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Setting up an accoustic

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(@kevinbatchelor77)
Trusted Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 75
Topic starter  

I have recently purchased a cheap Fender electric accoustic. What is involved in setting up an accoustic? The strings on this guitar sit very high above the fretboard and the action seems to be very high. Is this something that can be fixed by a setup? What else is involved in setting up an accoustic?


   
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(@ricochet)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

Lots of times that's due to the top of the guitar being bellied up, or the neck of the guitar flexing forward. If it takes more than sanding down the bottom of the saddle, the proper repairs by a luthier are often more expensive than a cheap guitar's worth.

Some people like old guitars with high action for slide playing.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@maxrumble)
Honorable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 441
 

Doing a basic setup on an acoustic is fairly easy. if you are even slightly handy and can take careful measurments it should be no problem.

First you will need to set the relief. The relief is the amount of curve in the neck. It is changed by turning the truss rod. Turning the truss rod clockwise tightens the rod, which straightens the neck. When your guitar is fretted at the 12th and the first fret, a buisness card should just slide between the 6th fret wire and the low E string. (about 10/1000ths) if you happen to have a feeler gauge. Turning the truss rod must be done with the strings very loose because you can risk pulling up the bridge. Then of course you will need to tune, to check it again. The neck must be under normal tension for this measurment. Only adjust the truss rod a little at a time. Start with a quarter turn and check your results.

Once the relief is set, you will need to measure the distance from the top of the 12th fret wire to the bottom of the low E string. This needs to be done without fretting the guitar. 3/32 of an inch is about as low as you can go. I would go a little higher just to make sure you don't introduce any buzzing since this is your first time. Take your measurement and subtract 3/32 of an inch and this is the amount of material you will need to remove. Remove your strings, remove the saddle, mark the amount of material you need to remove from the saddle with a pencil from the bottom. Get some sandpaper or a good file and remove the material until you reach the pencil mark. Restring your guitar and enjoy.

If you accidently remove too much you can insert a somthing to raise the saddle again.

This is much easier that it sounds. If you are a little nervous just remove half of the material required and you can adjust some more the next time you change the strings.

I was always told not to tackle this job without experience. I have done it many times over the last few years for friends and it truly is quite easy.

Tools required, capo, sandpaper or file, good ruler with 32nds of an inch markings, buisness card.

Better tools, feeler gauges, calipers, course file.

Good luck

Cheers,

Max


   
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