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How to lower the action on a guitar Videos

Adjusting the action on an Ovation guitar

Adam Turbiner shows you how to adjust the action on your Ovation guitar.

User Comments

SPTAH commented on 15 Nov 2015

Hello, I can't get the pickup out of the slot of my 'Elite' guitar. It seems stuck and I don't wan to lever it out with a screwdriver because that will damage the edges of the slot. Any advice?

Ovation Guitars commented on 17 Nov 2015

+SPTAH You should be able to wiggle it out no problem.

Kelli Smith commented on 04 Nov 2015

Hi. I have an applause guitar that has string buzz. How do I get rid of that without taking it in?

Kelli Smith commented on 06 Nov 2015

+Ovation Guitars ok. Thank you!

Ovation Guitars commented on 06 Nov 2015

+Kelli Smith You can research on doing a setup yourself. Or you can take it to a guitar tech for a standard setup (should be 50$ or less).

Yiannis Sampalis commented on 30 Sep 2015

Hey guys, great video! I successfully lowered my Celebrity GC057m 's action, but unfortunately I messed up the pickup under the saddle. The preamp is a OP-4BT. Where can I buy a replacement for the pickup?

William Sutherland commented on 29 Nov 2015

eBay //www.ebay.com/itm/221953830229?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649Ovation Celebrity Applause Pickup

roxtar79ify commented on 04 Jun 2015

Removed all shims, strings are still high, please advise.

Ovation Guitars commented on 19 Jun 2015

+roxtar79ify If you need to speak to an Ovation representative, you can email us at: [email protected] call:DW Drums at 805-919-2499

James Pratt commented on 02 Jan 2015

Been looking through the comments but can't find the answer. My Ovation Applause's strings are buzzing pretty majorly. I don't need to remove shims, I need to ADD them. But I have no idea where to buy them! Anyone out there willing to help..?

William Sutherland commented on 29 Nov 2015

Hello James - a common item that works very well is a "zip tie." Use one that is close to your saddle slot width (3mm) and cut to length. I usually put the "ridged" side down... William "Bill" Sutherland / AddictedToToneInc

Tbone Steak commented on 11 Jan 2015

My best and only answer for you is to make your own out of any thin material you can find. I use post cards cut thinly to fit in the saddle grove. This works quite well. Hope I could help!

Setup your Guitar's Action, Part One

Will Kelly, from Vintage Guitar Magazine's "Shop of Hard Knocks", shows how to properly setup the action on your guitar, making your own set of custom nut files, ...

User Comments

Ad Kacpelzdec commented on 25 Nov 2015

hi I Just received My Guitar from The adjustment and it feels like so tight,it doesnt buzz But is so tight especially in bendings What do You recommend?

Will Kelly commented on 11 Dec 2015

+Ad Kacpelzdec try widening the nut string slots, and lube them. check out the ring of the string behind the nut, to see if each string rings out true

luke nahdee commented on 16 Apr 2015

Tools you'll need, who really has these tools?!?...except these ppl who do it for a living. I just eye ball it. Perfect every time....

Jack Spence commented on 26 Jul 2015

I don't do this for a living and I have just about all of them, you can get most of them from car shops

Setting Up Your Stratocaster Guitar: Nut Action height Adjustment (Step 3 of 4)

John Carruthers shows us the proper way to adjust the Nut on a Stratocaster. This video is step 3 of a 4 part series. Videos include adjusting the Truss Rod, ...

User Comments

Jon Hopkins commented on 31 Jul 2015

How would I adjust the nut action with a floyd rose locking nut

Peter Sorensen Guitar commented on 17 Aug 2015

+Jon Hopkins There is, however, a second method: shaving the nut shelf. You might find yourself shaving the nut shelf if you replace the locking nut with one which is taller than the last, or if the current nut could afford to be lowered. This would need to be carefully considered, and you would need to simultaneously take into consideration truss rod adjustments that affect the first fret.

Peter Sorensen Guitar commented on 17 Aug 2015

+Jon Hopkins Floyd Rose locking nut systems are almost always shimmed underneath with brass shims. The truth of the matter is that locking nut systems aren't as adjustable as traditional soft nuts.

Gibson SG Guitar U.S.A. Setup (How-to diy set up.)

User Comments

puppetshow360 commented on 25 Oct 2015

Your bridge is backward. Also that is a 2008. That era of serial number is the first and fifth numbers are the year.

Dave's World of Fun Stuff commented on 26 Oct 2015

+puppetshow360 I call bullshit...there is no rule on the bridge direction

BLACKSYNTH commented on 02 May 2015

Your bridge is on the wrong way around as are saddle positions. Then you go on to "Gibson Bashing" blaming there neck setting for your errors. This is the first Video I've seen of yours. and I would remove this video if you want more subscribers. I'm sure a lot of your other videos are very good and I know whilst making a video you will say the wrong things ect, ect. but this is pretty bad. especially as your working on someones guitar that they may have even paid you money to service :( This is a big problem with people bashing Gibson, most of them don't know what their talking about.

