3 millimeters open string spacing, yet have barely any clearance at the first fret when I press the string down at the third fret, what approach should I take? I currently have an acoustic guitar. Pay stew mac for the full size shim and thank them kindly. 1. For that, I recommend the. Next, measure the height under the highest (thinnest) string in the same manner. HOWEVER, if this is an expensive Martin, valuable vintage guitar, etc. What helped me was switching to ultra-light strings (I use 10 50 on my acoustic). This takes longer, but is better than accidentally over-sanding and removing too much material. Please can you advise? Everyone seems to have a slightly different opinion. Ive never had it happen on 3 strings before. Hope that helps. 2. Theres absolutely no reason for such a nice guitar, especially if its new, to need a refret. Thank you so much. i have a problem with my high e string. How to Clean and Polish Guitar Frets [Step by Step], Action! For an acoustic, thats considered EXTREMELY flat, but thats how I like it. Thank you so much. Im not sure what you mean by muted barre chord Id need to see/hear whats happening. The top has been shaped/rounded a specific way, so you dont want to touch that. Now that you know the proper way to measure your guitars string height, lets talk about some actual numbers. Ive known a few Classical guitarists who kept a winter saddle and a summer saddle in their guitar case.
There is a limit though, yes, and it has to do with exactly what you describe: the break angle of the strings over the bridge saddle. 1) I have an old acoustic guitar and it is set up even lower .050 at fret 12 on high E and .070 for low E. I am wondering if there is any reason not to go lower than your recommendations on my new Eastman? Instead, I use the 3rd fret press test (which is demonstrated by luthier Frank Fordon his website here) to get a general sense of whether the action at the nut is correct. However, my gut tells me that there isnt anything wrong. I dont know why it happens, but sometimes the grooves get worn or the string just isnt sitting right in the groove and it produces this sitar sound. I really wish there was another way to contact you, because I have another question but its not relates to guitar action and therefore I dont want to post it here. Lowering the action on an acoustic guitar usually involves a combination of twosometimes threethings: 1) adjusting the truss rod first to ensure the neck has the proper amount of relief Ciao Frank. On the 1st Fret the Low E is around 2mm. I recently bought at Yamaha F335 to learn to play. First fret string height is high with a feeler gage but looks fine with the 3rd fret check method. Do not measure string height with the guitar on its back, because gravity will bend the neck just enough to make your measurement inaccurate: Always make such measurements with the guitar upright in the playing position. If youre lucky, youll pull the saddle out and find a very thin shim under it. To make sure youre on the right path, why dont you do this for me: 1) Post your action measurements for the low E and high E at the 12th fret (use the method outlined here). I completely understand your mentions about various techniques and every guitar setup being unique. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); If you want to learn to do you own basic guitar care and maintenance, youve come to the right place. I am happy with how it plays. My action is set at 2.5mm or .0984 inches. Low E (6) 2.00mm Firstly, guitars are made to be played and, as I said above, frets wear out. I dont, however, need it any lower than that 0.060~ area as thats plenty low for me. Fingers Sore from Playing Guitar? I have a bit of relief in the neck already. Its about comparing 2 different guitars, I want to buy another one but I wasnt sure and your opinion would mean a lot to me. Hes definitely playing a guitar with super duper high action and cant even get close to pressing the strings down which causes it to sound muted. Im always in favor of people learning to do their own setups. Cheers, My fingers hurt just hearing you say 3.5mm.. Bobby Davis is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. bem ibanez discontinued baltic clearance string metallic bass guitar acclaim
And not really sure what to do in the case where 3 or 4 frets in a row buzz. Will do. Hi, thanks, I realise that the shim has to go under the saddle and not on top. 3. Your action measurements are pretty low for an acoustic guitar. I would keep working on your hand strength before you modify your guitarespecially since it sounds like your 1st fret action is pretty low already. When I was a teenager, I attempted to spot level a high fret (had the same kind of buzzing as youin just 1-2 spots) and screwed it up. The first guitar tech refretted the neck, and the fret buzz almost has gone ( I can live with that) , but the Sitar sound remained, the other two guitar techs tried but no one could fix it. Whenever I play an attaching D Chord, it is pretty loud. I was going through my summer setup as part of my restring, and found that I could tweak the truss rod a small bit to flatten it out a bit and did great things there.
