Guitar "action" just means the distance of the string over the twelfth fret, and a playable action is a must for any acoustic blues guitar player. If you wanted to play several, then you should aim for a medium action. Too low and the strings will make a buzzing sound - if they are too high it will be difficult to hold them down. On the other side of the coin, some players may prefer a significantly higher action, for example if the guitar is to be used mostly for playing bottleneck.
You can set action by regulating the saddle height, which of course changes the gap between the strings and frets along the length of the neck. To do this you need to measure the distance of the bass E and treble E strings from the twelfth. For a medium playing action well suited to finger picking and strumming styles of playing, the action at the twelfth should be a bit less than 3mm for the low E, and about 2mm for the high E. Because the 12th fret is exactly half the distance along the string, you should note the distances by which the action should be raised or lowered for the 1st and 6th strings, and raise or lower the saddle by double that distance.
If you need to lower the saddle, you can file away material from the underneath of the saddle. If the saddle needs to be raised, a shim of hardwood of the right thickness can be inserted under the base. You must also make sure that the bottom of the saddle is completely flat, which is very important if the guitar is an electro acoustic model, because an uneven saddle can lead to problems with the pickup response.
Neck Adjustment. Many acoustic instruments are fitted with a truss rod, which can be adjusted either at the heel of the neck inside the sound box, or at the headstock. This rod balances concave bend, by exerting a force in the neck which opposes that caused by the tension in the strings. The strings try to pull a curve into the neck. We want a small curve, in order the strings don't hit any frets when they vibrate after they are picked. Remove cover of the truss rod end, if your guitar has one, and apply a capo on the 1st fret. Hold down the bass E string at the fourteenth with your right hand. Using a feeler gauge, measure the distance between the top of the fifth fret and the underneath of the bass E string. There should be a small gap, between 0.15 and 0.05 mm. If you find that your strings buzz, the rod may be adjusted too tight, straightening the neck too much. Release the rod a little, measure again and try it out. If the neck has too much curvature, then tighten the rod. On Martin guitars, use a five millimetre allen key to turn the truss rod adjusting nut to the right to straighten the neck or counter-clockwise to increase the curvature.
Medium gauge strings (.013"-.056") exert more force, and so require more truss rod tension to oppose the tension produced by thicker strings. This results in more volume, sustain and more rounded guitar tone. Without doubt, if you find that you need a lot of force, or you're not happy with this adjustment, take your guitar to your Service Center.
You can set action by regulating the saddle height, which of course changes the gap between the strings and frets along the length of the neck. To do this you need to measure the distance of the bass E and treble E strings from the twelfth. For a medium playing action well suited to finger picking and strumming styles of playing, the action at the twelfth should be a bit less than 3mm for the low E, and about 2mm for the high E. Because the 12th fret is exactly half the distance along the string, you should note the distances by which the action should be raised or lowered for the 1st and 6th strings, and raise or lower the saddle by double that distance.
If you need to lower the saddle, you can file away material from the underneath of the saddle. If the saddle needs to be raised, a shim of hardwood of the right thickness can be inserted under the base. You must also make sure that the bottom of the saddle is completely flat, which is very important if the guitar is an electro acoustic model, because an uneven saddle can lead to problems with the pickup response.
Neck Adjustment. Many acoustic instruments are fitted with a truss rod, which can be adjusted either at the heel of the neck inside the sound box, or at the headstock. This rod balances concave bend, by exerting a force in the neck which opposes that caused by the tension in the strings. The strings try to pull a curve into the neck. We want a small curve, in order the strings don't hit any frets when they vibrate after they are picked. Remove cover of the truss rod end, if your guitar has one, and apply a capo on the 1st fret. Hold down the bass E string at the fourteenth with your right hand. Using a feeler gauge, measure the distance between the top of the fifth fret and the underneath of the bass E string. There should be a small gap, between 0.15 and 0.05 mm. If you find that your strings buzz, the rod may be adjusted too tight, straightening the neck too much. Release the rod a little, measure again and try it out. If the neck has too much curvature, then tighten the rod. On Martin guitars, use a five millimetre allen key to turn the truss rod adjusting nut to the right to straighten the neck or counter-clockwise to increase the curvature.
Medium gauge strings (.013"-.056") exert more force, and so require more truss rod tension to oppose the tension produced by thicker strings. This results in more volume, sustain and more rounded guitar tone. Without doubt, if you find that you need a lot of force, or you're not happy with this adjustment, take your guitar to your Service Center.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about blues music, then visit Graham Bailey's site for the best blues music on the internet.