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  #16  
Old 07-28-2021, 02:57 AM
darylcrisp darylcrisp is offline
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to adjust the action spec at the 12th fret region, a Taylor with the NT neck, and yours has that, is to change out shims to arrive at the spec you want at that 12th fret. a shop/person with the correct shims can do this in a couple minutes-you could be present, check the feel and playing, and if necessary to use a different shim set, around 10 minutes to change and you check the new adjustment.

it is not recommended to remove material from the saddle on a Taylor with the NT neck. if your Taylor has the ES2(3 small allen head screw heads showing at the bridge) you would need to loosen them to remove the saddle, and reset them upon replacement for tone quality when plugged in.

action adjustment is one area that Taylor guitars differ from most other brands, its just the way the neck has been designed. it works best for tone and playability to do it the way it was designed to be used.

i just set up a brand new 912ce Builders edition. like you, the owner wanted a lowered action spec at the 12th. this 912 came with 5/64" at the low E and 4/64" at the high e. and for fingerstyle it did feel high from the 12th fret on.

first checked fret levels and found a couple frets that needed a very slight leveling, 2nd fret was the worst and definitely needed leveling, and a few areas at 7th,9th, 11th,14th,15th. a level and polish followed. the neck had been totally flat using the truss rod adjustment during this(using a notched ruler to check the fretboard flatness).

the 912 came with .008" relief at the 7th fret. when everything was put back together and under string tension, relief was dialed in as minimal as possible
with regards to the owners playing style,and the owner left with .002" relief at the 7th fret-visually it would look dead flat from any angle, but if one measured it did in fact have a small amount. the nut slots had already been checked and adjusted for proper height also-that was also definitely necessary to get rid of the "stiff" feel of the strings.

it played exceptionally smooth and easy and with more articulation(due to the player not having to fight and force the strings down) after the work had been complete. the strings were lower now past the neck to body junction and the owner did not want or need them adjusted any further. a quick measure showed the low E at 3.5/64" and high e at 3/64". i wasn't necessarily going for a particular number measure, but knew we wanted a straight neck and lower string height past the 12th, and a lighter easier overall feel when fretting.

the 912 could be played quite aggressive fingerstyle with no buzz or tight feel on any string. if the owner had wanted an even lower action, i would have then changed shims to meet the necessary neck angle that would give me that action adjustment.

i also find elixir strings to have a particular "stiff" feel vs some other string brands. i always remove elixirs rather quickly. replacements i've found that sound quite nice on a Taylor and have a more pliable nature are Martin SP's, Martin Lifespans, John Pearse phosphur bronze and 80/20 bronze.

i've told you all this so hopefully you'll see its just not one part that might need adjustment. and the lower you get the action the more dialed in every area needs to be to have that easy string feel and no buzzing. on very low action settings, the fret levels most definitely need as level as humanly possible, and the nut slots need to be meticulously filed correctly for height and string lay.

sometimes fret levels will change when string tension is reintroduced. i can't explain this, i have my thoughts on why this happens. everything can look/measure spot on, checks out fine with no strings, put the strings on, tune up, and then you have this one or two fret areas that are giving a sizzle type noise. if that happens, there are ways to quickly find the exact area of whatever fret/s need a slight level under tension.

all of the above was approx a 2 hr job. i wasn't rushing, but i wasn't daydreaming either.

for the best possible sound and playing experience, i would suggest finding a known Taylor person that does excellent work, and letting them check and adjust areas as needed. your journey with that guitar will then be a more special time and you will definitely pick it up and explore its playing more often.

best of luck, take your time and find the right person to do the worlk
d
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  #17  
Old 07-28-2021, 06:52 AM
EZYPIKINS EZYPIKINS is offline
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Action, Nut height, and Neck relief, are like a balancing act.

Bridge height affects nut height, and nut height affect bridge height ever so slightly, but they do.

Someone who tells you 5/64 in not a good idea. May not want to do the work.

For me 5/64 is too high. If you can't get rid of buzz at 5/64. You've got other problems.(uneven frets)

Myself I refuse to sand the bottom of a saddle. I set the action from the top.

Sanding the bottom is a quick way to make it better than it was before.

But if you want specific measurements, like I do. It takes a bit more time.

At the nut height I'll start at .010" on string 1. Graduating .001". To .015" on string 6.

