Is it risky to file the saddle on my acoustic guitar down to lower the action (the height of the strings)?

mister kid

The strings on my guitar are higher than I would like and make it difficult and painful to play. I do not really want to spend $40 to fix it in the music store. I know what needs to be done - file the saddle down just a little bit. Is this risky? What should I do? Or should I adjust the truss rod too? Thanks!

Answer
do not attempt to adjust the truss rod yourself! This should be left to a qualified technician. It is very easy to mess up your neck if you do not know exactly how to adjust it. If the action is too high than check to see if it is too high at the nut as well as the saddle. Quite often a guitar will not be set up properly before it is sold. If it is too high at the nut then you will need to file the slots in the nut too lower the action at that point. If the slots appear to be okay but the overall action at the nut is still too high than the overall height of the nut can be lowered by gently removing the nut and filing the bottom edge of it to uniformly remove material until the desired height is achieved.
The same process is done to the saddle to lower the action at the bridge. Carefully remove the saddle (especially if it is an electric/acoustic with a piezo under-the-saddle pickup) and run the bottom edge of the saddle piece across a flat file to insure that you remove material evenly. The best way to do this is to file just a bit, then replace the saddle and tune it up and check the action. Repeat this process several times until you reach the desired action. Plastic saddle pieces are relatively cheap ($2) so buy an extra one or two to work with. Most music stores have a box of plastic saddles in various sizes so that you can easily replace one for another of a shorter height, or find one closer to the desired height. Many stores will help you find the right one without charging you so much to set it up. Bottom line: it is better to have it fully set up and adjusted by a qualified technician who has plenty of experience and can guarantee his work for $40, then to mess it up yourself and have to spend the extra money anyway.

cheap acoustic guitar?

madi

im looking for something about $100-$150 that has good quality looks nice plays great and comes with a hard case preferably

Answer
I don't like ebay or craigslist because you are buying somebody's problems.

better for you to cough up a little more cash and go to
wwbw.com
or musiciansfriend.com

Do some research in music stores first. Take a guitar playing friend with you and have them play the less expensive stuff. listen for tone quality, let them tell you if the neck is comfortable or the action is too high or low.

You can get decent gig bags instead of a hard case for less money.

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some guitar action?

TJ

im a first time guitar buyer and i need to know what to consider when buying one
i cant afford lessons so what is a good book to teach me the basics?
whats better acoustic or electric?
whats a decent one thats cheap too?

Answer
To keep it simple, we're recommending a few good starter guitar/amp packages that are inexpensive and come with everything you need to begin playing...including instructional books or DVDs.

We've offered a few options, so that you have a few different prices to consider, and some choice in terms of looks and shapes. All of these are great for beginner, so you really can't go wrong. See which ones your local music store offers or Google them on-line to see what they look like and who will give you the best deal.

Les Paul Special II Player Pack
What's so special about the Les Paul Special II Player Pack? The super-low price for starters (around $199), and that's not all. This package also includes an Epiphone Studio 10 amplifier with 10W power through an 8" Electar Labs speaker; rugged gig bag; instructional video; super-accurate quartz tuner; plus a strap, cable, and picks to put it all together.
Street Price: around $199


The Fender Squier Stop Dreaming, Start Playing Package
This Squier Stop Dreaming, Start Playing guitar and amp package ($199) includes a Squier SE Special Strat and a SP-10 combo amp, plus an instrument cable, electronic tuner, instructional DVD, guitar stand, gig bag, and pick assortment.

The Squier SE Special Strat Electric Guitar combines 3 single-coils and 5-way switching for great tonal range. It also has a solid agathis body with shell pickguard, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot position inlays, die-cast chrome tuners, and standard fulcrum tremolo bridge.

The Squier SP-10 amp controls include volume, treble, bass, and an overdrive on/off button that delivers tube-like tone. A headphone output allows silent practice. 10 watts drive a 6" speaker and the amp has a tough textured vinyl exterior.
Street Price: around $199


Ibanez IJX40 Jumpstart Package
The IJX40 Jumpstart Package from Ibanez includes a GRX electric guitar, 15-watt GTA15 amplifier with reverb, cable, strap, picks, headphones, electronic tuner, and gig bag. Ibanez also includes an instruction DVD, book, and chord chart to teach you how to wail.

