Input needed on string height above top...

[Mister PG]

Hi all from a first-time poster!

I've just finished re-working my 1970s Yamaha FG-180. Neck reset, re-fret, new bone nut and saddle. This thing is a tone monster and it plays far better than it did in it's previous life.

But I am questioning if my work put the string height high enough from the guitar top. I measure 7/16" from the guitar top, measured at bridge. Saddle is protruding about as far as it comfortably can out of the bridge, and string break angle looks good. Short of making a new bridge for the guitar, then re-setting again, I'm not sure if I'd get the strings any higher.

I have read that 1/2" is optimal height above top, and other Yamahas I've re-set came out at 1/2" or slightly higher. Any sanding of the saddle in the future will bring strings closer to the top and likely diminish tone (?)

Any thoughts/input?

[John Arnold]

Many Yamahas from the 1970's have thin bridges. I think 7/16" string height above the top is fine for those guitars, since they have small bracing. The 1/2" rule is fine for more heavily built guitars....not necessarily for these.
I never, ever overset a neck to allow for future adjustment. This is based on a premise that is largely false....that guitars continue to move indefinitely. In my experience (1400 resets and counting), by the time a guitar needs a reset (30 years, typically), most, if not all of the movement has already happened.

[Mister PG]

John - your response completely sets my mind at ease. Thank you for chiming in. Now, time to enjoy it for another 30 years I guess!

[mirwa]

String height over the body is really only relevant on a new build, neck reseting is about laying the fret crowns in the same plane as the top of the bridge and achieving an acceptable string height at the 12th using the saddle.

I have always found the yamaha 180’s have the nut too close to the first fret, manufacturing defect me thinks.

Steve