Ideally, we like to use very thin strips of hardwood for such shims, but paper will at least allow you to do a diagnostic test, and then your luthier could properly shim it later. I placed some paper shims under the B string and there was hardly any buzz at all. Does this should be at .005? hello:) ive had a Cort AD810 (my first acoustic) for a year & have been struggling mostly with playing barre chords which i can do just fine on classic/electric ever since. Hi Harry.
Many Classical players keep 2-3 different bridge saddles in their guitar caseall with different heights. There are some exceptions, of course, but you really only want to make adjustments when/if something feels wrong to you. Keep me posted! They are very helpful. Well, youd be hard-pressed (no pun intended) to find anyone who would willingly play a guitar with strings 7mm above the fretboard. acoustic artwood dreadnought discontinued ibanez clearance string guitar prior acclaim Sometimes you can get luckyand tightening the truss rod will lower the action a bit without causing buzz. G .004 Still having Sitar sound AmI right? Ill post measurements and videos this weekend. lubricant On my electric guitars, I actually dont like really low action (not as low as what I list above).
Thanks for providing it! They do this on purpose so the eventual owner can have the guitar setup (and the action lowered or raised) to their taste. HOWEVER, heres a little fun fact: scale length does factor into the whole equation of how low you can get your strings before they buzz. Sometimes you get lucky and are able to lower the action a bit without any noticeable buzzing. However, in that article I didnt say exactly what constitutes a high or low action. When I drop someone from say a set of 12s or 13s down to a set of 10s, they all say the same thing: Whoa! Thats a pretty dramatic change. Hi Joud. And heres a great video of the shims in use (and how to customize them, if needed). I was happy but, when I play each note of the entire fretboard to test it, I noticed that only on the Low E (6) on fret number 3 and 4 I was getting a little bit of buzz when I play it a little bit harder. Did you specifically ask him to lower the action? Actually i have reduced the length of the string as much as possible but it s still flat. Hi, is this still working? First thing I would recommend is simply raising the action on your treble side a bit. Classical guitars will have some of the highest action measurements. According to what I saw above, your guitar is at low E 2.1mm and high E 1.5mm correct?
coastline seagull s12 cedar clearance string guitar solid I have a new thinline tele that has 1mm string height at 1st fret low E and 2mm height at 12th. How to measure your guitars string height and the tools youll need for the job (dont worry, there arent many).
Thanks a lot!
Each guitar is slightly different, so setup work involves a bit of feel and experience. To lower the action on an acoustic guitar (or electric), the truss rod isnt what you want to adjust. Very helpful. But, then I also noted that I could lower my action a good bit at the bridge. However, in case youre curious, heres how its done: 1. If you tell your guitar tech that you want your low E at 1.5mm and your high E at 1.3mm, he or she will do the rest ensuring the other strings fall in-line accordingly. Do you need to learn how to set up your guitar? guitar strings electric neons neon dr glow Unfortunately, that video was way too long for me to watch, but the general premise youre describing is correct: if notes in the lower registers are sharp when you fret them (despite tuning and intonation being correct), its usually because your nut slots are too high. What is a high action? To lower the action on an acoustic guitar, you have to physically sand a bit of height off the bridge saddle. As a result, I ended up having to get a complete fret job by a pro to fix my mistake. If you feel that youve shaved as much off the saddle as possible, and have set the neck relief correctly, and your action still isnt low enough, then something else may be going on here. Even the high-end Martins, Taylors, etc. That way you can focus on learning rather than physically fighting the guitar, at least until you build hand strength and dexterity. Notice how the strings are metal, and the feeler gauges are metal too?
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