RainSong Action and neck Joint

revj · #1 01-17-2020, 07:58 AM

I have two Rainsongs. SS Shorty and CO DR 12 fret short scale. I really do like the way they sound. I like the thick neck even. But I can't stand the action and the set up and they do not seem that adjustable.

First of all the nut barely lifts the string off the fretboard which means the bridge has to be high to make sure frets don't ring. So this means, by the 5th fret it becomes a lot less comfortable to play.
also, where the neck hits the body, the fretboard bends even further away from the strings.
I got these short scales to be easy to play and because of their design they are not.
I am afraid to take them to a luthier for they don't know how to work on non wood and the tech at the nearest Rainsong dealer doesn't give me confidence that he knows what to do.

RainSong has offered to take it in and look at it but these things seem to be a problem on every Rainsong I have played so I am not confident there.

So what's your thoughts? Do you have rainsongs that you have adjusted to fix this issue. My Guess the nut needs to be higher and the bridge needs to be shaved but I don't know how to do that.

HELP!

jonfields45 · #2 01-17-2020, 08:54 AM

No big deal to make a new saddle or nut. Both are standard Graphtech Tusq products.

As far as the fretboard extension, I think much of what you see is an optical illusion (at least for the 21 fret models). The fretboard has a 20" radius. As you get closer to the 21st fret (the fretboard gets wider as it goes from the nut to the last fret) not only does the fretboard edge curve towards the guitar top, but that curvature increases more quickly as you get closer to the last fret (think of the top of a circle at the first fret and then think about it's shoulders at the 21st fret). It makes it look like the fretboard is diving down.

There is a small bit of top distortion in a RainSong non-cutaway at the fretboard extension because without braces or top radius the top rotates slightly at the bridge. This flat braceless design is a fundamental characteristic of all RainSongs.

A straight edge running down the center of the fingerboard will give you a better view.

But I think predominantly, you are seeing the fretboard radius.

RP · #3 01-17-2020, 10:15 AM

Regarding your techs not knowing how to do a set-up on a Rainsong, I'm just not clear as to how that would be different from a wooden guitar. Saddle - check. Nut - check. Adjustable truss rod - check. Frets - check. Strings - check. What am I missing???

MiG50 · #4 01-17-2020, 11:43 AM

Yeah, as mentioned above, the action adjustment on a Rainsong is exactly the same as any other acoustic guitar. Raise or lower the nut, raise or lower the saddle, and (if absolutely needed) adjust the truss rod. You can't adjust the neck set angle, as it's glued at the factory (no microtilt adjustment). But that really shouldn't matter.

I think the phenomenon the OP is mentioning is what is known as "fallaway." That's where the fretboard seems to slope slightly downward in the uppermost frets, and it's intentional by design. This prevents fret buzz on the highest frets. Totally normal, and important for accessing those frets.

Take it to a well-regarded tech or luthier for action adjustment for your specific style of play, should be an easy fix.

Frettingflyer · #5 01-18-2020, 07:06 AM

My local Luthier was able to adjust my Rainsong no problem. I later learned how to lower the saddle just a smidge. It was easy, although I had contacted Rainsong to know which saddle to buy if I screwed it up as I had never done that. All this was the Shorty as the setup on the WS was incredible right from the factory.

Captain Jim · #6 01-18-2020, 08:02 AM

The RainSong Shorty I had came in set up seriously high. I lowered the saddle, but Michael at McNichol's (when he still had a shop in SLC) put a bone saddle on it and lowered it further. It played nice after that.

I would think the manufacturers would be doing themselves a favor by assuring a good set-up on each guitar before it goes out. Taylor is especially good with that. I understand that playing style has an effect, but higher than normal can be an immediate turn-off for those who don't do their own "tweaking."