customizing my acoustic

[steve]

I have 2 acoustic guitars, 1 is good quality, the other old terrible quality. so the "terrible" one is the one I am customizing, a question though.

How do you fix high string action ( when the strings are too high off the fretboard)???

[the_doors_girl]

HI

To fix a problem like this a good site to check out is www.GuitarRepairShop.com They have articles to help you fix your problem also you can email them your questions. Also there is a site mentioned in the back of ither guitarone or guitar world. I forget the name of it but they have a good web site to check out too. I think your probelm is the bridge needs to be adjusted. I have never done one before so good luck to you :)

Hope I could help a little

[jaytee]

just to comment.....

my husband put a new bone saddle on his old gibson acoustic last year....the trick is to get the saddle ground down to just the right height for comfortable action....
if you dont have good eyesight/depth perception you might want someone to do this for you....it just seemed to me there was quite a bit to pay attention to when he ground it....but hes a perfectionist...haha

--jt

[Coffee]

The first thing I'd do is check the bow in the neck. Might be the truss rod is set to be too concave. Before you start filing anything check it. Filing the white saddle at the bridge will work. If you decide to give it a try, take my advice and pull the old one out and take it to the guitar shop with you and purchase a duplicate. They're not expensive and if it doesn't work, you can put the duplicate in. It is removed from the bridge and filed on the flat base of the plastic (the side away from the curve of the string contact points.

[jaytee]

yeah i didnt think about the truss rod....another good idea coffee....

i should prolly expand on my comment..cuz maybe i was a bit misleading....

what coffee says is very reasonable about making sure you get a new one that matches.....for just in case....and about grinding it from the flat edge....

i guess i left out the part about my husbands new saddle being BONE.....and was flat on BOTH edges still...he had to make all the grooves himself....bone is a bit more expensive but his turned out very nice.....but i think plastic is prolly more appropriate for most people...im not tryin to make it sound like my man is to be worshipped or something...but my husband just has an odd sense of perfection ....hes known for it...so what he did would not be easy for most people...


sorry bout the bone v. plastic omission

--jt

[steve]

ok thanks alot

[ESP_Viper]

Hey, don't sink anymore money into that cheap guitar. Don't bother putting new machine heads on, or changing the bridge, or anything like that. Putting new strings on is alright, but don't spend money on making it 'better'... It's not worth spending money on. Save your money up to get pickups for your nice guitar, or a new amp, or effects pedals, or something. Just leave the guitar as it is.

[Coffee]

Not sure I agree with you there Viper. I understand your thinking and certainly agree with not sinking major money into it but something like filing a new bridge could be a learning experience. Sometimes all we learn is that we'll never be bothered again but such is life.

"Once in a while I'll see somebody 'bout to make the same mistakes as me
So I'll smile and say something good and save them a little grief
I'll say, hey you get away from that thing, it's about as hot as hell
They'll smile and thank me very much and then go and touch it for themselves"

Art of Living, The Boomers


:)

[jcurner]

Thank you for the tip on GuitarRepair. I've put it on my Favourites.