Welcome back to our guitar maintenance series. This is a part two of the blog on the action of a guitar – Setting the Action. 

 “Setting the action” is a termed used for altering the distance between the strings and the frets on a guitar. This adjustment can be done four different ways:

• Raising or lowering the bridge or saddle
• Changing the height of the nut
• Adjusting the dip in the neck
• Modifying the height of the frets

 In this blog we will only discuss the first two methods above. Neck and fret modifications will be deferred to later blogs.

Fender Strat Bridge

Gibson Tune-O-Matic Bridge

Adjusting the Height of the Bridge -Electric Guitars

For most electric guitars setting the action at the bridge is relatively easy. For bridges based on the Fender Stratocaster model string height can be changed by adjusting the height of the small Allen screws for each string.

A few important points to keep in mind:

·        The adjustments should be small.

·        After making an adjustment re-tune to concert A440hz pitch and check the action.

·        If you are raising the action you should loosen the strings slightly before making adjustments as it will put more tension on the strings and neck.

·        If you are lowering the action you should check for fret buzz at every fret after every adjustment. If you are getting fret buzz you should either raise the action a little or you could shave the buzzing frets down. We will cover fret shaving in a later blog.

Adjusting the Height of the Bridge -Acoustic Guitars

Acoustic Bridge

Most acoustic guitars do not have adjustable bridges, rather the bridge is glued firmly into place on the guitar. However, the saddle where the strings actually sit across the bridge can be removed quite easily as it is only held in place by string tension.

 So firstly remove all the strings and you should be able to remove the saddle without too much effort. If you are lowering the action you can either file down the underside of the saddle or file down each of the grooves in the saddle. If you are raising the action you can pack shims (small slithers of wood or plastic) under the saddle or you can buy a new saddle.

 Adjusting the Height of the Nut – Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Although you can change the action at the bridge, the guitar will not be set up correctly if the strings are too high or low at the nut. To lower the action at the nut you need to make the grooves in the nut a little deeper. Care must be taken when you do this. If you make the grooves too deep the strings will rattle on the frets (fret buzz) and you will have to purchase a new nut and start again. You can use needle files and small saw blades for deepening the grooves in the nut.

Guitar Nut

Some things to remember when lowering the action at the nut:

• You must ensure that the grooves maintain their initial semi-circular shape and size.
  • If you make the grooves too wide the string can slip out.
• The nut should have the same profile as the fingerboard.
  • If the shape of the fingerboard is curved across the frets the nut should have the same shape.
• The grooves should slope down slightly toward the head of the guitar
  • Because the scale length of the string begins at the front of the nut.

 To raise the action at the nut it is best to purchase a new nut and carve out the grooves to the appropriate height. Although, you can make temporary adjustments by removing the nut and packing shims under the nut, you are better off to replace the nut.

To remove the nut from the guitar gently tap it sideways with a light hammer and a piece of wood to dampen the impact. Nuts are normally lightly glued into position. Take care with this in order not to damage the neck of the guitar. Oh and by the way take off the strings first.

- Axel

 Welcome back to our guitar maintenance series. This is a two part blog on the action of a guitar. In this first post we will define action and inform you how to measure it. Part 2 of this post will teach you how to set the action.

The action of a guitar is defined as its playability. Basically it determines how much pressure you have to apply to the strings to press them down onto the frets.

The strings on any guitar are closer to the frets towards the headstock of the guitar and further from the frets the closer you get to the body of the guitar. A guitar with a good action is when you only have to exert only slightly more pressure on the strings as you play up the fretboard. In other words the distance of the strings from the frets is fairly consistent. If a guitar has a bad action it becomes very difficult to play as you move up the fretboard.

When purchasing a guitar you should be mindful of the action of the guitar. Whilst action can be set or adjusted, it is very difficult to achieve good action on a poorly constructed guitar, particularly if the instrument has a fault in the neck. See our article on how to buy a guitar.

Guitarists talk about high and low action. A high action is one where the strings are further from the frets and a low action is one where the strings are closer to the frets. A high or low action does not determine the quality of the action (whether it is good or bad) but is merely a player’s preference.

Many jazz, blues and flamenco guitarists prefer a higher action. Jazz and blues guitarists choose a higher action as it allows them to play with more feel because it gives them more purchase on the strings. Stevie Ray Vaughn was known to use a very high action.

