How much would it cost to lower my acoustic guitar's action at a music store?

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SomeRandom

Such as either turning the truss rod, and/or filing down the nut, and/or filing down the saddle.

Answer
Generally a setup runs $30 to $45 depending on how much they do. The last time I just had action set it was $20. Yeah I could do it myself but I won't do as good of a job as a professional that has done thousands of guitars.

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what can I use to cut the slots in a guitar nut?

guitar nut files image

raldo

what can I use to cut slots in a guitar nut besides the files made for the job? What are the widths of the slots?

Answer
The files you mentioned would be best,they're not expensive and will last a life time,and though you can use a junior hacksaw that does leave the bottom of the groove somewhat square,not so good as this can cause something like fret buzz on open notes,very annoying.Avoid this by using some wet and dry paper to round them over,but this is difficult as it tends to widen the nut grooves,again,fret buzz.Bite the bullet and buy or borrow the file.As for sizes,that's easy,they're printed on the packet your new strings come in.You are fitting new strings,yeah?

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what can I use to cut the slots in a guitar nut?

guitar nut files image

raldo

what can I use to cut slots in a guitar nut besides the files made for the job? What are the widths of the slots?

Answer
The files you mentioned would be best,they're not expensive and will last a life time,and though you can use a junior hacksaw that does leave the bottom of the groove somewhat square,not so good as this can cause something like fret buzz on open notes,very annoying.Avoid this by using some wet and dry paper to round them over,but this is difficult as it tends to widen the nut grooves,again,fret buzz.Bite the bullet and buy or borrow the file.As for sizes,that's easy,they're printed on the packet your new strings come in.You are fitting new strings,yeah?

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What would come with a typical acoustic guitar setup?

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Hello

A local guitar shop told me it would be $65 for a setup, plus strings. What would the $65 include? I mainly just want the action lowered because the strings are wayyy too high off the fretboard, would it cost a lot less if I just wanted this done?

Answer
You can't simply "lower the strings" without doing a setup.....string height is a by-product od a setup. In a typical setup, you should expect:

1. the neck relief to be adjusted
2. nut height checked/corrected
3. bridge saddle lowered or raised as necessary (raising it will require shimming or replacement)

Your string height and action is a direct function of all the above factors....so a setup is really the same thing as getting your action adjusted.

When you consider that you're getting a new set of strings and a fair chunk of labor, the price you've been quoted is reasonable.

Edit: Here are some average "Blue Book" prices: http://www.guitarrepairshop.com/blu.html Keep in mind that adjusting the bridge is more involved on an acoustic guitar. Since the bridge isn't adjustable like an electric guitar, the saddle must be removed and carefully filed from the bottom if it needs to be lowered. To get the height perfect, you may need to repeat this several times. By all means, shop around...just understand that the simple word "setup" can actually be time consuming.

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What happens if you string a right handed guitar into a left without converting?

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kirstyyyyy

I really don't know anything about guitars, but i play left handed and can't find a left handed martin backpacker travel guitar anywhere in the uk.
I'm wondering what happens i buy one and string it left handed - people say you have to get it converted but i'm actually wondering why you have to, and could you just string it left handed ?

Answer
The problem would be with the string nut at the end of the fretboard by the tuners. The six slots are each cut and filed to the width of the string that goes through them. The fat strings won't have a slot big enough and will tend to pop out while the thin ones will have too wide a slot and may buzz.
It is an rather easy fix for a guitar tech but is time consuming as everything is done by hand. The nut must be taken out, it's glued in. Then a new one must be matched to the neck and all the slots made the right width, spacing, and depth. It is not real cheap to do. The last nut I had replaced was just worn out from use. It cost about $40 US if I remember right. It was done the same time my favorite tech dressed the frets to eliminate all the worn spots.
It might be necessary to replace the bridge depending how much angle is built in. The thin strings are usually a bit shorter to aid in harmonics when you play up the neck. That's more complicated

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What's the way to go when buying and building an electric guitar kit?

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Jennifer

My son wants to build a guitar and suggested a build-it-yourself kit, but wonders which one to buy and which is the easiest?

Answer
Maybe this belongs in the Entertainment & Music category -- but anyway.

I have been an electric guitar player for decades and about 8 years ago I built a guitar from a kit. (It's called the Saga Guitar Kit and goes for $100 and I think it's well worth it).
I would suggest that anyone planning on building a kit guitar should have a lot of familiarity with how guitars are constructed. Among other things, completing such a project with a playable guitar requires filing the nut, adjusting the truss rod, intonating each string, and a great many other things. Are you or your son familiar with these terms? If not I would decide against buying a guitar kit or buying parts to build one.

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How do I keep a guitar string from coming out of its notch?

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Matt C

On a guitar there are six notches near the head that keep the strings in place. Every time I play my guitar the third string from the bottom comes out of its notch. How do I fix it?

Answer
The piece with the notches is called the "nut." Under normal circumstances, the strings shouldn't be able to slip out of the slots. You don't mention the type of guitar and if there's any visible wear to the slots. Some guitars, usually electrics, are set up so that the tuning head is nearly in the same plane as the nut. This means that there isn't much downward pressure as the strings run over the nut. The solution is to use string hold-downs. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_parts/Electric_guitar:_String_trees_retainers/Traditional_Fender-style_String_Retainers.html If your guitar has these, make sure you have the strings running under them.

If your guitar wasn't designed with these, I have to wonder if there is something else going on. When you wind the strings around the tuning post, try to keep the winds low on the post. Take a close look at your nut. Does it show any signs of wear? Do the strings fit snugly in the slots? Have you changed to a heavier gauge string that doesn't seat all the way into the slot? If this is the case, you may need to carefully widen the slots with a file. The strings should come over the nut at roughly the same height as if it was a fret. Think of it as a zero fret.

If all else fails, you may have to replace the nut, but I think you should try to think when this started happening and what might have caused it....new strings? Guitar fell over and landed on the fretboard?

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How much would it cost to lower my acoustic guitar's action at a music store?

guitar nut files image

SomeRandom

Such as either turning the truss rod, and/or filing down the nut, and/or filing down the saddle.

Answer
Generally a setup runs $30 to $45 depending on how much they do. The last time I just had action set it was $20. Yeah I could do it myself but I won't do as good of a job as a professional that has done thousands of guitars.

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What happens if you string a right handed guitar into a left without converting?

guitar nut files image

kirstyyyyy

I really don't know anything about guitars, but i play left handed and can't find a left handed martin backpacker travel guitar anywhere in the uk.
I'm wondering what happens i buy one and string it left handed - people say you have to get it converted but i'm actually wondering why you have to, and could you just string it left handed ?

Answer
The problem would be with the string nut at the end of the fretboard by the tuners. The six slots are each cut and filed to the width of the string that goes through them. The fat strings won't have a slot big enough and will tend to pop out while the thin ones will have too wide a slot and may buzz.
It is an rather easy fix for a guitar tech but is time consuming as everything is done by hand. The nut must be taken out, it's glued in. Then a new one must be matched to the neck and all the slots made the right width, spacing, and depth. It is not real cheap to do. The last nut I had replaced was just worn out from use. It cost about $40 US if I remember right. It was done the same time my favorite tech dressed the frets to eliminate all the worn spots.
It might be necessary to replace the bridge depending how much angle is built in. The thin strings are usually a bit shorter to aid in harmonics when you play up the neck. That's more complicated

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