Action of Guitar Store Acoustics

[jfam]

At local Guitar Center, found many brand new acoustic guitars had action set very high by first fret. Most were .040" at high E string, some even higher, as measured using high quality string action ruler/gauge. Sales guy stated that he thought the Yamaha APX600 was at manufacturer spec . At 12th feet it was probably in spec, but was over .040" at first and he didnt seem to get or care about what I was saying. Yamaha web site states even .022" at first fret is on the high side but is a good starting point for setup. Many other sites and tutorials recommend a little lower than .020". I picked up a couple that were closer to .020" at first fret and were much easier to barre a standard F chord, but I didnt like the style of them. My guess is manufacturers keep it high by nut so there will be much less chance of buzzing due to shifting in the field because many would move to another guitar if they notice buzzing when trying it out in store. I bet it also makes it easier on retailer to have more slop so they dont have to make fine adjustments to each one to prevent buzzing. Am I missing something or is this common at large guitar retailers? Dont see why I should pay for custom setup when it's not really in spec. I am pretty new to acoustic guitars and would appreciate any info from those more experienced. I know with more practice I will probably be better able to barre a guitar this high, but would rather not battle high strings while also trying to learn so many other things if I could.

[RP]

Welcome to Acoustic Guitar Forum, jfam. Action is obviously an individual choice based on playing style. I'd think that the reason for leaving action on the high side rather than the low side is it's easier to lower than raise. Kind of like when my late father who considered himself a real jokester would say to his barber after a haircut, "Can you make it a little longer?"

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by jfam

My guess is manufacturers keep it high by nut so there will be much less chance of buzzing due to shifting in the field because many would move to another guitar if they notice buzzing when trying it out in store. I bet it also makes it easier on retailer to have more slop so they dont have to make fine adjustments to each one to prevent buzzing.

So most parts fitted to a guitar are pre fabricated at the factory or purchased in bulk from say a smaller manufacturer of those parts.

Your plastic nut is one of those items, they simply glue the nut in place put a set of strings on and ship it out, no setup happening, if too much glue goes under the nut for example you will have a higher string action, this is but one example.

Since a guitar is typically built in one climate and location and then can be shipped upwards of 10,000 miles away and a different climate, main stream manufacturers build instruments to have the strings on the slightly higher side to prevent warranty come backs, they rely on stores or local repairers to tweak instruments to a customers desires

Steve

[jfam]

I agree, it does make sense for manufacturers to leave action high for various reasons, my only problem is with retailers who have no interest to and dont offer to make adjustments when selling. I know my local Guitar Center would have had me walk out the door with any number of off the rack guitars with much higher action than what manufacturers actually recommend. I'm not even sure I will get their one tech to adjust one without paying for custom setup. Of course I'm willing to pay for setup if I have to, just dont think it's too much to ask for to have it setup properly when buying a brand new instrument. I'm sure experienced players understand when additional setup is necessary, but I bet many beginners dont realize and wind up struggling unnecessarily and may even quit due to frustration that could have been avoided. I guess this is just the way it is when shopping at large retailers? Makes a good case for supporting small guitar shops. Anyone know of good ones in Delaware? If not, any in Philadelphia?

[ClaptonWannabe2]

I always find it silly because most often it appears to be the truss rod. Many times I see a noticeable bow in the neck. Seems an easy fix.

[merlin666]

Guitar manufacturers set their guitars up in a very conservative way so it can suit most players. Players who have a very heavy right hand and who use thick strings to generate volume often prefer higher action. It is easier to lower the action for those who want it lower than to raise it for those who prefer higher. In any way, many manufacturers have the specs to what action their guitars are set published online or written down in the User Guide, so if the guitars in a store systematically deviate from manufacturer specs I would suspect that they may be over humidified in the acoustic room. You should complain about that to the store and the manufacturers, as authorized dealers are supposed to sell instruments to spec.