Acoustic setup question

[Drew]

Ok, I'm cool with electrics, but acoustics are like me trying to do calculus in Chinese. IT just doesn't happen.

I love how my acoustic sounds, but being perfectly objective here it really doesn't play that great. part of it is the truss rod - the neck is, near as I can tell, perfectly straight, and I do prefer a little bit of concavity in my necks. However, part of it is the nut is just too low and the bridge is just too high. Action at the first fret seems to be under a millimeter, while at the 18th or so, it's 4 or 5, maybe more.

I'm thinking the nut isn't really a problem, I just need to have a new nut made that isn't cut quite as deeply. However, the bridge is more of an issue - do I need to havea luthier pull the bridge, shave off a few millimeters, and then glue it back in place?

I went up to my local shop (which does excellent work and I'd be perfectly comfortable letting them operate on this guitar) a moment ago, but they seemed to be closed for Halloween, so I figured I'd start by asking here.

[noodles]

You can do the bridge yourself. Bridge saddles are pressed in, not glued, so just pull it out and file some off the bottom. Use a file, and make sure to keep the bottom surface flat against the file. I had to do the same thing with my Seagull, since I installed an under saddle pickup.

[Drew]

Hmm... That'll buy me, eyeballing it, at most a millimeter. That'll help, sure, but it really needs to come down about twice the height of the ivory part. I think it's the ebony part of the saddle that's too tall.

[OzzyC]

Ideally, you need to get the neck reset, methinks.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by Drew

Hmm... That'll buy me, eyeballing it, at most a millimeter. That'll help, sure, but it really needs to come down about twice the height of the ivory part. I think it's the ebony part of the saddle that's too tall.

You absolutely do not want to have anyone touch the bridge itself. You cannot tell me that the saddle is only 1mm above the bridge. That makes no sense.

[Scarangella]

I do this sort of thing all the time at work. I agree with Noodles, that doesn't make sense.

If it's the bridge saddle, just sand it down. Just make sure you do it evenly.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by OzzyC

Ideally, you need to get the neck reset, methinks.

Not on a Martin. It is a dovetail joint, so you can't just reset it.

[OzzyC]

Originally Posted by noodles

Not on a Martin. It is a dovetail joint, so you can't just reset it.

Ah. He didn't mention that.

If the acoustic plays well for most of the year, but has been worse recently, it could be from the lower humidity shrinking the woods... But again, you didn't really mention either way.

[Drew]

The neck should be fine - if anything, I'd guess that maybe the top might have arched a mm or so. It's tough to tell, though, so don't quote me on that.



Hmm. Maybe a truss rod tweak on top of taking most of that off would get me close enough, so I just need a new nut. The fact this is a piezo bridge isn't an issue?

Off to the hardware shop, for a 5mm allen key long enough to reach the truss rod, and a file that I can lat the nut flat on, then...

No, it's been like this pretty much from day one. I just bought it because it 1.) sounded awesome, and 2.) was used, so I could actually afford it.

[OzzyC]

Just had something cross my mind again.

I had a slight memory lapse before, I suppose, but neck resets ARE done on dovetails like Martins- they do them in the shop I work at all the time. the process involves putting steam into the joint, pulling the neck, and sanding it down to optimal height.