NGD - Rainsong Parlor 12 Fret

[SprintBob]

Bit the bullet and bought a mint 1 year old Rainsong Parlor 12 fret with tobacco burst that was delivered today. So far I like the sound and feel in my hands but the action is too high for me. Is the best way to lower the action to go with reducing the saddle height? This guitar has a truss rod but I don't believe it is intended for changing the action, only for tweaking the neck relief.

I'm used to and like the action of my Taylors and the Parlor has significantly higher action. Any other RS owners done the same?

Thanks!

[Doubleneck]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Bit the bullet and bought a mint 1 year old RS Parlor 12 fret with tobacco burst that was delivered today. So far I like the sound and feel in my hands but the action is too high for me. Is the best way to lower the action to go with reducing the saddle height? This guitar has a truss rod but I don't believe it is intended for changing the action, only for tweaking the neck relief.

I'm used to and like the action of my Taylors and the RS has significantly higher action. Any other RS owners done the same?

Thanks!

You should be able to take down the action very easily on a Rainsong. Very consistent necks. I would first buy a Tusq saddle and keep the original intact. They use the same Tusq saddle as Taylor I believe. The relief is probably fine but check it and the majority if not all the adjustment will be in sanding the saddle. Always keep the original saddle as a reference point.

[Captain Jim]

A lowered saddle made a significant difference in playing ease with my Shorty (same neck as your P-12). That's where I'd start. My Shorty now plays as easy as my Taylors, keeping in mind the NS neck is a thicker profile.

Enjoy your new Parlor - great sound in a very comfortable size. Congrats.

Captain Jim

[TBman]

I can't see it, therefore it doesn't exist, lol.

[kramster]

Originally Posted by TBman

I can't see it, therefore it doesn't exist, lol.

I see what you mean

[jdinco]

Fun guitar! Congrats, sure would be nice to see the proof though!
And like the others, my Shorty is set with what i would call low action and plays VERY comfortably. You'll get it there.

[BillDuck]

Could be one or all of three things. Saddle height, neck relief and nut slot depth. Before lowering the saddle, I like to make sure the relief and nut slot depth are correct. May as well do everything at one time.

[Doubleneck]

Originally Posted by BillDuck

Could be one or all of three things. Saddle height, neck relief and nut slot depth. Before lowering the saddle, I like to make sure the relief and nut slot depth are correct. May as well do everything at one time.

Rainsongs are so consistent it won't be the slot depth. You may flatten out the relief a slight bit, but the bulk will be the saddle.

[SprintBob]

Here's the link to my Photobucket album of my new Parlor:

http://s44.photobucket.com/user/Spri...?sort=3&page=1

I spent the early morning playing the Parlor along side my GSM. I bought the Parlor based on playing a Shorty at my local Rainsong dealer who did not have a Parlor in stock and did not know when they would have one. The Shorty has a "bigger" sound than my GSM (I had the GSM with me to A/B against the Shorty). The Parlor and the GSM to my ear are very similar in sound. The GSM has a warmer sound to it (Mahogany top) but has a touch less clarity and not as much low end as the Parlor. The Parlor also sounds a touch brighter. I like the wider nut on the Parlor, one of the reasons I was motivated to change. The necks are interesting. Measuring at the second fret, the thickness looked to be 20 mm for the GSM and 21 mm for the Parlor. The width looked to be 44 mm for GSM and 45 mm for the Parlor. But the Parlor just looks bigger even though the differences appear to be only 1 mm.

The biggest difference is the action. All my other guitars are Taylors and the lower action works a lot better for me so I am going to order a new saddle for the Parlor to get the action similar to my Taylors. At this point, it seems like more effort to play the Parlor.

I'm pleased with my purchase. The peace of mind to take the Parlor anywhere on a plane or in a hot car, the wider nut width, and the similarity to a guitar I really like has made me happy with my purchase. Oh, and the looks of the Parlor are certainly beautiful. The build quality is excellent. She's a looker for sure.

[Doubleneck]

No question a Rainsong's action can be lowered to play probably better than a Taylor, certainly as good. Good luck with your sanding. The difference in necks is the profile not really the thickness. Rainsongs have beefy edges, Taylors slope away from the edge.

[SprintBob]

After reading that the saddle in the Parlor is the same Tusk saddle used by Taylor, I confirmed that with Rainsong and then realized I had a spare Tusk saddle out of my GS Mini (when I upgraded the saddle to a Colosi bone saddle).
I measured the Parlor saddle against the GSM saddle and then went to sanding the base of the GSM saddle. After sanding and re-installing the saddle, I tweaked the truss rod 1/4 turn and voila the action seems just right and the guitar's playability improved greatly. Might be a figmnent of my hearing but the guitar's tone seems to have improved also. I'm quite happy with the results.

[Captain Jim]

Glad to hear that worked for you. One concern I had about lowering the saddle was the potential for fret buzz when strumming - turned out to be no issue at all.

Enjoy!

[TBman]

Nice looking guitar, enjoy it. Here's the pic from your site:

[FlyFast]

Enjoy your new guitar. I have had its twin for a few months and I'm now contemplating selling off several guitars. The Rainsong and my resonator are the only ones that get playing time anymore.

[Jimmy Koh]

Hi Bob, would you like to share how much have you dropped the saddle height? A pic at the saddle area is much appreciated.

When I was considering a purchase of the Parlor, the fear of not able to drop the saddle height much stop me from buying it.