If your acoustic sounds a bit too jangly...

jaymenon

I discovered this today (duh...)

When the action is low, the strings can imperceptibly collide with the top of the frets (in a manner so subtle that I do not realise) that makes my guitar sound a little bit “thinner“ than I would like.

Today I installed a different saddle, 0.5mm taller - which of course raised the action by half that (0.25mm) at the 12th fret. DIY job on an acoustic.

it completely transformed the sound of the instrument which now sounds so much richer...

An easy experiment worth doing before you flog a guitar you don’t think you like (and then it sounds lovely in someone else’s hands).

It doesn’t matter if the action gets taken unplayably high. It will be more difficult the higher up the fingerboard you go - but you’ll still be able to play some cowboy chords in the first position to assess the tonal difference.

You can then always find a tech to lower it very slightly (or alternatively) place a 0.5mm bone shim under the existing saddle...

ICBM

I’ve been saying that for years .

Fret rattle affects the tone and volume quite noticeably before it becomes audible as actual rattle - what happens is that the initial string transient (which is about double the string excursion of the next oscillation) is clipped off by hitting the frets, and robs a lot of energy from the remaining vibration - but because it’s *only* the transient it’s hidden by the picking noise and you don’t really hear it.

The point at which the action is just high enough to avoid this is the ‘sweet spot’ - the tone really comes alive and develops the full amount of bass, volume and sustain. Raising it further barely improves it, if at all, and just makes it harder to play. The trick is to find that sweet spot... and then not to lose it by lowering the bridge too far.

jaymenon

@ICBM ;;What are you doing up so late my friend...?

...to think I had come up with something revolutionary  

DavidR

Moving up from your 11's, tuning up half a tone, playing less loud, raising saddle as described, trying fingerpicks. Or any combination of these! Low saddle actions on acoustics not loved by acoustic players which is why so many ship with 'high' actions. Fiddling with saddle often rewarding and easy to do. Get a height gauge. Buy a new saddlle if you cock it all up. Try bone.

Try different bridge pins while you're at it. Plastic, wood, bone, brass. And different strings. PB, 80/20, Monel, Chromes.

Hours of endless fun to find your favourite sound. 

How do people who don't play acoustic pass the time!!                 

drofluf

Probably by playing guitar rather than messing around with the sound

But where’s the fun in that. 

jellyroll

ICBM said:

I’ve been saying that for years .

Fret rattle affects the tone and volume quite noticeably before it becomes audible as actual rattle - what happens is that the initial string transient (which is about double the string excursion of the next oscillation) is clipped off by hitting the frets, and robs a lot of energy from the remaining vibration - but because it’s *only* the transient it’s hidden by the picking noise and you don’t really hear it.

The point at which the action is just high enough to avoid this is the ‘sweet spot’ - the tone really comes alive and develops the full amount of bass, volume and sustain. Raising it further barely improves it, if at all, and just makes it harder to play. The trick is to find that sweet spot... and then not to lose it by lowering the bridge too far.

Interesting to read this explanation as to why lowering the saddle has an almost binary impact on sustain/volume.

I’ve experienced this in my messing with saddle height and wondered why the effect was “all or nothing” ...,when in my mind the effect of lowering the saddle ought to be gradual as the break angle changes. 

oldhorsemurphy

DavidR said:

Moving up from your 11's, tuning up half a tone, playing less loud, raising saddle as described, trying fingerpicks. Or any combination of these! Low saddle actions on acoustics not loved by acoustic players which is why so many ship with 'high' actions. Fiddling with saddle often rewarding and easy to do. Get a height gauge. Buy a new saddlle if you cock it all up. Try bone.

Try different bridge pins while you're at it. Plastic, wood, bone, brass. And different strings. PB, 80/20, Monel, Chromes.

Hours of endless fun to find your favourite sound. 

How do people who don't play acoustic pass the time!!                 

Amen. I've just picked up a used J35 and have had to fettle a bit to make it right for me. To me it's far more rewarding than doing the same with Electric guitars and basses.

In fact , I'm thinking of applying for the next series of The Repair Shop.

*swipes covering away to reveal an absolute train wreck*

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry about that...."