Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza
Some good advice here... I would add that a "stiff" playing guitar is not just caused by string height alone. The design of the guitar itself, such as:
1) break angle at the nut, and also
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Hey, Louie. Thanks for weighing in. What leads to stiffness?
More break angle or
less?
And you're definitely talking about the
nut, and not the saddle...right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza
2) whether the strings are sticking at the nut
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You mean as if the nut slots are too narrow?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza
3) how much string length there is behind the nut, can be a factor.
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Which leads to stiffness?
More string length behind the nut, or
less?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza
4) a neck with relief plays easier than one that's dead straight.
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Exactly the
opposite of what I thought! Oh, brother...
I dialed the neck relief down to .008" thinking it would result in
minimal stiffness because
distance from string to fret would be minimized at mid-neck... Where I am going wrong on this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza
5) Top "compliance" can be a small factor.
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Can you explain briefly?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza
6) Finally strings. For example I find Ernie Ball aluminum bronze strings a little slacker than their Everlast phosphor bronze of the same gauge.
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Yeah, I've been chasing my tail on the strings issue. I'm trying to find strings that 1) sound good, 2) provide the lowest tension appropriate to the tuning and style of play, and 3) last a reasonably long time. Man, my head is spinning...
There are just so many options, and I can't afford the time or money to buy "one of each" just to "test and toss".
I like
D'Addario strings in general, and they're cheap and relatively ubiquitous, so I'm considering the following, just as a
starting point:
A. I'm setting my dreadnought up for fingerstyle in standard tuning.
EJ16
B. I'm setting up it's twin sister (with cutaway) for alternate tunings with more strumming.
EJ24
C. I'm setting up my cherished Gurian JR for high-strung / Nashville tuning.
EJ38H
The D'Addario tension seems a bit lower than some of the competing brands, and especially the High-Strung set at about 120lbs total vs. 180lbs for a competitor I researched recently. That's a BIG difference...