Sable adjustment

[tbeltrans]

As much as I really enjoy my McPherson Sable, it does play a bit stiff at the lower frets for the kinds of chords I play. Recently, I purchased a set of nut files for light/medium gauge strings and both the metric and inches string height gauges from StewMac.

Today, I finally worked up the courage to try doing some nut filing on my Sable. I have watched Marty Reynolds do it on one of my Touring guitars, so I figured it is worth a try. Besides, if I really mess it up, I could drive over to the McPherson factory and they could replace the nut.

Any, it went very well. It only takes very little filing. The danger is going too far and then having strings rattle against the frets. I did that ever so slightly on the A string, but was easily able to fix it. The rest of the strings came out perfect.

Most people go after the saddle first. I learned from Marty just how much a slight adjustment to the nut slots can affect playability. What I always find amazing is how such a tiny amount of nut slot filing can change the way the entire fretboard feels. The strings have much less tension and everything is so much easier to play all over the fretboard.

Before doing any adjustments, I compared string height measurements at the first fret and the 12 fret on my Sable and my Taylor K14ce Builder's Edition. The only difference I could find is that, even though both guitars have a 1 3/4" nut, the string spacing on the Sable is slightly wider than on the Taylor. The saddle spacing is identical. The necks feel the same too. Checking for neck bow, the Sable is identical to my Taylor, which was recently adjusted at the shop that does Taylor warranty service by factory trained people (in other words, perfect).

To me, my Sable has gone from an excellent instrument to a great instrument, perfectly capable of handling nice "jazzy" chords especially now that it plays so easily. So now I am not GASsing so much for an Emerald Kestrel (though I would love to have one)!

This is one reason I have two Sables and two Tourings. One is set up for fingerstyle jazz, and the other has the factory setup so I can tune the strings down for open tunings.

For anyone thinking of doing this, do so at your own risk though. If you have any doubts about doing it yourself. take it to a luthier that you trust with an expensive instrument. Since Marty has been seriously ill and is not taking customers right now, I don't know of somebody else to take it to that I trust as much as I do Marty. So I did it myself.

Remember that it doesn't take much to make a slot too low, causing twangy and buzzing strings. For this type of thing, patience is a virtue. Do just a very tine amount of filing and pop the string back in, very frequently through the process to make sure you don't go too far. You don't have to remove strings, in fact you really don't want to because you have to file/try/file/try in very small increments. Just loosen the string of the slot being filed and pop it over behind an adjacent string when filing, pop it back and tighten to test, repeat until done.

Tony

[Earl49]

Nice description Tony, and glad that it worked out. Slow and steady is definitely the way to go. I've messed up a few nut and saddle adjustments over the years, so I now tend to use a new part to preserve my starting point. I use a feeler gauge to set the proper low point and then file down against that. It helps me to avoid going too far. It takes discipline, but try not to make more than 2-3 passes with the file before checking again. Here is the technique:
https://www.stewmac.com/articles-and...lot-depth.html

I also bought this handy little string lifter tool from Stew-Mac, which means that it is not necessary to tune and de-tune repeatedly while making a dozen tiny adjustments.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ng-lifter.html

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Nice description Tony, and glad that it worked out. Slow and steady is definitely the way to go. I've messed up a few nut and saddle adjustments over the years, so I now tend to use a new part to preserve my starting point. I use a feeler gauge to set the proper low point and then file down against that. It helps me to avoid going too far. It takes discipline, but try not to make more than 2-3 passes with the file before checking again. Here is the technique:
https://www.stewmac.com/articles-and...lot-depth.html

I also bought this handy little string lifter tool from Stew-Mac, which means that it is not necessary to tune and de-tune repeatedly while making a dozen tiny adjustments.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ng-lifter.html

Thanks Earl. I should be able to get a set of feeler gauges at the local auto parts store, but maybe the set you linked has specific widths for guitar.

Tony

[Earl49]

Nothing specific to guitar. I got a cheap set at Harbor Freight Tools, keeping my better set intact for actual mechanic uses, like gapping spark plugs etc. The link was intended to show the technique, not necessarily to recommend Stew-Mac feeler gauges.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Nothing specific to guitar. I got a cheap set at Harbor Freight Tools, keeping my better set intact for actual mechanic uses, like gapping spark plugs etc. The link was intended to show the technique, not necessarily to recommend Stew-Mac feeler gauges.

Thanks Earl. Harbor Freight is a great idea for feeler gauges.

Tony

[kramster]

Speaking for..well.. myself ..I am so proud of you Tony for taking on a "Marty Project"... I hung out some with Marty at Idiot Jam a few years ago in Vinton and Garrison Iowa... watched him do some guitar work and got one of his guitar tuner things he makes and gave it to some Irish guy at NAMM



Marty doing Marty stuff




Marty having at my Amicus

[tbeltrans]

Thanks kramster. Yep! That is Marty. Last time I saw him, he was at Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul. He had complications apparently due to diabetes and was barely coherent. He had been in a medically induced coma for several days and was starting to come out of it. I haven't heard anything in a while, so I don't know what is happening with him right now. I will make a point of checking with a mutual friend this week, now that I have more time since my contract for the year just ended last week.

Tony

[GuitarLuva]

Well, glad it worked out for you. The nut is probably the most underrated guitar part. I must say though the nut on my Sable is as close to perfect as one could expect. I should upload a pic as it blends so well even from the sides.

[slimey]

I didn't know Marty was ill. That's really poo.

A wonderful friendly man and such a great Luthier, I hope he recovers well and continues to be such a great asset to us all in the area. That sounds a little selfish and in part it is, I haven't let anyone else touch my guitars, but Marty, for more years than I can remember , at least 30.

