String Heght

[crashcup]

Hi:

I have a two-year old GA4 that has been meticulously maintained at optimum humidity. Today I eyeballed the string height along the length of the neck and noticed that the the farther away from the first fret the higher the strings.  The first fret distance is approximately 1/16th and the 12th fret just over 3/16ths. 

I've never noticed this before so I'm assuming something has changed and that this is not optimal.  As I recall, the distance was pretty even over the length of the neck before.  Is this a truss rod or shimming adjustment?

I've read the Taylor PDF on truss rod adjustment and it references truss rods being too tight or tool loose and the relative forward or backward bend of the neck. I sighted the neck and it looks straight.  Suggestions?

Cheers!

Bill

[cigarfan]

Doesn't sound like anything is awry. It's just that pesky weather that causes minor changes. Pretty sure a small tweak of the truss rod (maybe 1/8 turn) should square you away.

[leeasam]

??     it is normal for the strings to be higher at the 12th fret vs the 1st. a Guitar won`t play unless this is present.
  standard setting for action at 12th fret on an acoustic is Low E 6/64  or like .093" ( or .090) and .070 to .075 on the High E around 4.5 to 5/54

[crashcup]

??     it is normal for the strings to be higher at the 12th fret vs the 1st. a Guitar won`t play unless this is present.
  standard setting for action at 12th fret on an acoustic is Low E 6/64  or like .093" ( or .090) and .070 to .075 on the High E around 4.5 to 5/54

Yea, well maybe I just didn't "remember" the range of difference.  If I fret at the first and the 14th fret, the low E is nearly touching the sixth.  I guess it's not that bad.  Thanks for the reality check.  Sometimes the obvious, isn't.  Well, at least to me.   

Thanks again!

Bill

[leeasam]

??     it is normal for the strings to be higher at the 12th fret vs the 1st. a Guitar won`t play unless this is present.
  standard setting for action at 12th fret on an acoustic is Low E 6/64  or like .093" ( or .090) and .070 to .075 on the High E around 4.5 to 5/54

Yea, well maybe I just didn't "remember" the range of difference.  If I fret at the first and the 14th fret, the low E is nearly touching the sixth.  I guess it's not that bad.  Thanks for the reality check.  Sometimes the obvious, isn't.  Well, at least to me.   

Thanks again!

Bill

no problem.  I am a gear head at heart. I always worked on motorcycles and cars did all my mechanic work I could as a younger pre teen to teen( when it all started)   I have always liked knowing how things worked. So even once I got into playing guitars I also liked knowing what made it tick and how to adjust it.  There are some things I don`t have tool for but I do what I can. Helps me keep my guitar to where I like it at all times.

[GSMC Bob]

Taylor's factory setup will give you string heights at the 12th fret of:  E = 6/64" and e = 4/64" (measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string).  Factory neck relief is usually right around .008 - .010".  If you don't have a feeler gauge, that means you should be able to slide, with a slight amount of drag, a nice (card stock!) business card between the string and fret at the 6th fret when pressing both the 1st and 14th frets at the same time.  You can't site down the neck to assess the measurement of neck bow!  The truss rod is not for setting string height, it is for adjusting neck relief and it should be adjusted before setting string heights.

Also, I suspect you may want to double check your string height measurements as your string height of 4/64" (1/16") and 12/64" (3/16") at the 1st and 12th frets (and it doesn't matter which string you measured, "E" or "e", if it is that high) would render the guitar absolutely unplayable!  If these are correct, a neck angle adjustment is in order for sure!!  Put a long straight edge along top of the fretboard and as it continues up to the bridge the edge should fall extremely close to the same height as the top of the bridge (not the saddle).  If it is falling well below that, as would happen with the string heights you state, you need the neck reset with a different shim.

Since your guitar was fine before, I will assume that you have not changed out the nut or the saddle.

I hope this helps...

Hi:

I have a two-year old GA4 that has been meticulously maintained at optimum humidity. Today I eyeballed the string height along the length of the neck and noticed that the the farther away from the first fret the higher the strings.  The first fret distance is approximately 1/16th and the 12th fret just over 3/16ths. 

I've never noticed this before so I'm assuming something has changed and that this is not optimal.  As I recall, the distance was pretty even over the length of the neck before.  Is this a truss rod or shimming adjustment?

I've read the Taylor PDF on truss rod adjustment and it references truss rods being too tight or tool loose and the relative forward or backward bend of the neck. I sighted the neck and it looks straight.  Suggestions?

Cheers!

Bill