My Farida is great now, but it took some $ and effort

[beatcomber]

A few months ago I purchased a new Farida OT-22 from Elderly.

I quickly surmised that the guitar was mislabeled at the factory, and appeared to be an all-solid-wood OT-25. Some emails went back and forth with Elderly, and they congratulated me on my good fortune; I got a $738 guitar for just $423.

However, all was not well. The guitar didn't sound awesome, and was pretty raspy and buzzy, especially on the D and A strings up around the 8th fret, and it howled when picked with even moderate pressure up the neck. I messed around with the truss rod and just couldn't get it to sound right.

Knowing that I was already ahead of the game price-wise, I was hesitant to return the guitar to Elderly for a refund, so I instead took it to my guitar tech. He found that there was a hump in the fretboard near where it meets the body, and that caused some of the frets to be too tall. (These are budget guitars, after all.) I left the guitar with him for close to two months (he's in demand) so that he could level the frets and generally set it up properly.

When I picked it up from the shop finally, my left shoulder muscle had been injured and I wasn't able to play guitar comfortably, so it took a while for me to be able to re-evaluate it. I was dismayed to find that the guitar still buzzed and rattled (especially the D string), so I brought it back to the shop.

Maybe he had been rushed the first time around because of his workload, but he determined that the frets were still not level. To his credit, while I waited he re-dressed the frets. It was now better, but it still had some rattle and buzz, so he said "You're a picker. I'm going to make the neck really flat and raise the bridge," which he did with a glued shim. Now it was sounding much better, but **** it, the D string was still buzzing. He yanked out the bridge and began filing it; he suspected there was a burr.

VOILA! Now the guitar feels and sounds like a quality instrument! Notes are ringing true, with impressive sustain and responsiveness, and the tone has become round and balanced, without the harsh resonance I had been wrestling with.

I had been thisclose to giving up and off-loading the Farida, and now it is a delight to play. I'm so glad I worked though the problems, because now it's a wonderful guitar.

[airborne1]

Glad to hear your Farida is playing to your satisfaction. I enjoyed mine until shoulder issues made me go electric. Enjoy your guitar!

[musicman1951]

Wonderful. I think every guitar - no matter the purchase price - is worth a high quality set-up.

[madhat]

NICE! Enjoy

madhat.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by airborne1

Glad to hear your Farida is playing to your satisfaction. I enjoyed mine until shoulder issues made me go electric. Enjoy your guitar!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having physical limitations. That must be so frustrating.

Originally Posted by musicman1951

Wonderful. I think every guitar - no matter the purchase price - is worth a high quality set-up.

I could tell that this guitar had potential. I'm glad I have the patience to get the potential realized.

Originally Posted by madhat

NICE! Enjoy

madhat.

Many thanks!

[phavriluk]

This is a good example for folks: Each instrument is unique unto itself, and they all require follow-up attention after purchase. And it's not a quality-control flaw, but in reality inexpensive instruments could well be given more latitude in assembly quality than the purchasers are happy with. Expensive ones too!

OP persisted, his luthier had insight, and now he has a very playable instrument that is very likely delivering what it does at way over its total price.

Good cautionary story, I think.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by phavriluk

This is a good example for folks: Each instrument is unique unto itself, and they all require follow-up attention after purchase. And it's not a quality-control flaw, but in reality inexpensive instruments could well be given more latitude in assembly quality than the purchasers are happy with. Expensive ones too!

OP persisted, his luthier had insight, and now he has a very playable instrument that is very likely delivering what it does at way over its total price.

Good cautionary story, I think.

Very well stated!

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by beatcomber

It was now better, but it still had some rattle and buzz, so he said "You're a picker. I'm going to make the neck really flat and raise the bridge," which he did with a glued shim. Now it was sounding much better, but **** it, the D string was still buzzing. He yanked out the bridge and began filing it; he suspected there was a burr.

The bridge is glued to the top of the guitar.
The saddle sits in a slot in the bridge.



So I'm guessing it was the saddle that was shimmed then filed .. not the bridge.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

The bridge is glued to the top of the guitar.
The saddle sits in a slot in the bridge.



So I'm guessing it was the saddle that was shimmed then filed .. not the bridge.

Oops, yes.

[Goat Mick]

I’m glad you got it sorted out. I love my Farida OT-22w and the only way I would ever get rid of it would be to trade for one with the narrow neck. I’m not much of a fingerpicker so I don’t need the wide neck. But the guitar sounds so good I can work my way around the wide neck.