It cuts like an axe

April 29, 2009 1:15 PM

I bought my partner a cheapie guitar, but fretting its strings is incredibly uncomfortable compared with my own cheapie guitar (with the same light gauge strings). What could be causing the difference, and how do I fix it?

The problem is that the strings feel as though they're cutting into your fingers as you fret. Do this mean the action is too high? Frets too big?

It's obvious from the question, but I'm just a noodler and don't know the first thing about these kind of adjustments.

(To be clear, the new guitar hurts me a lot more than than mine does too.)

posted by hayvac to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (18 answers total)

Action is too high.
posted by davejay at 1:22 PM on April 29, 2009

look on both ends of the neck for a screw which you can adjust. usually it is on the head, but not always for both acoustics and electrics. that'll change your action, jackson. it may be safest to take it to a shop if you do not know exactly what you are doing.

(this holds unless her guitar has a floyd rose tremelo)
posted by the aloha at 1:22 PM on April 29, 2009

If it is an acoustic geetar as I suspect it is the screw to adjust the truss rod might be at the head end of the neck or accessible through the opening in the body. I did a search and came across this which you might find to be helpful: http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2001-05-01_geneimbody1.shtml. It has a nice diagram and whatnots thought I didn't read the whole thing. Bear in mind that there are several reasons the action might be too high. This is a good place to start, but don't just go crankin' away on that screw...baby steps are best.
posted by Gainesvillain at 1:35 PM on April 29, 2009

I'd take it to a shop and ask for an estimate. Depending on the cause, it may be a simple adjustment (as the aloha mentions) or something costing more than the value of the guitar (a new bridge on a flat top or a neck reset). If it's the latter, you'd be better off investing in a better guitar.
posted by tommasz at 1:35 PM on April 29, 2009

Sorry aloha, but that's bad advice-- you're directing them to the truss rod, which adjusts the curve of the neck. It's pretty easy to ruin the neck of a guitar adjusting the truss rod if you don't know what you are doing. The first place you go to adjust the action on a guitar is the bridge.

Generally there is either a pair of wheels, one at either side of the bridge, that can be adjusted up or down, or each string saddle will have a pair of allen screws to adjust the height. Just lower the bridge until it feels comfortable, but not so low that the strings begin to buzz. If you have to adjust each individual string you'll want to be careful not to lower the middle ones more than the outer ones. When looking down the neck, the strings should form a curve parallel to the fretboard radius.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this, take it to a music shop for a set up. Usually runs $25 or so.
posted by InfidelZombie at 1:36 PM on April 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

correction filter:
i really misthought that one out. i will try to not have quick fingers on keyboard in giving advice in the future. for all of these steps, go to a shop. even if you are a carpenter, it'll be better if the tech shows you before doing this on your own. the last thing you need to do is ruing your ladies sound.

if acoustic, it'll be easiest and less painful to sand down the saddle.
if electric, adjust as i had described. what you would tell the tech to do is "adjust the truss rod".
if only a few strings are painful on either acoustic or electric you can file the nut.
you could also get her frets lowered on either an acoustic or electric, but that is the much more time-intensive and professional last resort method.
posted by the aloha at 1:37 PM on April 29, 2009

infidelzombie is correct to scold me.
posted by the aloha at 1:38 PM on April 29, 2009

Response by poster: It's an acoustic guitar -- sorry for leaving that out. I don't think it has wheels or screws at the bridge; I suspect I'll have to sand down the saddle or buy a smaller one.

I guess I'll google some action-lowering tutorials. The guitar's cheap enough that even if I ruin it the loss won't be too bad.
posted by hayvac at 1:54 PM on April 29, 2009

a simple thing you can do is put a capo on the 1st fret and have it there all the time. Then if you want it to be in tune with other guitars you drop the pitch of each string by a semitone (1 fret) so it sounds the same as if there were no capo. It will not make much difference to learning to play (other than making it easier to play, which helps when learning).
posted by jcwilliams at 2:23 PM on April 29, 2009

If it's a real cheap guitar I wouldn't pay anyone to work on it (<>
Personally I think crappy instruments are sometimes worse than none at all because they tend to be no fun to play at all for the very people who need to know that playing music can be fun. Just a thought.
posted by sully75 at 2:39 PM on April 29, 2009

That was supposed to say under $250 or so.
posted by sully75 at 2:45 PM on April 29, 2009

InfidelZombie must be talking about electric guitars--that's the only place I've seen such screws and wheels and such. I'd go with the aloha's (first) advice--I've played with my truss rod (har har) with good effect on several occasions. Yes, baby steps, like 1/4 turn at a time, but it's a cheap guitar, right, so what do you have to lose? To me, part of the fun of playing guitar is maintaining it myself, but I'm kinda handy that way.
posted by MrMoonPie at 4:29 PM on April 29, 2009

Oh God, don't do it yourself. You could so, so easily just ruin a decent enough guitar. Go to a shop and spring for the setup - tell them you are looking for lower action, greater playing comfort on the fretboard.