The Ibanez electric has a maple neck with the GRX sleek profile for fast and furious playability. It also has a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, 22 medium frets, an alder body, three Powersound pickups with a humbucker at the bridge, and the FAT10 bridge for sustain and great intonation.

The GTA15 amp has 15W power, an 8" speaker, clean and overdrive sounds, reverb, an active 3-band EQ, and a CD input so you can play along with your favorite guitar jams.
Street Price: around $249

best guitar for beginner?

Lynny

ok, I am 13 years old, female, and I want to play a guitar. I really have no idea about guitar facts... so please help me and here is a list of questions:

1. for a beginner, which is better, classical or acoustic guitar? (yes, I am that clueless)
2. if so, which brand would be best BUT i dont want a very expensive one in case i stop. (I learned that nylon strings are the best for beginners??)

thanks for taking your time to help me! :)

Answer
Hi, and congratulations on joining the 6-string community. I will try to give you some general info on picking a good starter guitar but it is worth noting that there is no "best" guitar nor is there a "best" way to learn--quite simply guitars are getting better and cheaper and, since there are new people taking up the instrument every day there are literally thousands of ways to approach the instrument. That said there are 2 main families of guitar: Electric and Accoustic. Both options you mentioned are accoustic guitars. Classical guitar and it's related cousin, the Flamenco guitar, use nylon strings which don't put as much tension on the instument and therefore it can be made with lighter bracing. Classical and Flamenco guitars usually have a wider neck with the strings set further apart from each other to make it easier to play each string individually with your fingers. Additionally, the strings are higher off the fretboard (the height of the strings affects how difficult it is to press them down and is usually called the "action" of the guitar. Low action makes it easier to play, high action makes the guitar louder and, with enough technique, the notes sound more clearly) Nylon strings are easier on the fingers of both the fretting hand and the playing hand but most beginners find the wider and thicker neck of the classical/flamenco to be a bit of a chore to work with. "Regular" accoustic guitars are strung with metal strings (usually called "steel strings" despite the fact that they are usually made of bronze wound around a steel core) and are easier and cheaper to find than nylon. Additionally, nylon strings require actually being tied onto the bridge (the part that holds the strings on the body of the guitar) and take a long time to stretch out and settle in to their tuning. I have a lot of guitars and have found that sitting down with an absolute beginner and running through various types they ineveitably gravitate towards the electric. Solid-body electric guitars are cheap, plentiful, durable and can be practiced like an accoustic but MUCH more quietly as well as through headphones or an amplifier. If you just want to learn whether you have an aptitude for guitar I would suggest visiting a music store and explaining that you are planning to purchase your first guitar soon and could they show you entry-level Classical, accoustic steel-string and solidbody electric guitars. Electrics have slimmer necks that are more comfortable. They also use lighter-guage strings that are a good compromise between the stiff steel string accoustics and compliant but finicky nylon. Another factor to consider is scale-length. A shorter-scale guitar will be easier on you. A fantastic brand to consider is "DaisyRock" Dasiy Rock is a company that designs its products to tilt towards the feminine-size-wise and visually. The website for Musician's Friend (www.musiciansfriend.com) has a very good selection of their current offerings which include accoustics for about $100 and electrics starting at $150. A complete started pack with guitar, Amp and accesories runs $200 and is a steal-of-a-deal. Another brand to consider is Epiphone. Epiphone has been making guitars since the 1880's and offer both electrics and accoustics. For about $130 you can buy a "Junior" which is fairly loud even when strummed without an amp and also comes as a a starter pack that includes guitar, case and a few accessories for about $200. Squier (by Fender) is another well-regarded brand but it is worth noting that many of their instruments have a longer scale length and their electrics often have "tremolo" (Whammy-bar) bridges that can make it diffcult to tune the guitar. Ibanez makes some great starter guitars and if you can swing $300 for an accoustic the AEL10E has a built-in electronic tuner. But I keep circling round the idea that you are a 13 year-old female...If I were buying for a daughter/neice etc I would buy the debutante electric starter pack-it includes everything you need even a getting started DVD and a nice electronic tuner-unlike the Epiphone which doesn't have a DVD and usues a pitch-pipe instead of the more reliable electronic tuner. The axe itself is small and comfortable and can be played more quietly/privately than an accoustic of either type which benefits you (you won't feel as self-concious) and your family (they don't have to hear you struggle with a new instrument.) Let's face it-this is the 21st century and you DON'T have to start on a "Grandma Guitar." Last thing: the hardest part of playing guitar is the first 2 weeks. Give yourself permission to be terrible. Force yourself to practice/play 20-30 minutes a day until you can play for an hour or so without it hurting your hands too much. If you can stick with it a month you should be well on your way and if you can get your basic chords down could see yourself writing your own songs within another month or two. Millions of people can play the gu