Corrado Prizzi commented on 14 Aug 2015

+BLACKSYNTH Either way is fine, Boris. Makes not a bit of difference.

Davitofratito commented on 24 Jan 2015

I take a dim view of folks that don't tighten the stop tailpiece right down to the body, and load the strings backward-up-and over style. I don't really think this technique adds any sustain, like many of its proponents say it does, but I KNOW it is SO much more comfortable for resting your picking hand.

George London commented on 11 Feb 2015

Gibson USA doesn't tighten the stop tailpiece right down to the body. There is a reason for that. It puts added weight on the bridge (which will damage it eventually) and in my opinion also negatively impacts playability. I can't hear any tonal advantage when screwing it all the way down either.

inonsin commented on 26 Dec 2014

your world is as much fun ass a root canal btw action before intonation

Dave's World of Fun Stuff commented on 26 Dec 2014

+inonsin your less than funny comment is as much fun as a Troll..btw intonation needs to be close before action..but you knew that

Travis Mentzer commented on 26 Nov 2014

Generally the first two numbers on the serial number is the year it was made. Gibson might be different though

MisterB4x commented on 05 Feb 2015

+funkster007You are correct. This guitar was made on the 263rd day (2nd, 3rd and 4th digits) of 2008 (1st and 5th digits).

Travis Mentzer commented on 06 Dec 2014

This is true! Hahs

funkster007 commented on 06 Dec 2014

Gibby serial #'s have varied a lot over the years. I believe most current production line models have the 1st and 5th digits as the year it was made, and 2nd 3rd and 4th the day of the year. But then again who the Hell knows with Gipsun anymore? LOL

How to Adjust Your Mandolin Action

Stop fighting with high action on your mandolin! Learn the details on adjusting your action. Due to space limitation on YouTube this version of the lesson has ...

User Comments

onethumbpicker commented on 02 Oct 2013

I picked up a beginner mando(Kentucky KM-160) and found that I needed to lower the action. I'm a guitarist, so I knew it should have been lower. The problem was the saddle was already lowered all the way-yet it was still too high. I removed the bridge, and sanded the bottom of the saddle-not the feet. Use a file and "lap" the bottom of the saddle. Then raise the action with the thumbwheels if needed. I'd avoid sanding the bottom of the feet-the fit there has to match the arched top perfectly.

onethumbpicker commented on 23 Oct 2013

Lapping is a technique(typically used by machinists) to ensure flatness. It is to draw the workpiece(bridge) across a flat abrasive surface(file), rather than vice versa. For example, it is used when mating two surfaces to ensure they are water/air tight. A small pot metal body carburetor may be drawn(in a figure 8 motion) over emery paper on a piece of glass until the surface is shiny all the way around the intake hole. Lapping ensures material is removed evenly with no low or high spots.

onethumbpicker commented on 02 Oct 2013

Not trying to be a wise guy-but based on some questions here, my guess is there may be a few folks with beginner instruments like mine that have high actions. They may not be able to lower the saddle anymore(since the thumbwheels are already at the bottom), and just figure it's supposed to be that way. Of course, a high action makes playing difficult-and therefore, easy to lose interest. I had to take off about 1/16" (1.5mm) from mine. No buzz-it worked great. BTW-thanks for your videos.

onethumbpicker commented on 23 Oct 2013

BTW, the action on my Kentucky KM-160 is much better since I took some material from the bottom of the saddle. But I think it can still be lowered a bit more. I've removed material from the bottom of the saddle-but I can't take any more without shortening the threaded studs-the studs are "bottomed out" in the blind holes of the saddle. To remedy this, I'll shave off about .030" from the studs with a Dremel. It's surprising how much the playability of low end instruments can be improved.

bradleylaird commented on 29 Apr 2009

It shouldn't lean. Not very much anyway. My bridge has been leaning towards the fingerboard for 15 years and I've just left it alone since it doesn't seem to ever get worse. My problem was that I swapped the upper part of the bridge (with a Fishman pickup) and the holes were a bit larger in diameter. It still might be a good idea to have a couple of knowledgeable mando players/technicians look it over and give you an opinion. Hard to say without really looking at it closely. Brad

onethumbpicker commented on 23 Oct 2013

To give another example, if you wanted to match the feet of the bridge(which I suggested not doing) with the top of the archtop, the way to do it would be to place some sandpaper over the archtop, and draw the bridge "feet" back and forth over archtop shape to ensure that the feet mated properly with the top, and provide the best tranmission of vibrations from the strings to the top. That is also lapping. That would be more difficult, that's why I didn't recommend it.

mberman1012 commented on 18 Feb 2011

dannyboy0928 - A mandolin bridge is not glued, it's supposed to be loose. The bridge is used to adjust the intonation. Test the G and E strings. When the open strings are in tune test the G and E strings at the 12th frets. If the G string is is sharp move the G string side of the bridge towards the tailpiece if it flat move it away from the tailpiece. Do the same for the E string. NOTE: The bridge can be on a slight angle.

