Re: Truss rod
Twitch said:
I've noticed that on my acoustic their is a TON more space between the strings and the fretboard as it goes away from the headstock, anyone know of how I can fix this since it doesn't have a truss rod?
I apologize in advance if you're already familiar with guitar set-up proceedures. I'll aim this at the novice.......
I'd be surprised if your acoustic didn't have an adjustable truss rod. If the adjuster nut isn't on the headstock, look through the soundhole on the body.......look through the hole, and toward the spot where the neck joins the body, just under the guitar's top plate. Many acoustic guitars have their adjuster nuts in that spot..........in other words, at the 'tail' end of the truss rod.
There are MANY factors that contribute to excessively high action on an acoustic guitar, and it's very tough to diagnose over the 'net. Action is a personal preference since some acoustic players hit the strings harder than others. Personally, I find that a Martin D28 that is set-up for Bluegrass is VERY uncomfortable to play. Most of those guys tend to dig high action and big strings which give the guitar BIG volume when hit hard. It's all in what you're used to.
A tech should inspect YOUR guitar to check for a mal-adjusted truss rod, a neck/body joint that is giving way, a top that is bellying, or a bridge that is lifting.
Keep in mind, your neck and other structural parts MAY actually be fine, and your bridge saddle is just a bit too high. In the seated position, press the low 'E' string down at the first fret with your left hand, and at the 14th fret with your right hand. You'll want to look at the spot where the string passes over the 7th fret. Is there a slight gap between the fret and the underside of the string? There should be. A quick check can be done with a thin or medium guitar pick. Any more space than that MAY be too much........of course it's very tough to determine without actually inspecting the guitar in person. A good tech will set your guitar up with the proper neck relief using feelers guages, a steel straight edge, and a seasoned set of ears.
I can set my Les Paul's neck almost perfectly flat without string buzz, but all of my other guitars are happier with just a little relief, especially the Fenders. I'm sure that scale length has a lot to do with it.
Mike