Guild F-150 Action Straight out of the Box

poorArtist · #1 04-19-2018, 11:31 AM

I just bought a brand new Guild F-150 Jumbo acoustic steel string from Sam Ash Online, and I got a ridiculous price. On a $1400 (MSRP) guitar, I only paid $650. And now I know why. Because this guitar left the factory without the strings being adjusted. The action is like a Dobro, and I don't play slide guitar. It's really not THAT bad, but the strings are set pretty high, as if the guy at the Guild factory who files down the nuts and saddles to make the guitar playable was out that day. But I felt I should post a warning on AGF. It's really just a minor oversight, just a simple adjustment which I could fix myself, but it's something SOMEONE should have caught before the guitar got to me. Out of the box, this guitar is UNPLAYABLE! And I'm pretty sure that no one at the Sam Ash Company took this guitar out of the original shipping box as it came from the Guild factory to inspect or play it.

So, I contacted the Guild Company regarding this matter, and I'm waiting to hear back from them. I'm not a luthier, but I know a little bit about guitars, and I'm pretty sure that this a <$100 fix. At this point, I'm not going to nit-pick about the action, so it shouldn't be THAT expensive. I just want the guitar to be playable. I can worry about whether I'm a strummer or a picker later on. So my dream of running away to Nashville is going to be delayed a week or two, but I WILL say one thing: MY apartment smells soooo SWEET, with the scent of freshly-cut Mahogany filling my nose.

guitar george · #2 04-19-2018, 11:37 AM

New guitars are often shipped with high action to satisfy players who like high action. It is easier to lower the action, for players who like lower action, than raise the action. It should not be so high that the guitar is unplayable!

poorArtist · #3 04-19-2018, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar george

New guitars are often shipped with high action to satisfy players who like high action. It is easier to lower the action, for players who like lower action, than raise the action. It should not be so high that the guitar is unplayable!

Guitar George:

Trust me, this guitar is UNPLAYABLE as it came out of the box. I know high action for strumming and playing chords, and I've played on and off for 55 years. I feel that such an oversight by the Guild Company is really a blemish on their good reputation. But just to be absolutely certain, I'm going to take the guitar to a guitar repairman and get his opinion. I'll get back to you.

littlewing1208 · #4 04-19-2018, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poorArtist

Guitar George:

Trust me, this guitar is UNPLAYABLE as it came out of the box. I know high action for strumming and playing chords, and I've played on and off for 55 years. I feel that such an oversight by the Guild Company is really a blemish on their good reputation. But just to be absolutely certain, I'm going to take the guitar to a guitar repairman and get his opinion. I'll get back to you.

What are the 12th fret measurements between fret crown and bottom of the E and e strings?

On the flipside, I find a lot people want their action so low that the guitar is just a buzz box (and then they complain about buzzing). It’s a want your cake and to eat it too situation. Manufacturers are not going to ship guitars setup this way.

Speedwagon · #5 04-19-2018, 12:45 PM

Well, what is unplayable for one person may not be unplayble for another. Can’t make everyone happy.

lodi_55 · #6 04-19-2018, 01:11 PM

Bummer, but a set-up shouldn't set you back too much and is always a good idea. Sounds like you got a steal on the guitar. If it plays nice post setup, this experience should not be a horrible one for you.

Steadfastly · #7 04-19-2018, 02:04 PM

I think it is being sold at this low price because Guild is changing the specs from solid Indian Rosewood to something else. SamAsh is one of the few places with these in stock. So if you want one of these nice guitars, grab one now.

poorArtist · #8 04-19-2018, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlewing1208

What are the 12th fret measurements between fret crown and bottom of the E and e strings?

On the flipside, I find a lot people want their action so low that the guitar is just a buzz box (and then they complain about buzzing). It’s a want your cake and to eat it too situation. Manufacturers are not going to ship guitars setup this way.

Little Wing:

I took measurements on the high E (E4) and low E (E2) strings. These measurements are APPROXIMATE: The Low E--roughly 7/64 from fret crown to center of string. High E-- roughly 1/16. With the rulers I have, these are about as close I can get. I do not have a depth caliper. What I DO know is the nut AND saddle are (to me) too high to be playable. I'm not looking to make the guitar easy to play. I've played high-action (for chord strumming) guitars and low-action guitars for single-note picking. I realize I haven't played in 35 years, but I had major, major trouble playing both chords and single notes. I could play barre chords, but they didn't sound great, and I couldn't play them for long. Like I said previously, I'm going to have someone who can fix the problem (if there is a problem) take a look at it. And that's where I'm heading right now. See you later!

littlewing1208 · #9 04-19-2018, 02:49 PM

7/64 for low E is what I prefer actually. 4/64 on high e is pretty common. I know lots of people try to get 2/32 (4/64) for high e and 3/32 (6/64) for low E. I prefer 5/64 and 7/64 because I play mostly fingerstyle blues with a heavy right thumb.

So let’s just be careful before we slander Guild about some horrendous setup when it actually is just about right. You could sand that saddle down in 30 seconds for the cost of a piece of sand paper and a scrap of wood/steel to keep it perpendicular. If you want to come down 1/64 at the 12th fret, you need to sand double that at the saddle 1/32”.

The height of the nut can be checked by fretting the between the 2nd and 3rd fret (so that the string touches the 2nd fret) and the string should *just* touch the top of the first fret.

Osage · #10 04-19-2018, 02:51 PM

Those measurements you posted indicate a guitar with lower action than it would have shipped from the factory with. You may want to double check.

Brucebubs · #11 04-19-2018, 03:17 PM

You paid $650.
I bought a guitar with a list of $7299 that had terrible high action from the factory.
Of course it was superb after a great pro set up.

bluesfreek · #12 04-19-2018, 04:10 PM

Sounds to me like it just needs a setup. Since you saved so much money on the deal I'd bring it in to a good guitar tech and have him look at it. I bet it'll play great after a proper setup.

Jabberwocky · #13 04-19-2018, 04:15 PM

Doesn't seem all that high to me since you took the measurement from the crown to the centre of the E strings. Perhaps there is too much forward bow in the neck and that is causing the feeling that the action is too high.

A trip to a tech is certainly in order. It is well worth the shekels.

bluesfreek · #14 04-19-2018, 04:34 PM

I just checked the action of the low E string at the 12th fret on my Yamaha SCF08 and it's about 2.5mm or 3/32 of an inch. It feels comfortable to me.

merlin666 · #15 04-19-2018, 04:50 PM

If it's a discontinued model it may have been stored in a warehouse for some time with less than perfect humidity conditions. This could also affect the action, so keep it at good humidity for a couple of weeks before you do anything. But as others have noted your measurements indicate that it's fairly good for vigorous strumming. If you are a delicate finger picker then just sand down the saddle by twice the amount you want it lowered.