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If i put a lighter gauge of string on my acoustic guitar will it be easier to play?

cheap acoustic guitars with low action image

Charlie W

I have a quite cheap acoustic guitar with quite high action and thick old rusty steel strings so naturally my fingers hurt quite a bit when playing (i have been playing for a while now and built up calluses already), if i replace these strings with ones of a lighter gauge will it be a little easier on my fingers and what are the other differences - costs/benefits of doing so? thanks!

Answer
You could use lighter gauge strings but remember this:

- Lighter gauge = easy to bend, thinner tone (twangy)
- Heavier gauge = fuller tone, requires more muscle to finger

It's up to you what you prefer. I know that James Hetfield from Metallica uses heavy gauge for his 3 low strings and a lighter gauge for his higher 3 strings. It makes sense with his style of playing. If I'm not mistaken, I think some companies offer some string packaging options like this.

As far as your action, it might be that your neck is bowing forward (from the tension of the strings). This is especially true for older guitars or guitars that have been strung for way too long (by reading about your rusty strings, it's probably the case. You can check this by playing between 2 notes: play an open string, then play the 12th fret of the same string. If the notes don't sound an octave apart (in TUNE) then you got a bowed neck. It is fixable but it's hardly a big deal if you're just playing for fun. Consider getting a new guitar if you plan on playing for pay or recording though.

What is the best type of acoustic guitar to buy?

Kait

I want to teach myself to play the guitar. I don't exactly know how to read music but I can teach myself. What is the best brand of acoustic guitar to buy? (Low cost is a plus) Thanks.

Answer
Well I wouldn't worry so much about brand in the beginning. A good second hand guitar is probably best. There are a lot of good inexpensive brands out there. Keep in mind you may not stick with it and it may not be your thing. Don't invest a lot of money. You want something that you can play. How big are you hands? That's the first question. If you have little hands I really recommend Daisy Rock guitars. They are designed for women (and guys with small hands). If the neck is too thick you'll have trouble with things like barre chords later. Next is a good set up. Here you will need someone that knows a little bit about guitars to help you. Is the neck straight? If it is bowed anywhere its not going to be playable. Are there any dead spots (frets that don't produce a note. Some guitars do have places for whatever reason where you sound the note and you literally get a "thunk"). How is the action set up? Are the strings too high or low on the neck for you? Finally, does the guitar hold tune further up the neck. This is called intonation. It is usually adjustable. Many times a lot of the problems I'm talking about are correctable by a reputable guitar shop. Just beware of dead spots in the neck. If there is a fret where a note won't sound that usually indicates a life-long defect and may not be correctable. If you have someone familiar with guitars that can go with you and knows what to ask you might try looking for a good used one at a pawn shop or off of craigslist.org. If not, buy from a reputable dealer like Guitar Center or a local music store where someone can help you pick out the right instrument for you. Keep in mind, it may not be to your advantage to buy the cheapest thing you can find. At the same time, you don't want to buy an expensive pro-level instrument when you are only beginning. Good luck to you!

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