Martin D16 came with action too high

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Perfect for you but not perfect for everybody. For someone who prefers their action set differently, all four of your guitars would have arrived needing a setup.

That's definitely true. But 6/64 isn't sky high like the poster mentioned above. I would think 1-2 64ths would be an OK adjustment. They certainly wouldn't want to send them out too low.

[FoxHound4690]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I've found new Martin guitars straight out the box can tend to have the string height set too high at the nut which really tires out your fret hand as you need to apply pressure to make the notes play clearly.
My brand new Martin Grand J12-40E Special was disappointingly hard to play, it needed a full professional set up to really become amazing.

This is exactly how my Martin is playing bruce, fretting hand is tiring very easily and overall just hard to play (at least for extended periods of time). all is good though it's in the hands of my Luthier, looking forward to getting it back tomorrow. A proper full setup can work wonders =P

[biotechmgr]

They come high esp in less expensive guitars.
Congrats I love my D16GT.

[lowrider]

I’ve bought a few new Martins and I’ve never seen one so high. I’d be careful here. How much saddle is showing? You might need to take off 12/64 to get it in the ballpark. You might end with just a sliver showing.

Have your set-up man make a new saddle, not shave that one. Then, if it doesn’t work out, you can put the original back in and send the guitar back.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I’ve bought a few new Martins and I’ve never seen one so high. I’d be careful here. How much saddle is showing? You might need to take off 12/64 to get it in the ballpark. You might end with just a sliver showing.

Have your set-up man make a new saddle, not shave that one. Then, if it doesn’t work out, you can put the original back in and send the guitar back.

12/64 = 4.7mm. I've never seen a Martin saddle that high. Most are closer to 2-3mm. I have had a few Eastmans with saddles that high.

[dnottis]

check the relief. the last 3 martins I bought (new) needed a slight truss rod adjustment and the action was perfect at 2.5/32 low E and 2 /32 high e.

I wanted to mention how good the setups for 2020 models have been.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

That's definitely true. But 6/64 isn't sky high like the poster mentioned above. I would think 1-2 64ths would be an OK adjustment. They certainly wouldn't want to send them out too low.

Agreed. Better the guitar shows up with action that's too high rather than action that's too low.

[TBman]

My Martin was high also when I first got it.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by FoxHound4690

I know this subject has probably been on this forum a million times before but I just measured the low E string on the 12th fret and it's sitting an entire 5mm above the fret, so definitely way too high.

Do any of you know if Martin do this deliberately, do their initial setups with high action?

It's not biggie as i'm taking it to my luthier today to get it sorted but just curious if anyone else bought a Martin brand new and encountered the same issue.

Thanks in advance.

If I was factory building then I'd send guitars out to shops with the nut slots and the saddle a fraction high and just a little relief in the neck. By the time a guitar is shipped (through a variety of humidity and temp) and hung on a shop wall or in the stock room it is definitely going to need a set-up before sale. By leaving the nut slots and saddle a little high a manufacturer makes it quick and easy for a good tech to set-up an instrument to the final owner's requirements. A low nut, in particular, is a PITAS on a new guitar compared to simply having to give slightly high slots a touch with a set of nut files. Adjusting the truss rod is simple, as is sanding down a saddle. It really shouldn't take long for a shop to set-up every guitar before sale.

The problem comes from the on-line box-shifters who simply check that there's a guitar in the box from the manufacturer and then send it, as is, on to you. I had two X series Martin guitars delivered to me this summer from 'box-shifters' and both had high nut slots and high bridges. Not a problem for me as I have sets of nut files and do all my own set-ups but it would be problem for most of the customers those companies were shipping to.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by rllink

I've never even played a Martin, but about every week someone has to mention here that Martins come from the factory with a high action, so I guess they do.

Interesting comments in this topic. My playing partner's John Renbourn came with the strings buzzing badly. The neck appeared to have normal relief and he "solved" the problem by making a new saddle that projected above the bridge by a good 1/2". The saddle that it came with was already higher than I would have liked to see on a new guitar.

The bridge hasn't lifted on it yet, but it makes me cringe to see it.

[Boozehound]

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

That's way high. That's like 13/64". That would require the saddle to come down so low it would probably need a neck reset. Remember you have to take double off the saddle so 14/64" would need to be shaved off.

How much saddle is showing and how much relief? I'd be sending it back.

Agree with this. I'd probably return that one if it was purchased new, unless you have tons of neck relief, super high nut slots, and a LOT of saddle showing. It most likely has an underset neck. Pictures of the bridge / saddle would help us evaluate.

[lowrider]

First thing check neck relief, then put a straight edge on the fretboard and see if it hits the top of the bridge (not the saddle).

[ohiopicker]

Take your guitar to a Martin authorized luthier for a detailed evaluation. The fact that the action came as high as it did points to the fact that a detailed evaluation of all things affecting action needs to be done by someone who can deal with Martin as part of the warrantee process.

[FoxHound4690]

Ok so got it back today after getting a full setup done on it. Action is now absolutely superb and the guitar plays like butter. an absolute hell of a difference from the rigid stiffness i was faced with when i first got it home action is very low just how i like it. I know its personal preference but i dont know how people can play with a high action, you guys must have silver bullets for fingers if you can handle playing with a high action...

literally got it in my lap right now with my pick in between my teeth as i sit here typing this =P going to grab my song book out now and pick out a heap of songs to play through so i can really get a proper feel for this guitar. So proud to own a Martin =P

By the way if you guys know of any acoustic songs that were actually written on a Martin I'm all ears. got a few Johnny Cash songs I like but any other suggestions are always appreciated. cheers.!

[KevinH]

Glad to hear you got back in good playing shape.

Do you know what was done during the setup? Were the nut slots too high, or too much relief? In absence of that it sounded like a lot to have to take off the saddle.

Originally Posted by FoxHound4690

Ok so got it back today after getting a full setup done on it. Action is now absolutely superb and the guitar plays like butter. an absolute hell of a difference from the rigid stiffness i was faced with when i first got it home action is very low just how i like it. I know its personal preference but i dont know how people can play with a high action, you guys must have silver bullets for fingers if you can handle playing with a high action...

literally got it in my lap right now with my pick in between my teeth as i sit here typing this =P going to grab my song book out now and pick out a heap of songs to play through so i can really get a proper feel for this guitar. So proud to own a Martin =P

By the way if you guys know of any acoustic songs that were actually written on a Martin I'm all ears. got a few Johnny Cash songs I like but any other suggestions are always appreciated. cheers.!