guitar humidifier image
Reilly
I have an acoustic guitar. Recently the action on my guitar (the action is the distance between the strings and fret boards) has risen, I've heard it is because of the change in humidity this time of year and was told to get a guitar humidifier. Well i did and so far it hasn't made a difference. Any tips on how to lower it?
Answer
The reason why this has happened is probably due to changes to the neck - probably an up-bow. This can be caused by switching to lighter strings, changes in humidity or changes to the neck wood itself (of combinations here off).
In any case - before actually contemplating adjusting the action (which is done at the bridge saddle and nut), you need to make sure the neck is straight. That is almost perfectly straight - with a very slight up-bow or "dump" in the middle. If you hold one of the E-strings down at the first fret and somewhere around the 14th fret, then you should ideally have just 1-2 mm clearance between the string and the frets in the "middle", around the 7th fret area.
If not, then you will need to have the neck truss rod adjusted. This is no difficult or involved task but it is definitely not something you want to attempt on your own. If done wrong, then you're potentially looking at major repairs. So, always leave it to a pro or someone who has done this a number of times - and who are willing to explain the procedure to you. Eventually, this is something you want to be able to perform yourself.
When the neck relief (the above) is properly set according to the string gauge you use and your playing style, then you can take a look at the action at the bridge saddle. On most acoustic guitars, this involves changing the bridge saddle (the thin white plastic or bone material piece routed into the bridge), or filing it down. Again, this is definitely best left to someone who knows what they're doing.
The final step - if needed - is to adjust the action/string height at the nut (the plastic/bone piece between the tuners and the first fret). This is definitely nothing you would even contemplate doing! It takes considerable skills and proper tools to get the height just right without going too low, plus it needs to be adjusted properly according to your playing style.
There's an east way to find out if the guitar needs some adjustments in this area. When you have the guitar neck and action at the bridge set to your liking, then clamp a capo at the first fret. If the guitar suddenly appears much easier to play - easier to fret - then you likely have the strings too high at the nut. This is very common on most lower end guitars by the way...
If you want to learn how to do these things yourself, then this is an excellent guide: http://www.learnelectricguitarnow.net/master-guitar-set-up
The reason why this has happened is probably due to changes to the neck - probably an up-bow. This can be caused by switching to lighter strings, changes in humidity or changes to the neck wood itself (of combinations here off).
In any case - before actually contemplating adjusting the action (which is done at the bridge saddle and nut), you need to make sure the neck is straight. That is almost perfectly straight - with a very slight up-bow or "dump" in the middle. If you hold one of the E-strings down at the first fret and somewhere around the 14th fret, then you should ideally have just 1-2 mm clearance between the string and the frets in the "middle", around the 7th fret area.
If not, then you will need to have the neck truss rod adjusted. This is no difficult or involved task but it is definitely not something you want to attempt on your own. If done wrong, then you're potentially looking at major repairs. So, always leave it to a pro or someone who has done this a number of times - and who are willing to explain the procedure to you. Eventually, this is something you want to be able to perform yourself.
When the neck relief (the above) is properly set according to the string gauge you use and your playing style, then you can take a look at the action at the bridge saddle. On most acoustic guitars, this involves changing the bridge saddle (the thin white plastic or bone material piece routed into the bridge), or filing it down. Again, this is definitely best left to someone who knows what they're doing.
The final step - if needed - is to adjust the action/string height at the nut (the plastic/bone piece between the tuners and the first fret). This is definitely nothing you would even contemplate doing! It takes considerable skills and proper tools to get the height just right without going too low, plus it needs to be adjusted properly according to your playing style.
There's an east way to find out if the guitar needs some adjustments in this area. When you have the guitar neck and action at the bridge set to your liking, then clamp a capo at the first fret. If the guitar suddenly appears much easier to play - easier to fret - then you likely have the strings too high at the nut. This is very common on most lower end guitars by the way...
If you want to learn how to do these things yourself, then this is an excellent guide: http://www.learnelectricguitarnow.net/master-guitar-set-up
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