# acoustic guitar set-up/feeling



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I'll often pickup a good acoustic in a guitar store and be struck by how the action feels similar to an electric guitar ie low action and less effort required to fret notes. This happened on Saturday with a high end Gibson that I tried at L&M. However, my own guitar feels nothing like that - its a newer Taylor 214 which is strung with the stock Elixirs, which I believe are Elixir ultra-thin Nanowebs, light gauge (12 to 53). Its much more "work" to play.

I guess my question boils down to this: would it be possible to have the action adjusted on this guitar (by a Pro, not by me) and use lighter gauge strings to give it a "slinkier, lighter" feel? Or would it be more cost effective to sell this guitar and look for something which plays that way from the get-go?


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Part of the issue is your Taylor has a scale length of 25 1/2" while the Gibson's were most likely all 24 3/4". 

Identical string gauges on both would still make the Gibson "easier" to play as far as pressure from your fingers goes.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> I'll often pickup a good acoustic in a guitar store and be struck by how the action feels similar to an electric guitar ie low action and less effort required to fret notes. This happened on Saturday with a high end Gibson that I tried at L&M. However, my own guitar feels nothing like that - its a newer Taylor 214 which is strung with the stock Elixirs, which I believe are Elixir ultra-thin Nanowebs, light gauge (12 to 53). Its much more "work" to play.
> 
> I guess my question boils down to this: would it be possible to have the action adjusted on this guitar (by a Pro, not by me) and use lighter gauge strings to give it a "slinkier, lighter" feel? Or would it be more cost effective to sell this guitar and look for something which plays that way from the get-go?



Bagpipe, I"m surprised, I have two Taylors that were perfect (for me) out of the gate. But, someone also once told me that there was never an acoustic guitar that wasn't in need of a setup before you take her home. Who can wait? Don't discount the guitar, take it in for a setup.. you won't be dissapointed.


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2008)

fretboard said:


> Part of the issue is your Taylor has a scale length of 25 1/2" while the Gibson's were most likely all 24 3/4".
> 
> Identical string gauges on both would still make the Gibson "easier" to play as far as pressure from your fingers goes.



I'm a little unsure how you figure that given that a longer string will require less side force to deflect it.



bagpipe said:


> ... I guess my question boils down to this: would it be possible to have the action adjusted on this guitar (by a Pro, not by me) and use lighter gauge strings to give it a "slinkier, lighter" feel? Or would it be more cost effective to sell this guitar and look for something which plays that way from the get-go?



A change to lighter guage strings like .10 to .48 will make a marked difference all by itself although you may need to adjust the neck relief to compensate. If the guitar buzzes you'll know it needs an adjustment but some people live with he buzz for the benefit of low action. Also you should know that while lighter strings require less effort to fret they also have less volume and a tone that is slightly less "full".


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

To bring a longer scale string to the same pitch more tension is required, ergo more force required by the player to press the string down to to the fret. The Taylor should play easily with light guage (0.12 ~ 0.53) strings.

Most Taylor guitars I have tried have been very easy to play. Yours may require some attention from a good guitar tech to get to optimum playing. A good setup, that includes checking nut slot height, saddle height and neck relief, will make the world of difference in how a guitar plays.


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## rbbambino (Oct 10, 2007)

I had a Taylor 710 and liked it a lot. It had very low action for a Taylor. What I didn't like was the neck seemed a little thin and narrow for my style of playing, which is fingerstyle. So, that said, I would take your Taylor in for a setup and tell the tech that you want really low action.. Try it out when you get it back.. if it isn't correct, it is easy enough to raise the action, but sometimes not that easy to lower it. What I mean by that is... on an acoustic you basically have your nut and saddle to adjust the action. The nut just should be cut properly for all actions, but the saddle needs to be set to the correct height to give you the action you desire. Usually measured at the 12th fret (not the store!). If you get the saddle too low, there isn't enough break on the strings and you will lose some of the sound, string buzz etc. 
Here is the kicker... If you cannot get the action low enough by saddle and nut work. Then a neck rest is in order. On an acoustic, this is expensive. I think all models of Taylor have bolt on necks, so they are about 1/3 of the cost to reset than a dovetail neck... like on a Larrivee. Still not cheap (probably 200+).
Don't confuse truss rod adjustments with lowering the action.. There is a connection, but it is just part of the setup process for proper relief. It is not what you do in order to correct the action.
I know you are fairly knowledgable about acoustics from your previous posts, so perhaps this is old news to you, but others might benefit..
I think you also know about about http://www.stewmac.com/ site and frets.com . They are the best sources for online for information etc.
There is no reason to suffer with a guitar you don't like to play. Fix it or get rid of it... Good luck. IMHO. Ron


