davidl Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Hi folks, I usually lurk around the electric side of the forum but have some questions about an old acoustic. I've done the serial number research and determined that it is a 1967 B-15 student model with the adjustable bridge. This guitar belongs to a work colleague and I have agreed to take a look at it and set it up for her to the best of my ability. The body and neck appear to be in wonderful shape. VERY little wear and tear but it is obvious that the action is terrible. Are there any recommendations on setup procedures? (which way to turn the nut for the truss rod etc.) any advice on adjusting the bridge or any other tips? She isn't expecting any miracles but I'd like to clean it up and improve playability. Note: I have done truss rod adjustments and am very aware that caution is a must. Thanks in advance. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Dave, There are really good articles on trussrod adjustment and general setup on Marguerite Pastella's website, fretnot.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 Dave, There are really good articles on trussrod adjustment and general setup on Marguerite Pastella's website, fretnot.com. Thanks very much J45nick. Appreciated. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Are there any recommendations on setup procedures? (which way to turn the nut for the truss rod etc.) any advice on adjusting the bridge or any other tips? Setup is really straightforward provided that you only intend to adjust the truss rod and the bridge: adjust the truss rod to get the desired neck relief (turning clockwise => tightening => less relief), then adjust the bridge height for the desired string height at the 12th fret. If you can't lower the bridge enough to get the neck height where you want it, the guitar has structural problems -- over-arched top, bad neck angle, or something -- that a setup can't fix. Have an expert repair person check it out. If you have a set of nut files (which I suspect you don't, given the question) using them to get the nut slot depths right can make a huge difference to playability, especially in the first position. As a check, fret each string between the second and third frets and check the gap between the string and the first fret. There should be one, but, the smaller, the better. (A gap that is too small to see, but still getting a little "ping" from the string making contact with the fret when you press on it near the fret, is great.) A significant gap means that the guitar is much harder to play than necessary. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Setup is really straightforward provided that you only intend to adjust the truss rod and the bridge: adjust the truss rod to get the desired neck relief (turning clockwise => tightening => less relief), then adjust the bridge height for the desired string height at the 12th fret. If you can't lower the bridge enough to get the neck height where you want it, the guitar has structural problems -- over-arched top, bad neck angle, or something -- that a setup can't fix. Have an expert repair person check it out. If you have a set of nut files (which I suspect you don't, given the question) using them to get the nut slot depths right can make a huge difference to playability, especially in the first position. As a check, fret each string between the second and third frets and check the gap between the string and the first fret. There should be one, but, the smaller, the better. (A gap that is too small to see, but still getting a little "ping" from the string making contact with the fret when you press on it near the fret, is great.) A significant gap means that the guitar is much harder to play than necessary. -- Bob R Great advice. Thanks. What I did notice is that the bridge is actually lifting on the back end. I think it may have been refinished and the bridge glued back on. My big concern is that the wrong glue was used and if I try to remove it and reset it I may actually remove wood as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Great advice. Thanks. What I did notice is that the bridge is actually lifting on the back end. I think it may have been refinished and the bridge glued back on. My big concern is that the wrong glue was used and if I try to remove it and reset it I may actually remove wood as well. If you could post a few photos, including details of the bridge, it would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 If you could post a few photos, including details of the bridge, it would help. +1 If the bridge is lifting, getting it off without top damage can be an issue, even if the right glue was used. The basic idea is to use heat to loosen the glue before trying to remove it, working a blade of some sort under the edge (going with the top grain rather than against, which may mean not starting on the side that's lifting), and gently prying -- repeating as necessary until the bridge is free. (The usual heat source is a heat lamp, which requires thermal protection everywhere the lamp is illuminating other than the bridge.) To my mind, this is best left to a pro who's done a few hundred bridge reglues, but it's certainly possible to give it a go on your own. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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