13
votes
On instruments that use frets, where's the best spot to press a string on, in order to minimize hand fatigue and potential for injuries?
Producing a sharp angle for the string over the fretwire makes for a clear, clean sound. So just behind the fretwire will be a good place. It also means not having to press down on the fingerboard so ...
- 188k
12
votes
Accepted
Is a slight amount of fret buzz acceptable when lowering the action on a guitar
The lower the fret action, the more buzz you will get. Your ideal height will be based on what you need. Unamplified, many of the really fast guitarists have fret buzz all over the neck.
Personally, ...
- 36.8k
12
votes
Moving short violin bridge towards fingerboard
Optimum bridge position is all tied up with the position of the sound post (which can be moved) and the bass bar (which can't). There's also the matter of getting used to playing a fiddle with non-...
- 89.7k
11
votes
Accepted
High action VS Low action
TL;DR The short answer (thanks, @RockinCowboy!) is that usually you want your action as low as possible, without hearing any fret-buzz, especially if you are just starting with guitar.
Now the longer ...
- 21.3k
11
votes
Problems with playing high notes (17-20th fret on e-string)
The top string is a little too low, so as you get to the dusty end, it's catching on the fretwire of fret 20. If that's the only problem, raising the saddle on the the string should be enough to get ...
- 188k
9
votes
My B string on my bass keeps hitting the pickup
Can you adjust the pickup height?
That would be my first adjustment, assuming the rest feels right while you're playing it. Any other adjustment would change how it plays.
Dropping the pickup back ...
- 27.1k
6
votes
I think my guitar strings are wound too tight and I can't play barre chords
Put a new set of light gauge strings on it and adjust the truss rod accordingly to give just a bit of neck relief. It needs adjusted from time to time especially if you change string gauges. It may ...
- 4,103
6
votes
Is a slight amount of fret buzz acceptable when lowering the action on a guitar
Fret buzz isn't necessarily a sign of a poor setup, because some players want low action and can accept some fret buzz. A guitar tech should discuss this with a player before doing a setup.
Having ...
- 81
6
votes
Truss rod adjustment had no noticable effect
Many folks think it's a rather simple operation of just tightening the nut on the truss rod, but actually it is recommended that the neck be clamped in a jig that causes the neck to be bent backwards ...
- 7,730
5
votes
Truss rod adjustment had no noticable effect
I see now in the comments that the OP has now mentioned a specific, special guitar, and @leftaroundabout has answered with the appropriate information for that guitar. This is answer is applicable to ...
- 6,823
5
votes
Do I have a guitar with high action?
That's far too high, even for an acoustic guitar (which would typically have a higher action than an electric guitar).
You can look up recommended guitar actions for acoustic guitars online, but off ...
- 1,551
4
votes
Accepted
What's the effect of playing with high action?
It depends.
How high is high? And what is the cause of the high action? If it is an improperly cut (too high) nut, it will make barré chords in the first few frets difficult, and open chords will be ...
- 1,447
4
votes
Fret Buzz on specific areas
Most fret buzzing is a result of the vibrating string contacting another fret as it vibrates in an oscillating arc. There are several things that commonly cause this to happen.
Neck does not have ...
- 27.1k
4
votes
Is a slight amount of fret buzz acceptable when lowering the action on a guitar
The strings buzz quite consistently but not enough to be heard through an amp
Strings buzzing not only puts you off playing but it will prevent the string from resonating for as long and lower your ...
- 869
4
votes
String gauge switching without truss rod
There is nothing you can do, assuming you stay with concert pitch tuning. Since the new strings will be 10-15% lighter, with less tension involved, there may be some relaxing in the neck.So, nothing ...
- 188k
4
votes
How to know the action of an acoustic guitar before buying it?
There is an excellent, reliable, time-tested way to find out all about the action (and other important elements) of a guitar before you buy it: you play the guitar.
Yes that does present a challenge ...
- 55.8k
4
votes
Accepted
I think my guitar strings are wound too tight and I can't play barre chords
Those strings look like .011s or .012s. Not only that but 10 years too late being changed ! Put some .009s on first, and feel the difference. If that doesn't solve all the problem, check the action, ...
- 188k
4
votes
Can a stiff piano action be lightened?
You say it's heavy/stiff. Which? If the action is well-regulated, there's probably little that can be easily done about the weight. But a piano technician can do something about 'stiff'. We can't ...
- 89.7k
4
votes
Piano action too stiff after tuning, what's happened?
The instrument’s action may need a treatment with a proper lubricant to resolve the problem. A more experienced technician will know what to use: a liquid called Protek CLP (cleaner, lubricant, ...
- 1,336
4
votes
Electric Guitar Setup For A Newbie
There are many useful YouTube videos about setting up a guitar, but here are the basics:
Checking neck relief
Press each string down on the first fret, and press the other side of the string ...
- 3,642
4
votes
Accepted
Can a well regulated piano be incompatible with a sufficiently fast/soft song?
If you are interested in more information on this, check out Charles Rosen's book, "Piano Notes".
In short, in conjunction with a local provider, concert pianists pick a piano to play at the venue ...
- 5,567
4
votes
Accepted
Can my guitar action be lowered further, or is it already too low?
That is a very high action. If you intend to just play "Cowboy Chords" and want your strings to sing out clearly with no fret buzz, that could work, that's high for even slide-first guitars.
...
- 13.2k
4
votes
Is it technically possible to play Chopin`s op. 10 No 1 etude at 176 bpm on Casio PX-160 piano?
TL;DR
Yes
Caveat: I have not been able to access a Casio PX-160 to positively confirm this answer.
Is it possible to play Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 1 at 176bpm?
Yes. It requires outstanding technique,...
- 80.1k
3
votes
Am I correctly approaching the relationship between string bending and action height?
Similar to Todd, for a large bend I'll use three fingers, and as they push the desired string, the natural rotation of them catches the next strings and moves them up away from frets.
In this picture ...
- 36.8k
3
votes
Accepted
Am I correctly approaching the relationship between string bending and action height?
If you bend a string (up towards the ceiling/sky) the lower (sounding, i.e., thicker) strings are supposed to move under your finger(s). If your finger moved under the lower (sounding) strings then ...
- 20k
3
votes
Accepted
When adjusting the neck of an acoustic guitar, what bending might be normal?
The three things that determine the height of a guitar's action are the nut, the saddle and the neck bow. Unless something else is wildly out of whack (like the the guitar's top lifting or the bridge ...
- 2,785
3
votes
Is a slight amount of fret buzz acceptable when lowering the action on a guitar
Fret buzz is not only not necessarily bad, but actually a part of the guitar tone. The guitar is partially a percussive instrument, and one percussive aspect of that (in addition to knocking or ...
- 3,648
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