Posted in: String by 0Jwilliams0 on October 30th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Are you tired of playing guitar for just minutes at a time, only to find that the strings are digging into your fingers? Playing a guitar can be painful and unproductive if the action is set too high. Fear no more, though; the cure for high action is right here.
The term “action”, when used to describe a musical instrument, relates to how well the instrument plays. A more general description of “action” for a guitar would be how high the strings are lifted from the fretboard. Usually, if the action is too high, it is difficult to play the instrument (due to the fact that one must exert more effort to push down the string and play each note), and if the action is too low, the chances of “fret buzz” and other unpleasant noises plaguing a guitar is increased. Standard action on most acoustic guitars is slightly higher than what is comfortable for most players; fortunately, adjusting the action on a guitar is not nearly as hard as one may believe. The easiest and simplest way to correct action problems is to adjust the “saddle” of the guitar. The saddle is located near the sound hole of the guitar, on the end opposite the neck, directly
beside the bridge pins. One must be very careful when removing it; the saddle is held in place simply by the tension of the guitar strings, so be sure to use caution when removing it. Many sources will suggest that you remove all six guitar strings before removing the saddle; however, unless you are very skilled at replacing used strings, this can be a lengthy and expensive process. I suggest that you simply loosen (downtune) the strings until the saddle can easily be removed with little effort. Then, get a sheet of sturdy sandpaper and place it on a flat surface. While holding down the sandpaper, place the saddle on it with the top facing up. Then, grind the saddle down until it is at the desired thickness. This may take several attempts, so take care not to get frustrated. Keep reinstalling the saddle and testing the action until the action reaches a point where you are comfortable playing. Most guitarists agree that the target action is reached when the bottom of the low E string is 3/32″ away from the top of the 12th fret. However, each guitarist has a personal preference, so one should continue to adjust the saddle until the perfect action for your unique playing style is reached.