Rock and metal guitarists usually prefer a low action as it allows them to use less pressure on the strings and thus augments the speed of guitar solos. Guitars with lower actions are easier to play than guitars with higher actions.

Guitars with a high actions can be problematic for beginners as the strings are harder to fret (push down on the frets). This can lead the beginner into forming bad playing habits like tensing the left hand and heavy fretting. However, if the action is too low you may incur fret buzz and impair the quality of the tone of the guitar.

Measuring the Action

It is possible to measure the action of a guitar using a feeler gauge or even standard rule, however, the adjustments are so small that most guitarists defer to feel rather than precise measurements.  So usually setting the action is more trial and error.

You measure the action at the first fret and the body fret of the guitar. Keep in mind that the action will be slightly higher at the body fret of the guitar as guitar necks are designed to have a slight dip in the middle. The action must be a little higher at the body fret to allow for the loop of the string as it vibrates when fretted low or played open.

Also the action will be a little higher for the lower strings than the higher strings as the lower strings have a wider loop when played.

See the table below for setting a medium action.

If you are going to measure the action with a feeler gauge you should do so with the strings tuned to concert pitch (A 440 Hz). The strings should be loosened whilst adjustments are made to the action but more about that in the next blog.

- Axel

"Don't Confuse Your Lubricants"

Basic Guitar Care

This is the first in a series of guitar maintenance blogs. I will try to keep this as general as possible so it refers to acoustic and electric guitars both new and used guitars. I will specify when there are differences.

Storage

Always put your guitar away in its case or on its stand. Don’t leave it lying around where it could be damaged or scratched. Don’t let anyone pick it up and play it, be choosey who can play your guitar. Apart from the fact that most people will de-tune it they could also drop it, scratch or damage it in some other way.

Make sure the guitar is stored in a cool dry place. Humidity and extreme changes in temperature can drastically affect the guitar. As guitars are made from wood and wood expands and contracts with temperature it’s important to try to keep the guitar at a reasonably constant temperature. See our blog on travel tips.

Keep it Clean

Always wipe the guitar down with a soft lint-free cloth after every use. I can’t emphasize this enough. Every time you play your guitar dirt and dead skin from your fingers build up on the neck. This build up not only makes the guitar less comfortable to play but can also effect the intonation of the guitar.

So when you are wiping the guitar down after use pay particular attention to the neck. Wipe the strings down as well. It is also worthwhile to pull the strings apart a little so you can access the fretboard and frets. If you notice some build up on the fretboard or neck try to remove it with your pic or your toothbrush (or maybe someone else’s toothbrush).

Also wipe down the back of the neck and the body of the guitar. This will remove any smudges that could lead to long term stains.

Oil or No Oil

Most guitars can also use a little oil or wood polish every now and then. Not every guitar is suited to chemical or oil products so you should check the manufacturer’s guidelines before applying any oil or wood polish to your guitar.

I use wood oil on most of my guitars about once per month or more often if needed. Sometimes you can see when a guitar neck is looking fairly dry. You can notice discoloration in the neck, almost a faded look. This is an indication that the neck needs some wood oil.

A good time to oil a guitar neck is when you are changing strings or just before you change strings. Do not remove all the strings before you oil the neck. Apply a little polish as you remove each string in turn.

Tune It

Keep the guitar in tune. When a guitar is tuned to concert pitch (A 440 Hz) it keeps a certain pressure on the neck. If the pressure is too low or too high the neck can go out (change its shape). So keep it in tune to ensure the neck pressure remains constant.

Change Strings

Change strings regularly. How often you change strings is entirely up to you. Most professional guitarists change their strings every day or at least before every gig. How often you change your strings depends on how often you play.

Over time strings lose their tone and may become rusty if left for a long time. You should change your stings at least every 6 to 8 weeks even if you don’t play very often. Also the use of a product like Finger Ease will lengthen the life of your strings as well as soften the calluses on your fingertips. See our blog Love Your Strings  for more information about strings.

So things to remember for basic guitar maintenance:

1. Store your guitar properly after use.
2. Try to keep your guitar in a reasonably constant temperature.
3. Wipe down the guitar after every use
4. Use wood oil occasionally on the guitar.
5. Change strings regularly.
6. Use a product such as Finger Ease for your strings 

Stay tuned for more blogs in the Guitar Maintenance Series.

- Axel