I wish him a speedy recovery!!

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by slimey

I didn't know Marty was ill. That's really poo.

A wonderful friendly man and such a great Luthier, I hope he recovers well and continues to be such a great asset to us all in the area. That sounds a little selfish and in part it is, I haven't let anyone else touch my guitars, but Marty, for more years than I can remember , at least 30.

I wish him a speedy recovery!!

Yessir! That's me too, though I have been doing some of the things Marty does on one of my Sables. But Marty seems to have a very keen sense of what exactly to tweak and how much, that always makes it perfect. That can't be replaced.

Tony

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by GuitarLuva

Well, glad it worked out for you. The nut is probably the most underrated guitar part. I must say though the nut on my Sable is as close to perfect as one could expect. I should upload a pic as it blends so well even from the sides.

When I did the measurements prior to doing the work, yes, it was a perfect setup. However, what I ws after was being able to EASILY barre at the first fret while actively fretting notes with the other fingers. With the stock configuration, it was very difficult for me to do consistently cleanly.

In my set up efforts, I went for feel. After playing my Sable extensively following the nut slot filing, I still felt some stiffness, so I just finished removing all the strings from the bridge and sanding a bit off the saddle. It wasn't even a measurable amount with my calipers, but it made quite a difference in the overall feel. I am do a bit more in a couple of days if I feel the need, but right now it seems perfect.

The main problem I have encountered in the past with other guitars is that it is all too easy to go too far and then you end up with even a slight buzzing around the fretboard when playing. It took watching Marty Reynolds at work to realize that just a tiny tweak goes a long way. It may well be that if I take any more off the saddle, it could be too low for the nut slots. Right now, it seems perfect.

I have noticed when watching fingerstyle players on youtube, that a number of them seem to have that telltale fuzziness that comes from the strings being as low as possible rather than from poor technique. I even hear it on Tommy Emmanuel's guitars. It isn't so much an outright buzz, but instead just a bit of fuzz on some of the notes. Obviously TE knows exactly where to put his fingers, and it doesn't sound like fluffed notes, but something inherent in the guitar setup. I want to stop just short of that, and I think I am there now.

By the way, for those who have Sables, if you remove the saddle for any reason, the under saddle pickup seems to behave itself and not try to come up with the saddle as you lift it out. The saddle is not tight in the slot either, so no worries if you do decide to "fiddle with your Sable".

From what I have observed over the years among the more advanced fingerstyle and jazz players, they seem to prefer the action quite low. So what I have done is not at all uncommon, just maybe not with a Sable. I can see why McPherson wouldn't do this straight out of the factory. I would guess that a strummer with a heavy touch would probably not like my setup. What McPherson and Taylor (since they both measure the same) seem to have found is that nice balance for most all players.

Edit: Since making adjustments to the nut and saddle on my Sable, I would say that this is probably the easiest playing guitar I have ever owned. The fact that it is carbon fiber and very stable under changing conditions, means to me that it will likely remain so for as long as I am still playing guitar. To me, that is more than worth the effort expended. I would think that any quality carbon fiber guitar, as long as the neck angle is right to begin with, could be set up in this manner, like the Emerald X7 in that video in another current thread here.

Tony

[GuitarLuva]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

When I did the measurements prior to doing the work, yes, it was a perfect setup. However, what I ws after was being able to EASILY barre at the first fret while actively fretting notes with the other fingers. With the stock configuration, it was very difficult for me to do consistently cleanly.

In my set up efforts, I went for feel. After playing my Sable extensively following the nut slot filing, I still felt some stiffness, so I just finished removing all the strings from the bridge and sanding a bit off the saddle. It wasn't even a measurable amount with my calipers, but it made quite a difference in the overall feel. I am do a bit more in a couple of days if I feel the need, but right now it seems perfect.

The main problem I have encountered in the past with other guitars is that it is all too easy to go too far and then you end up with even a slight buzzing around the fretboard when playing. It took watching Marty Reynolds at work to realize that just a tiny tweak goes a long way. It may well be that if I take any more off the saddle, it could be too low for the nut slots. Right now, it seems perfect.

I have noticed when watching fingerstyle players on youtube, that a number of them seem to have that telltale fuzziness that comes from the strings being as low as possible rather than from poor technique. I even hear it on Tommy Emmanuel's guitars. It isn't so much an outright buzz, but instead just a bit of fuzz on some of the notes. Obviously TE knows exactly where to put his fingers, and it doesn't sound like fluffed notes, but something inherent in the guitar setup. I want to stop just short of that, and I think I am there now.

By the way, for those who have Sables, if you remove the saddle for any reason, the under saddle pickup seems to behave itself and not try to come up with the saddle as you lift it out. The saddle is not tight in the slot either, so no worries if you do decide to "fiddle with your Sable".

From what I have observed over the years among the more advanced fingerstyle and jazz players, they seem to prefer the action quite low. So what I have done is not at all uncommon, just maybe not with a Sable. I can see why McPherson wouldn't do this straight out of the factory. I would guess that a strummer with a heavy touch would probably not like my setup. What McPherson and Taylor (since they both measure the same) seem to have found is that nice balance for most all players.

Edit: Since making adjustments to the nut and saddle on my Sable, I would say that this is probably the easiest playing guitar I have ever owned. The fact that it is carbon fiber and very stable under changing conditions, means to me that it will likely remain so for as long as I am still playing guitar. To me, that is more than worth the effort expended. I would think that any quality carbon fiber guitar, as long as the neck angle is right to begin with, could be set up in this manner, like the Emerald X7 in that video in another current thread here.

Tony

Yeah having a guitar setup to personal taste makes a huge difference to the player. We all have different preferences and having said guitar setup the way you like it makes it that more enjoyable.