Seriously, you saved money on the guitar. Don't throw away the full price of the guitar by monkeying around with the truss rod OR the bridge when it's not a skill you have. A setup is standard with the purchase of a new guitar at an instrument shop - if that's where you got it - take it back and ask! If you got it from a discount chain, then you saved there. So now, pay a pro to give it a proper setup.

Don't listen to people who run down "cheap" guitars. I play professionally and for years I've kept two main instruments: a cheap "beater" and a better guitar by a good maker. The beater travels, goes camping, goes on vacation. The good guitar gets coddled. However: the biggest difference between cheapie and good is how they age. A good guitar will sound better in 20 years; a cheapie, not as good. STill - a cheap guitar is highly, highly servicable and my current (Johnson) has well over 10 years on it and still plays great. It even has some brightness and forwardness my Martin doesn't. What's more, I don't freak out when I hand it over to someone to play a tune or two, or when I check it in airline baggage. Cheap guitars pay dividends. They're worth having and taking care of. Treat it well, and it'll treat you well, and you'll get far more out of it than you ever put into it. A $25 setup isn't much when you have 10 years' great playability ahead. Take it to a pro.
posted by Miko at 8:13 PM on April 29, 2009

...or if you do, baby steps, like MrMoonPie says.
posted by Miko at 8:14 PM on April 29, 2009

If you decide to lower the action by sanding down the saddle yourself don't rush it. Take off a 1/32 at a time and then play it for a week or two. I recently over did it lowering the action of a cheap Hohner that someone gave me. It started out at 3/16 at the 12th fret and I got it down to 3/32 (which was a recommended height I found online). I should have stopped there as the action had gone from masochistic to playable but I got greedy and decided to lower it another 32nd and it was great for about 3 weeks then the guitar developed horrible buzzing on the high E. I ended up having to shim it back up and at some point I'll need to get a new saddle.
posted by JulianDay at 9:08 PM on April 29, 2009

Miko, I hear what you are saying BUT I think there is a difference between a cheap guitar (the yamaha I've had for 10 years with worn out frets that is not exactly in tune but not terrible), and a cheapo guitar (some warped to crap thing that will never bring anyone pleasure). I guess it depends on what this guitar is. Seeing as the OP didn't give it a name, I was assuming some horrible Chinese monster.
posted by sully75 at 4:58 AM on April 30, 2009

I don't think there's an appreciable difference. The one I referred to, my cheapie, is made in China and retails for under $99. It has lasted ten years, plays well with a tone I enjoy, and has been worth the investment in a setup. Of course a cheap guitar can bring people pleasure - "horrible Chinese monster" or not. I think there's a needless prejudice against low-end instruments; they can make fantastic music. For Pete's sake, Leadbelly and Blind Willie McTell played Stellas. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a cheap guitar, and the fact that something doesn't cost a lot and isn't built to last forever doesn't make it garbage. Those guitars have a place, and the hands of a beginning/casual player or someone looking to protect higher-end guitars is that place.
posted by Miko at 7:00 AM on April 30, 2009

Response by poster: To dispel the mystery, the guitar is a no-name (literally has no name on it) piece that I bought for $50. It came in a box. The reasons I got it were a) I didn't know whether she'd enjoying playing it (it was a surprise gift) so I didn't want to spend a lot until we got a sense of that, and b) she needed a thinner-bodied guitar due to short arms and the only ones they had that size were cheapies.

Trip report: I sanded off 80 per cent of the saddle (according to the measuring techniques I found online it's still too high, but I don't have the guts to sand further), and it's about a million times less painful to play. Now I'm worried that it'll start buzzing in three weeks, but at least I know what to do now.

Now that she can play it without blood gouting from her fingertips, we'll see how she likes it and, if she does, her next birthday present can be an upgrade.

Thanks everyone!
posted by hayvac at 10:52 AM on April 30, 2009