Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Acoustic set up question

  1. #1
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Acoustic set up question

    Friends,

    as you may have read, I got my first steel strung acoustic (the Washburn parlor) recently.

    I had no experience with steel strung acoustics and felt the action a bit too high, so I tightened the truss rod 1/4 turn, the action got a bit better, then I did that again.

    Last night a friend came over with his Taylor for some fiddling around and his guitar has a yet less bowed neck, the action being even smoother.

    Do you guys think I should give the truss rod another turn or would it be better to take it to a tech? Acoustics have less stuff to tinker while setting up than electrics, as I can surmise, so maybe just some more truss rod rightening will do the trick just fine.

  2. #2
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    6,774

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    I'd get a setup.... sometimes you need to lower the saddle to improve the action.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  3. #3
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    Give it a turn. On an acoustic the setup is easy but you can only sand the bottom of the bridge so much and then you need a new one.

    I'd level, crown and polish, set the action and then set bridge up.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  4. #4
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    "Jusssst one more quarter turn ... *SPANNG*"

    Oops

  5. #5
    Forum Member CoyotesGator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    The Institute for the Very, Very Nervous
    Posts
    847

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir, but if is tight don’t force it.
    What happend?
    Who let the magic smoke out?

  6. #6
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    All righty, the feedback.

    Fearing my own lack of experience with setting up acoustics, and since I had the entire free afternoon after a morning in court, I took the guitar to a tech I know, who works at the local instrument shop.

    He said he'd rather sand the bridge along with that slight tightening of the truss rod.

    The result: the guitar got a pleasant low action, acquired a very nice playability... and a NASTY case of fretbuzz in the lower frets.

    Horrible.

    I complained and got a new bone nut to replace the one he ruined. I did the job myself and now it plays quite all right and no buzz.

    Chalk one more point up for OA (Chuck). I should have done it myself in the first place...

  7. #7
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Northern Virginia, USA
    Posts
    3,928

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    Sérgio, did you get referrals for this tech you used? When I first started getting back into guitar, I took my (then) two guitars to a luthier who I had researched exhaustively and gotten recommendations for. Mind you, this guy was a luthier and not just a "tech." He had several guitars hanging in his shop he was building/restoring. As with many very talented people, he was a bit quirky and not the most amiable guy, but when he put my guitar on his workbench and started measuring and eyeing, I knew they were in good hands.

    I would have no qualms about taking any guitar to him. And I have.

    On the other hand, you've got hands-on experience that will serve you well in the future. Good for you!

  8. #8
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Re: Acoustic set up question

    He is indeed no proper luthier, just a guitar shop tech/salesman.

    Please, guys, don't get me wrong: I wouldn't let such a dude get anywhere NEAR my Fenders or even my Gibson, which is in many ways a lesser guitar to my own taste. Not in this life.

    But I was sure no harm would be done, because this little Washburn is a $150 guitar and all he would do was sand the bone bridge, which is instantly and cheaply replaceable.

    Although I am a newcomer when it comes to steel strung acoustics, I am no fool!


    Anyway, all's well that ends well, as the Bard would say.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •