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Adjusting the action height on a classical
How is the action adjusted on a classical guitar that has no truss rod?
thx! |
#2
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Norman2 PS: The truss rod is mainly used to adjust the relief on the neck, not the action
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Esteve 7SR |
#3
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While true, it often helps lower the action when you straighten the truss rod. I do it on all of my flamencos to increase buzz and it works well.
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#4
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Dave |
#5
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You don't see to many of them out there with adjustable truss rods. I don't build them with adjustable rods though I do use carbon fiber. But on occasion I could see them being use full.
And as mentioned, people always say that the truss rod is not meant to be used to adjust the action but rather the relief. My counter argument is that adjusting the relief is part of the whole of the system known as 'the action' so it really does adjust the action as a sort of by product of getting the relief right. Where people get it wrong is when they want to lower their action by cranking the rod to a back bow in the neck to lower the action. But if you have too much relief then adjusting the truss rod will indeed lower the action. |
#6
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I own a bunch of Cordobas, a Rodriguez, and a couple of Breedlove nylon strings. All have truss rods. The Yairi, Yamaha, and other brand of nylons that I've owned in the past did not have truss rods (though the higher-end Takamine that I had did). I'm not a traditionalist. I'd rather have the extra control (not to mention stability) that truss rods provide... even on a high-end instrument. I think that the carbon fiber strengthening rod in the neck is a good idea as well, but prefer the adjustability that a truss rod provides.
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#7
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We are probably arguing semantics but the presence of nylon strings do not necessarily make a guitar a "classical guitar" or a "Flamenco guitar".
But then YMMV, Dave |
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I prefer to say the truss rod adjustment "affects" the action. I always suggest setting the relief to suit, and then "adjusting" the action with the saddle (nut is done before the relief, it's stand-alone in my view). Action is adjusted by raising or lowering the saddle by your method of choice, sanding, shimming, making several that the player can choose from is known to happen. Normally to lower the saddle you remove it and sand the bottom, but working on the top has been known to happen. My view is the top is more critical than the bottom in terms of a really precise shape, but you have to shape it in the first place so shaping it twice is OK with me if it's OK with you...
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Brian Evans Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia. Last edited by MC5C; 07-15-2016 at 06:00 AM. |
#9
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As MC5C says... This is the method recommended by the excellent Frets.Com site. The truss rod is used, if necessary to set neck relief to the proper amount.
The action is then adjusted via the nut-slots and the saddle height. Classical guitars of all sorts usually need higher relief at the 12th fret because nylon strings have a higher "amplitude of vibration" (they move in bigger arcs) than steel strings. Because the diameter of nylon strings is more uniform than are steel strings, the saddle is usually pretty much level and also not angled as they are on steel string instruments. |
#10
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hunter |
#11
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That's interesting. Why do you want to increase the buzz? Most people try to reduce it as it reduces the volume and affects the tone, usually in a negative way in my experience. And I would add to what others have said in that I've never seen a classical or flamenco guitar with a truss rod. That is not to say they don't exist, it's just that they are very rare.
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#12
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Yes, we would just be arguing semantics/chasing our tails if we were arguing such a thing. When I refer to a guitar as one of my "flamenco" guitars, I'm referring to it being used for that style of music, having a golpeador, and in most cases having cypress back/sides (though I also have one with ziricote b/s). I want percussive snap and some buzz on those, as well as very low action. My classicals (spruce/rosewood) I want little or no snap and buzz and can tolerate a slightly higher action.
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#13
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And there are a LOT of production nylon strung instruments these days with truss rods. They are anything but rare in modern times (and becoming less so). Of the past 15 nylon-stringed instruments that I've owned, maybe 3-4 didn't have a truss rod. But I own production instruments -- not ones made by a single luthier. Still... I've had ones from $500 low-end Cordobas to a high-end Master Class Breedlove Bossa Nova that all had truss rods. Edited to add: after re-reading your post, it appears that perhaps you weren't aware that I was speaking about flamenco when talking about buzz. To clarify something I did state, I don't want buzz on my classicals at all.
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http://soundcloud.com/jwflamenco Last edited by Red_Label; 07-15-2016 at 02:11 PM. |