My string height at the 12th fret is 1/8". Does that seems high? This is an acoustic guitar.
ehhh
It's high, but not outside the limits of playability. Is that the low E you are measuring?
Get a good setup done and they can lower that to 5/64ths
Yes, that is the low E.
Will they get that to be 5/64" with .12
greg232
There are two ways to lower your action on an acoustic if you feel it is too high.
First, you could try tightening the truss rod slightly. This straightens the neck out and will pull the strings a little lower. You may simpy have too much relief or upcurve in the neck.
If you try this, loosen the strings until they are slack. Then make very slight adjustments. Turn the truss rod clockwise maybe 1/8 turn at a time. Tune the guitar back up and see how you like it.
If you go too far and the neck is too straight or convex, you can get fret buzz usually from frets 1-5.
Another thing I have done is sand down the bottom of the saddle. Take a sharp pencil and lightly draw a line where the saddle meets the bridge. This is for reference. Loosen the strings until they are very slack. Put a piece of cloth over the saddle and use a pair of pliers to gently pull the saddle straight up. Do not clamp down hard and mar your saddle. It does not take much force to pull the saddle out.
Look at the reference mark you made on your saddle. Now rub the BOTTOM of the saddle (the straight part) on a piece of sandpaper. Do not sand the top of the saddle. Try to hold the saddle exactly perpendicular to the sandpaper to get a very straight square bottom. Sand off maybe 1/16" to begin with. Put it back in the guitar, tune up and see how you like the action.
Just take your time and be careful. If you do mess up, replacement saddles can be bought at most music stores for less than $5.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
