Lowering of Action (ED-1)

[jesinspirment]

Hi Maestro staff,

I've recently acquired a Maestro ED-1, and I must say that the money is well spent. Absolute great sound, volume and tone.

However, just a question over here. I understand that all Maestro guitars are already pre-setup in factory. With regards to action, are they already at their lowest? I've played with some of my friends' guitars (e.g. Yamaha, Fender, Crafter etc), and their guitars have lower action than my ED-1, hence the strings are a lot easier to press. I actually wondered how the strings will not buzz given such a low action, so low that I can't believe it. :mrgreen:

Not that my ED-1 has high action. In fact it is great, though I wonder if it can be further lowered.

If it is possible to lower the action some more, how much will this cost? Not sure if this matters, but in case it does, I'm currently using Elixir gauge 12 strings.

Any reply will really be appreciated. Thanks!

PS: I'm very new to guitar in terms of both skills and the instrument itself, so be gentle with me haha!

 

[yucki8aby]

you can lower action further by playing medium gauge strings.

 

[sitkaspruce]

you can lower action further by playing medium gauge strings.

Wow yucki8aby, something new for me to learn. Can you please explain further?

Anyway, jesinspirment. Since it's a recent purchase, why not bring it back to tweak the neck or sand off the saddle a little. They should have no charge for it (should they?).

OR, was your guitar already at that kinda action the day you bought it but being a begineer, you have no knowledge of playability & mechanism of a guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-8xn3BOew4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdCZEKGVZfA

The above is just for reference. The adjustment can be easy or complicating. Go see a guitar tech in other shops for a 2nd opinion.

 

[edyeo123]

Some times it could be the way the guitar is built. I give you an example.

I've owned a J&D acoustic guitar (can't be compared to Maestro guitars btw) before. Decently built, came with solid top for a cheap price.

I checked the action and it was medium-low, which i don't think the action is comfortable for me. Hence, I asked the shop to lower the action a little more for better playability, but the saddle was pretty low and couldn't go lower anymore.

Btw, yucki8aby, the action doesn't change when you change to lighter gauge. It only makes the tension a little lighter.


In my opinion, you could make the playability a little easier but turning the truss rod, to make the neck with less relief.

 

[kerplunk182]

Again if you're not sure how to do it, bring it to a guitar tech instead of messing up the neck.

 

[Phil]

Hi jesinspirment

When it comes to setting the action, we tend to thread the middle line.

Different players with different styles would require different set-ups.

A heavy flat-picker would want a medium to higher action on his guitars, so that his heavy strumming and picking would not cause any buzzing. Actually, this applies to anyone with a heavier touch.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you have a very light touch and 'shred' a lot, a lower action might be more suitable. But with such low action, a heavier touch or strum would result in some audible fret-buzz. Contrary to popular belief, your strings do not vibrate up and down when you strike it. Heh.
They vibrate in an elliptical motion so you have to give it some room/space to vibrate.

So, to reiterate, we take the middle road. A low enough action that still allows fast passages, but high enough to take moderate to heavy strumming.

 

[undryoasis]

How to measure Action?

Do we measure the action by the distance between the string and the top of 12th fret? is it the same standard distance for all 6 strings? Understand it will be different standard distance for fingerstyle and strummer. Please help. Thanks!

 

[isaiah]

hi all,

u can bring your maestro down to the stores for truss rod adjustment. all my staff are trained to do it. if u still need lower action after that, then u would need to send it in for a proper setup.

regards,
isaiah