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## rbbambino (Oct 10, 2007)

Bagpipe... boy what a handle for a guitar player :smile: Just to give you an example of action ... in action.. I have two videos on my youtube of the same tune, "Happy Again". One is done on my basic Larrivee, which has the action set very low, just the way I like it. The other is done on my Stonebridge, which has higher action. The projection is better from the Stonebridge, but I generate more muffed notes, because it is just harder to get those strings ringing without getting one of my fingers on the next string. The action affects your playing, so get it set the way you want it.. They play until you drop. :smilie_flagge17:


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks for the posts/suggestions so far. I haven't had this guitar set-up yet - I bought it last October. My plan is to take it into Lauzon Music (where I bought it) and discuss the guitar with their tech. See if he thinks its reasonable to have the action lowered a bit and go to a slightly lighter string gauge. I agree with Starbucks comments above that Taylor guitars have a reputation as "easy playing" acoustics. I'd also like to try some of the higher end Taylors as a comparison to this one.

One thing I tried was to play with a capo on the 2nd fret. This was a recommendation in an old Stefan Grossman book that I have. This made the guitar *much *easier to play (less finger pressure required) but I wouldn't be surprised if it made any guitar easier to play.

rbbambino, thanks for the Youtube links - I'll have to watch them at home (no Youtube at work!). I had never heard of Stonebridge before this weekend - they had some at Ottawa Folklore Centre. For some reason I thought they were something to with Blueridge gutiars but I guess they're not. They looked like nice guitars - I'll take one for a spin next time I'm in there.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

The 214 should play really easily...smooth and silky like you described the Gibson...

Straight neck?
If so then maybe saddle height and/or nut cut needs to be addressed.


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## rbbambino (Oct 10, 2007)

Stonebridge guitars are made in Prague. They are an outstanding guitar. If you do get a chance to play one, you will be amazed at the quality and sound. Thom Bresh and Richard Smith swear by them
Check this out..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_P_8SPrDDc


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## rbbambino (Oct 10, 2007)

Watch these youtube clips and I think you will be impressed. Roger who wrote and plays "Driving in Paris" is the Canadian distributor. He is a very fair guy, who really loves these guitars.

http://www.youtube.com/user/StonebridgeGuitars

I will get off my soapbox now... I'm not affiliated in any way with Stonebridge, I'm just an owner and I really like their products.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Well this story has a happy ending ending. I got a PM (a Private Message mind you, not a post for everyone to read!) from Dave at Lauzon Music. He had read my post and said that I should bring the guitar into the store and they'd fix me up - free of charge. So, I did just that. Took the guitar in and spoke to Dave and James, their guitar tech. I left the guitar there over the weekend and its now setup with the action EXACTLY as I wanted it - lower than a snakes belly. Plays awesome and I'm happier than a pig in the proverbial.

Just goes to show that buying from a local dealer is worth it. You wouldn't get that kind of service buying on the Interwebs! Yeah Lauzon Music.:banana:


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Great to hear it - there's nothing like picking up a guitar (especially one that is yours) and having it just the way you like it.

Never been to Lauzon Music, but I'll be sure to stop in next time I'm in that neck of the woods. Can't put a price on great customer service, but if you could, I'd pay a premium for it.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> Just goes to show that buying from a local dealer is worth it. You wouldn't get that kind of service buying on the Interwebs! Yeah Lauzon Music.:banana:


I remember how well my S&P 12 string played when I bought it--then how much nicer it played after I brought it back for a set up a week or so later.

Even when I've tweaked my own guitars (or had a friend do it) it makes a big difference. But if you can have somebody who knows what they're doing do it-and it's free (or included in buying the guitar)--then it's even better.


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## Tony Burns (Dec 20, 2007)

Any guitar- new or old would benefit from a pro set-up - We all have our own unique style and the way we play these wonderful devices - my OMv60 has a longer scale than the LSV-11 ( think i got that right )- but i love its tone and temperment more - i also capo the first fret to give me the feel of a shorter scale . Try many different string makes and gauges -im a fan of Dadarrio EXP's in custom lights ( But i still try out different gauges and brands - my Larrivee at this time has the alchemy string on it) i also wouldnt let the fact a set-up is about 50 bucks ( US- not sure what its like up their in your neck of the woods ) and its well worth it - It totally helped my Martin - My Larrivee was set-up better from the factory, but did need a little TLC from a pro.


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