At the bridge I graduate, .002" per string. My preference is .042"-.052".

This is considerably lower than your 5/64" with no buzz.

Once I get it here I set the truss rod for .005"-.007" relief.

Then start the intonation process.

Most $60.00 setups don't include this. Cause it takes time.

As darylcrisp said .Just gotta find somebody willing to put in the time to give you what you want.

When you get it right. It'll fit like a pair of old Levi's. And you'll be able to play for hours without fatigue.

Last edited by EZYPIKINS; 07-28-2021 at 06:59 AM.
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  #18  
Old 07-28-2021, 09:49 AM
sergeko sergeko is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darylcrisp View Post
to adjust the action spec at the 12th fret region, a Taylor with the NT neck, and yours has that, is to change out shims to arrive at the spec you want at that 12th fret. a shop/person with the correct shims can do this in a couple minutes-you could be present, check the feel and playing, and if necessary to use a different shim set, around 10 minutes to change and you check the new adjustment.

it is not recommended to remove material from the saddle on a Taylor with the NT neck. if your Taylor has the ES2(3 small allen head screw heads showing at the bridge) you would need to loosen them to remove the saddle, and reset them upon replacement for tone quality when plugged in.

action adjustment is one area that Taylor guitars differ from most other brands, its just the way the neck has been designed. it works best for tone and playability to do it the way it was designed to be used.

i just set up a brand new 912ce Builders edition. like you, the owner wanted a lowered action spec at the 12th. this 912 came with 5/64" at the low E and 4/64" at the high e. and for fingerstyle it did feel high from the 12th fret on.

first checked fret levels and found a couple frets that needed a very slight leveling, 2nd fret was the worst and definitely needed leveling, and a few areas at 7th,9th, 11th,14th,15th. a level and polish followed. the neck had been totally flat using the truss rod adjustment during this(using a notched ruler to check the fretboard flatness).

the 912 came with .008" relief at the 7th fret. when everything was put back together and under string tension, relief was dialed in as minimal as possible
with regards to the owners playing style,and the owner left with .002" relief at the 7th fret-visually it would look dead flat from any angle, but if one measured it did in fact have a small amount. the nut slots had already been checked and adjusted for proper height also-that was also definitely necessary to get rid of the "stiff" feel of the strings.

it played exceptionally smooth and easy and with more articulation(due to the player not having to fight and force the strings down) after the work had been complete. the strings were lower now past the neck to body junction and the owner did not want or need them adjusted any further. a quick measure showed the low E at 3.5/64" and high e at 3/64". i wasn't necessarily going for a particular number measure, but knew we wanted a straight neck and lower string height past the 12th, and a lighter easier overall feel when fretting.

the 912 could be played quite aggressive fingerstyle with no buzz or tight feel on any string. if the owner had wanted an even lower action, i would have then changed shims to meet the necessary neck angle that would give me that action adjustment.

i also find elixir strings to have a particular "stiff" feel vs some other string brands. i always remove elixirs rather quickly. replacements i've found that sound quite nice on a Taylor and have a more pliable nature are Martin SP's, Martin Lifespans, John Pearse phosphur bronze and 80/20 bronze.

i've told you all this so hopefully you'll see its just not one part that might need adjustment. and the lower you get the action the more dialed in every area needs to be to have that easy string feel and no buzzing. on very low action settings, the fret levels most definitely need as level as humanly possible, and the nut slots need to be meticulously filed correctly for height and string lay.

sometimes fret levels will change when string tension is reintroduced. i can't explain this, i have my thoughts on why this happens. everything can look/measure spot on, checks out fine with no strings, put the strings on, tune up, and then you have this one or two fret areas that are giving a sizzle type noise. if that happens, there are ways to quickly find the exact area of whatever fret/s need a slight level under tension.

all of the above was approx a 2 hr job. i wasn't rushing, but i wasn't daydreaming either.

for the best possible sound and playing experience, i would suggest finding a known Taylor person that does excellent work, and letting them check and adjust areas as needed. your journey with that guitar will then be a more special time and you will definitely pick it up and explore its playing more often.

best of luck, take your time and find the right person to do the worlk
d
Wow, what a fantastic post. Many thanks ! My question was indeed specifically for the Taylor.
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