Amplified Acoustic Action Question!

[Guyus]

Hey guys!

So I recently had my action lowered on the saddle of my Martin which has an undersaddle pickup.
After the action change, I have found that when I am plugged in, the Martin is suddenly sounding a little more on the trebley/brighter side and more prone to feedback.
I was just wondering does lowering the action change and/or effect the tone and response of an undersaddle pickup? Does it make it more sensitive to feedback? I will also add that because of the lower action I do now have some string buzz but would this effect the pickup also?
I'm going crazy trying to figure out why this has suddenly happened to my tone and it's perculiar that it has only happened after I've lowered the action.

Hope this isn't a noob question but can't seem to find any info on this.

Huge thanks and appreciation if anyone can help!

[YamahaGuy]

Too low of action can make an acoustic guitar lose some amplitude acoustically, which in turn can be a detriment to the plugged in tone as well, since the strings don't get a chance to activate the top, bracing, and pickup as they normally would. With undersaddle pickups, if the shape of the saddle bottom doesn't match the profile of the pickup, imbalance across the strings can occur and so usually the strings on one side (bass) or the other (treble) or on the outside strings, or in just the middle strings, ring out much louder when plugged in.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

Too low of action can make an acoustic guitar lose some amplitude acoustically, which in turn can be a detriment to the plugged in tone as well, since the strings don't get a chance to activate the top, bracing, and pickup as they normally would. With undersaddle pickups, if the shape of the saddle bottom doesn't match the profile of the pickup, imbalance across the strings can occur and so usually the strings on one side (bass) or the other (treble) or on the outside strings, or in just the middle strings, ring out much louder when plugged in.

Thinking along the same lines here.

How low is it now? (Both E's measured at the 12th fret, -- top of fret, bottom of string.) you ought to be some where around 5/64s B side 4/64s T side any lower than that, and it might have gone a bit too low.

[fingeryoga]

Yes , the lower you go the more you will have balance issues with an under saddle pickup , this is why I switched to a baggs lb-6 . Holds up very well and I have my action super low.

[shufflebeat]

Generally agree with the above except I haven't found that overall pressure itself on the pickup affects string balance significantly.

What does make a difference is the (break) angle at which the string drops over and behind the saddle which, in turn, is a product of saddle height and anchor point position. This may be another way of describing what others have said.

Also, a lower action will result in less clearance for the string to vibrate before rattling against the fingerboard/frets which will choke off the higher end of dynamic range, particularly on lower notes but will not restrict higher frequencies, possibly adding to the subjectively "brighter" sound you describe.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Guyus

Hey guys!

So I recently had my action lowered on the saddle of my Martin which has an undersaddle pickup.
After the action change, I have found that when I am plugged in, the Martin is suddenly sounding a little more on the trebley/brighter side and more prone to feedback.
I was just wondering does lowering the action change and/or effect the tone and response of an undersaddle pickup? Does it make it more sensitive to feedback? I will also add that because of the lower action I do now have some string buzz but would this effect the pickup also?
I'm going crazy trying to figure out why this has suddenly happened to my tone and it's perculiar that it has only happened after I've lowered the action.

Hope this isn't a noob question but can't seem to find any info on this.

Huge thanks and appreciation if anyone can help!

What's likely happening is that the vibrational arcs of the strings are grounding out more on the frets when fingering chords and notes than it was before having your action lowered. Whether you're playing amplifed or not, this results in more string buzz, less clarity of tone, and less volume. Adjusting your playing attack can compensate somewhat for the diminishing of clarity of tone as will also increasing your neck-relief a bit. Also, maybe have a saddle made that's half-way in height between what you had and what you now have?

[shufflebeat]

I suspect slightly heavier strings would be a good idea. Assuming your setup was a good one and the frets are even, heavier strings will produce a clearer, fuller bottom end at source and also pull the action slightly higher, mitigating the rattle in the process.

Your question about fret buzz and the pickup is a valid one. Assuming again that your pickup is a UST, it senses the sound direct from the string which is where the buzz is most apparent so well worth sorting the buzz out.

A SBT would be slightly more forgiving but not much.

[Guyus]

Thanks for responses!

I think I might have brought the saddle down too much, and to be honest I was stupid in not really thinking about the UST when bringing it down as this is the first one i've owned. To be honest I would prefer a slightly higher action for better tone I think. New saddle is on it's way so a trip to my guitar tech will be happening ASAP!

Thanks again for all of your help guys!

[shufflebeat]

Try experimenting with a few shims of printing paper (thick and easy to cut) to see if it makes the difference.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by Guyus

Thanks for responses!

I think I might have brought the saddle down too much, and to be honest I was stupid in not really thinking about the UST when bringing it down as this is the first one i've owned. To be honest I would prefer a slightly higher action for better tone I think. New saddle is on it's way so a trip to my guitar tech will be happening ASAP!

Thanks again for all of your help guys!

I have a Martin OMAura with stupid low action. So low that at times I have to adjust the truss rod more often than any of my other guitars. Especially if I want to use a capo high up on the neck. All depends on the humidity and how it's changed. But the strings are very balanced sounding both acoustically and through the Aura system. And I use 11s due to my arthritis issues.

Based on that experience, plus lots of other plugged in experience, I'd first look at the bottom of the saddle to make sure it's perfectly flat. If it's not making consistent contact with the piezo, the strings can be unbalanced.

[shufflebeat]

Do bear in mind that it's perfectly possible to have a super low action on the fretboard while having a high saddle and steep break angle depending on the body/neck angle.

Otherwise your comment is spot on.