J-35 advice needed

[mickeyg]

Hey everybody!

 

I just got a J-35 and so far I love it. Super light & lively, great tone with the stock strings, bright but somehow chunky-sounding at the same time.

 

It's also LOUD! While that's usually considered a good thing, I think it may be a little too much for me - it feels like it's almost overpowering my singing. The strings also feel a bit hard, probably because of the slightly higher action than my other guitar, an all-solid Sigma 000-18 copy.

 

What strings or setup tweaks do you recommend to make it easier to play and a bit quieter, while not losing the great tone?

 

I was thinking moving down to 11s, possibly D'addario 80/20 coated as they're a bit warmer sounding than uncoated, to offset the drop in gauge.

 

Another option would probably be to lower the action via saddle or truss rud adjustment, but I'm worried about fret buzz - i strum a lot on this guitar and I wouldn't want that.

 

Any ideas/advice?

 

Thanks!

[jvi]

I would suggest sticking with 12s, and give some time to get used to the action, the lighter strings and lower action would likely affect the tone in a negative way.I would bet that, with time, you will adapt and enjoy the guitar as is - j

[rct]

It's a tough one that I see lots of acoustic players have to deal with, so plenty of sage advice coming your way in here.

 

My advice is to right now stop thinking of the truss as a way to "lower the action". It isn't, and you'll just give yourself more problems if it isn't a part of an overall setup involving the saddle, nut, and whatever gauge you decide on.

 

Good luck, it is not at all insurmountable.

 

rct

[Pittgibson45]

You should be able to lower the action a little bit by sanding down the saddle. I don't think I would touch the truss rod, unless it is obvious that it needs it.If you are worried about buzz, take it to a tec. It won't cost much. If you get the saddle lowered a little, I doubt it will lose much volume. If you want to quite it down, try a thinner pick. The J 35 has that advanced bracing that leaves the lower bout open more than a standard X brace, so they have that added volume, or at least different volume. My J 35's action is a little high also, but it isn't high enough that I have bothered to change it. These are great guitars! Enjoy it. If you do lower the saddle and don't like it, you can always change it back.

[Buc McMaster]

The J-35 is a very loud guitar and, to my ear, quite brash. Lowering the action does, in general, tend to reduce volume but such things are best left to an expert if you're not a competent guitar adjuster. Phosphor bronze strings would tame some of the harshness, as would using a round-nosed pick. Your string attack also has a great influence on tone and volume. I suspect your ear is tuned to the Sigma and a 000 body shape...........a J-35 is a whole different beast. I'd give it more time in service before doing too much to change things..........

[kidblast]

Truss rod is only going to alter the relief on the neck (forward bow, back bow, etc). Sight down the neck and using the E strings as your guide, you can gauge how straight the neck is. If you pull too much relief out, the notes are likely to start fretting out at the first 2 or three frets.

 

This will not lower action, if the neck has too much of a bow, that will effect how it plays but mostly in around the 5 to 10th frets.

 

Lowering the action is easy enough to do, but if your going to sand down the bridge, make sure you go about it properly. Check You Tube, there are some pretty decent tutorials.

I'd just look for someone if you're not experienced. But you can't ignore the nut either, it's often a good thing to have these things all addressed at once, and it would really be just a basic setup. it's not just knocking material off the saddle, the nut slots can be fine tuned as well which all adds to the play-ability effects.

 

I would tend to go with Buc's advice, play it for a bit, get used to it, then you will know what you want to change action wise from your current guitar, how it plays/feels in your hands.

 

You could try 11s but you may not like the way the smaller strings work the top. You'd have to try a set to see if they work for you. The action will get a bit easier with the ligther strings, but you will loose some of the general out put and tone with the lighter gauge. which in your case may be part of what you're looking for.

 

for coating strings, I never liked D'Addrio's coated strings, don't like the feel at all. Try some Elixir phosphor bronze nano webs

[dhanners623]

Congrats on your purchase. I bought a '35 last summer and absolutely love it.

 

Volume (or dynamics) is something the player controls. If you want it loud, strum hard. If you want it quieter, use a lighter touch. Frankly, the guitar's setup is probably pretty good, being that it has been PLEK-icized and all. I'd be more inclined to experiment with different gauge picks than to go messing with the action. And stick with medium strings.