Somebody Somewhere commented on 22 Apr 2015

Thank you so much Sir ! Thanks a lot for your such a detailed & painstaking explanation. I am trying to play this instruments from some 10 years & had much diffculties while playing & tuning. But now I am certain that I would be able to set it up properly . I think my playing will be definitely improved a little in future. Warm regards & greetings!

Daniel Besana commented on 17 Feb 2011

help! I just bought a cheapo mando online..I thought being a total beginner that these kinds of mandos would be ok. thing is, when i took the strings off, i found that the bridge wasn't glued on the body at all! Is this normal? Or should I complain to the eBay guy..please help..I should've invested in a better mando :(

MrsFiddlePlayer commented on 19 Jan 2012

Hey Brad, Thanks so much for this video. I'm a fiddle player and I am trying my luck with mandolin and I needed to change the height of the bridge. Thanks for posting this and your other GREAT videos. :)

Michael Marrero commented on 07 Oct 2012

Maybe your bridge isn't correctly placed... it could be a little crooked which would throw off the intonation? Im not an expert just a thought.

DrRickPick commented on 23 Oct 2013

Not sure what you mean by "use a file and 'lap' the bottom of the saddle." Can you explain "lap" please?

Pedro Saenz commented on 20 Jun 2011

@justpickin4u hope it helps but you need to loose it and remember righty tighting and lefty loosing

justpickin4u commented on 08 May 2011

Just got a Loar mando. I need to raise the action a tiny bit. Which way do I turn the screws?

popeye2mil commented on 12 Jul 2013

you probably have your action to "low", it makes your strings sound worse as it goes down

toodance commented on 04 Jul 2011

if the nut is too high, could i slowly, carefully and evenly sand the the bottom of it?

LeTuba commented on 21 Mar 2010

Oh... I've just tried to lower the bridge. My E strings are broken now.

How to Adjust Truss Rod on a Guitar

Check out this video to find out how to adjust truss rod on a guitar. To see more guitar lessons and tutorials please visit //GuitarPlayLearn.com .

User Comments

Mrsbluedog55 commented on 03 Jun 2015

this video is great!

MsJoey42 commented on 10 Feb 2015

Yeah my base strings buzz...so should i loosen it, because it feels good, but still getting a buzzing sound now and again

Francisco Guinazu commented on 02 Nov 2015

+DelTangBrav Yes, it will, but then u just adjust the trussrod and you will have a heavier gauge, which means more tension, less buzz and the same distance on the higher frets since you've Re adjusted the trussrod

Paul L commented on 01 Nov 2015

+MsJoey42 It could be the nut or the saddle or the intonation or frets. The truss rod is the very last thing to solve any guitar problem imho.

Francisco Guinazu commented on 06 Mar 2015

if the distance between the fret and the string on the 12th fret is more than 3mm then no, you shouldn't cause then when you're playing on the lower frets your notes will get sharp and it won't sound good. If this is the case try increasing your string gauge (if you'r using 11's, put some 12's) they vibrate less therefore help with the buzz.

Alonzo Griffin commented on 26 Dec 2014

Okay...which way should you turn to lower the strings.........? They're up too high for me.

Paul L commented on 01 Nov 2015

+Alonzo Griffin Only use the truss rod as the very last resort, look at the nut and saddle first. And then the intonation (if its electric.)

Louise Snow commented on 10 Jun 2015

+Alonzo Griffin

yum beer commented on 13 Jan 2015

www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-adjust-the-truss-rod-on-a-guitar.htmlAnticlockwise to allow more relief if strings too close and buzzingClockwise if strings too high upthat's the simple version anyway. the bridge could also be incorrect on its height or arc, or over time weather may cause bowing in the fret board close to the body where there's wood joints, glue etc.

John Savering commented on 03 Dec 2014

U can buy a new saddle and sand as much off of it as u need 2 u should square it up so that the pressure points line up the same oh as a side note u should b careful calling anyone a moron " it takes one to know one" is true in some cases but in most I believe the name caller is looking in the mirror

yum beer commented on 13 Jan 2015

Regarding changing saddle and sanding it; i would be inclined to research how the wood should be finished, in terms of having the best contact with the top (face) of the guitar... i would suspect if it is not perfectly level and the coarser the finish, the poorer the transference of vibration to the body. it may require precision equipment...or not... but i would be inclined to check with a professional guitar maker/repairer first.

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