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Hey I bought a flamenco guitar a couple of days ago in a private sale, it looks like it's never been used ever. I'm finding that the action on it is very high though, it's hard to play. But I'm not very experienced with these guitars so I don't know for sure if it's just me or if it's the guitar.
(not a very good photo) http://img808.imageshack.us/i/guitaraction.jpg/ On the tape measure there it's almost exactly 6mm off the wood of the fretboard. Should I get this adjusted or no? I find it takes a lot to get it to buzz.
I'm no expert, but I'd say you definitely need to take it somewhere to have it adjusted. I'd guess most flamenco guitars have action more in the 2.5mm to 3mm range.
String height is measured from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string. It sure looks high in the pic, but a tape measure isn't the best tool for measuring this. Always a good idea to have a proper setup done - what kind of guitar is it?
You could try adjusting it yourself. Buy a lower bridge (the plastic or bone strip in the saddle that actually supports the strings) or sand/file down a similar bridge until you're sure that it's just a bit lower. Try the new bridge and if the guitar is unplayable, put a shim (strips of a business card, some kind of plastic, etc.) under the bridge, restring and try again. Repeat with more shims, one at a time, until the bridge height is suitable.
But, if I were you, I'd get some feedback on this advice I've given you before you actually do it. If you're careful, I doubt that you'll mess up the guitar, and you'll always be able to go back to the original bridge, but I don't know if a business card is ideal material for shims (anyone here know?). Obviously, an expert repair and/or set-up is the way to go.
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