[mickeyg]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

Yeah I know adjusting the trussrod to alter action isn't exactly kosher, but i've done it (carefully and by a very small amount) on the Sigma and it seemed to work out for the tiny difference I was after. On the other hand, my one time trying to sand down a saddle (on a guitar I no longer own) was a bit of a disaster, so I'd better leave that to a pro. Anyway, I think you're right, I'll wait a few more weeks before doing any such adjustments and see how I'm adapting.

 

Getting a bit lower volume is actually something I'm very much after, more than an easier playing feel - which you're right, it's something you get used to. I already find it a bit easier to play than on Saturday when I brought it home.

 

I'm already using my quietest/softest sounding picks on it (the dunlops with the alligator, i forget what they're called) and it definitely makes a difference, but i would still like a bit lower volume so it works better with my voice. Sometimes when I get excited, or when the song requiers a harder attack, it's hard to keep up with the guitar, volume-wise.

 

Do you guys know any 80/20 strings that are a bit quieter than the Gibsons that came with the guitar, so I can stay with 12 gauge? I tried phosphor bronze but I didn't like them at all with the J35, they sounded a bit metallic and killed that wonderful woody dryness i was hearing before. So I think I'll stick to 80/20 bronze for now.

[mickeyg]

Oh and unfortunately the guitar isn't plekd, it's actually NOS from 2014 - thats why i got it at a discount. But the setup generally seems ok, apart from intonation issues I attribute to its having 3 year old strings.

[kidblast]

The plek'd factor wont really attribute to the action, instead it's suppose to form a more consistent fret installation job, thereby reducing (somewhat) the chance of high / uneven frets.

 

The action will still be what the factory set action for these will be. gibson's "Standard setting" (afaik) is 6/64 Bass, 4/64s treble. Depending on humidity/climate conditions this can float by the time it gets to the buyer, 7/64s for example, would not be that unusual if the guitar has acclimated to a damper more humid env.

 

It's always a good plan to have a proper setup done after a few weeks of owning a new acoustic.

[Boyd]

After lots of experimentation, I started mixing gauges on all my guitars and have been really happy with this solution for the past couple years, although it costs more. I use the Martin Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze with the 3 upper strings coming from their Custom light set and 3 lower strings from a Medium set. This gives me nice solid bass with upper strings that can still be "bent" for blues. The result is:

 

E - .011

B - .015

G - .023

D - .035

A - .045

E - .056

[kelly campbell]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new guitar, I really like the 35 and will probably end up with one as well.

[dhanners623]

What about going with coated strings, ala Elixirs? The few times I've tried them, they seemed to push out less volume than my regular strings, D'Addario EJ-17s.

[NCtom]

I use Retros or John Pearse nickels, both 12-54's, on my J-35. They are not a lot quieter than phosphor bronze or 80-20's but don't seem to color the sound as much as other strings. I also tend to play it fingerstyle rather than use a pick.

[GDC]

Like you. 80/20s sound warmer to me. Elixirs 80/20 nano might be what you need. Also if you can find them, a set of rosewood bridge pins might help it. I think the J 35s are braced like the AJs and some brashness is just characteristic of those guitars. The pick you use probably has more impact on tone than bridge pins so you might try an assortment pack and play through them. Congrats on the new box. I bought one of those last week and really love it.

[mickeyg]

Thanks again for the advice, guys!

 

After one more week of playing the j35, I've come to the conclusion that the action is right where it needs to be and there's definitely no need to mess with the truss rod.

 

I'm betting the marginal volume decrease and playing comfort increase i'm after can be had just by changing strings. I'll try and stick with 12s.

 

So I'm thinking either Elixir Nano 80/20s, D'Addario EXP 80/20s or D'Addario Nickel Bronze as these are the most readily available where I'm at.

 

What would you guys recommend? Which is better for volume (less of it), tone, comfort?

 

As a sidenote, I'm loving this guitar more and more each day. It's really versatile, it has that rootsy sound that's great for blues, open tuning slide work, but it's also bright enough for keith richards or jimmy page style acoustic pieces. Pretty damn cool! I just need to quieten it a bit and then I'm good to go.

[Buc McMaster]

Volume is more a function of the guitar build and the woods used. It is what it is and one maker's set of .012s is not going to be much different from another volume-wise. Tonally, yes, to a degree, but volume is the strings driving the top and, in that respect, a .012 gauge set is....well........a .012 gauge set, mo matter who made it. You'll have to lighten your attack or, when the tune calls for more guitar volume, you might learn to sing louder. Vocal dynamics is a wonderful thang!