#1
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Thoughts about low action nylon guitar
Hi! This weekend I decided to adjust the saddle on my guitar. I don't play classical music, I use the nylon guitar for fingerpicking.
I had some spare bone saddle pieces and I've decided to use wood shimmings to mess around the height while having the "partial" bone saddle on top. I finally settled with 3.5mm on the bass and 2.5mm on the treble at the 12th fret (both E strings, of course). I also liked having 4mm on the bass and 3mm on the trebles. Just for an experiment, I installed the bone saddle without the wood shimming underneath it, and got a hair over 2.5mm on the bass and 2mm treble, 12th fret. To my amazement, the guitar plays without buzz! Except if I dig in... It's strung with Daddario nylons, normal tension. I'd really like anyone to chip in with some opinions and ideas about that. I got really surprised and loved the feel of the guitar like this. Yes, I eventually get buzzing, but no more than I got before anyway. If I pluck the strings hard, I get a "snap" which actually sounds good, making the guitar more percussive and brighter, especially the trebles. Question is: does anyone have/had a nylon with such a low action? I confess I don't know what's going on, when I installed the saddle without the shimming, I was expecting buzz all around, which didn't happen. I'd like to know why it works! |
#2
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That was a large part of Jerry reed's sound - the lightest nylon strings he could get and super low action on a cheapo Harmony classical
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#3
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My nylon string guitar is set up at about 2.75mm and 2.25mm on the low E and high E respectively at the 12th fret. Works for me. How level the frets are, the tension of the strings, and how one plays the guitar are some of the variables that will affect how low one can go with the action before getting fret buzz.
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#4
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My left hand didn't like high tension strings particularly when playing barre chords, so my preference is normal tension.
I was in love with really low action for a while, but wasn't happy with my tone on the 1st and 2nd strings. It was really bad when I used a capo on the 3rd or 4th fret for a few songs. I'm now at about 4mm on the bass strings and 3.5mm on the 1st strings at the 12th fret. Quote:
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2003 Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe 2019 Cordoba C-12 Cedar 2016 Godin acoustic archtop 2011 Godin Jazz model archtop |
#5
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My Camps flamenca xame with 2.5mm and 3mm as its set up. This company pays close attention to set up. I like it and use normal tension carbon strings
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Christian Guitar: Camps Primera Negra A (a flamenco guitar) Strings: Aquila SugarAquila Rubino, Knobloch CX, Aquila Alchemia I play: Acoustic blues & folk Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/sirwhale28/videos |
#6
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Many classically trained players have a powerful right hand and need the action higher so the notes sound loud and clear. If you don't need that, then by all means lower the action. 2mm and 2.5mm is quite within the reasonable side of any limits.
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Brian Evans Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia. |
#7
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My GK studio Negra came with very low action, and minimal buzz. It's a great guitar for speedy playing. However,when there is less humidity in the winter it gets too buzzy for my taste... even with keeping the guitar and house humidified. I may have the action raised at some point, but haven't gotten around to it. I prefer regular tension on my other guitar which has more typical action, but this one only likes high tension.
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#8
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Quote:
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#9
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As a general rule, comfort is what matters. The standard set up for a classical at the 12th fret is 4mm / 3mm on the 6th and 1st respectively. To lower it, a .5mm you need 1 mm of bone. Flamenco players seeking a fast action will go to 2.5mm or lower on the 6th, and 2mm on the 1st, and even tolerate some buzzing. There is a price to be paid however as one lowers the action, namely as you lower the saddle, the brake-angle of the string over it become increasingly shallow, and will change the tone and power of the guitar-- usually not for the better. One should forget as well that the height of strings over the nut may be an issue as well. Often, what is driving people to want to lower the action is a bow in the neck. If this is the case, lowering the action may help, but doesn't really address the underlying problem. Personally, I'd go to a luthier to have set up work done properly.
James Greenberg, owner Zavaleta's La Casa de Guitarras |
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Tags |
low action, nylon, nylon acoustic |
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