hope you can help me with action issues

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p00nani

Posts: 25
Joined: Dec. 12 2009

hope you can help me with action issues

hello i want to lower my action and to do so i have to compremise on the sound a little becouse my guitar built with quite high tension i want to make it something around 2.5-3.0 mm but i dont want to get high buzz sound

so lets say im lowering the bridge nut should i reduce the head nut to ?

or lets say im getting a buzz sound from some frets should i polish the fret ?

i just belive that if i will polish the fret i will have to polish some other frets and if i will than it wont change the action hight so can anyone help me ?

and what is the hight of the string that should be in the head nut ?

and thank you all for this great forum

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 23 2010 22:35:05

keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: hope you can help me with action... (in reply to p00nani)

what do you mean by polishing the frets? if you mean taking a soft cloth and polishing them then i doubt you will be doing anything other than making the frets shiny. if you mean taking a file or sandpaper then i would tell you to not do that. leave that to someone who knows what they are doing as if might need to be done or it might not need to be done. an expert should know what to do with the frets.

the action of the guitar is done through lowering the saddle at the bridge. the head nut most likely will need little if any lowering. i would recommend you lower the action gradually and try it before proceeding ahead. every guitar is going to behave differently and everyone's needs are different and you need to work with the guitar you have on hand and what you find acceptable.

i would not go below 3mm until you are 100% confident that you and the guitar can handle that. as to the treble side, it generally is slightly less than the bass side. again, you need to figure out what is going to work for you.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 24 2010 4:58:54

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: hope you can help me with action... (in reply to p00nani)

you dont need to touch the nut unless you feel it's really difficult to play in the open position. but here's how you would check the action at the nut.
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenSetup/NutAction/nutaction.html

lowering the action is a simple procedure. do it gradually as keith suggested. taking 1mm off at the saddle will equate to 0.5 at the 12th fret. here's how you do it..
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/LowerAction/loweraction01.html

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 24 2010 5:08:26