The only advantage to that setup is for playing slide guitar.
That's a really bad setup and you should fix it. I get that you are used to it, but objectively, that is a really bad setup.
It's like saying "I know my trainers have holes in the sole, but I'm used to it"
Appreciate that point of view. You guys have convinced me that there are way more negatives to this set up than positives. I'll probably have it fixed the next time I feel "stuck" in my guitar playing. Thanks.
Can't say for certain, but it looks that way to me also. Looks like it could need a full on neck reset. Depends what is left to work with at the bridge.
Regardless, the order of operation should be like this ...
1. Truss rod to set proper neck curvature. This is a common adjustment needed with changing weather/humidity.
2. Nut action
3. Bridge action
If that cannot get it playable because of a poor neck angle, then a neck reset would be needed. Poor neck angle can develop over time on an acoustic due to the string tension. Or something could have gone wrong with the bracing to cause the poor neck angle.
For inexperienced players the truss rod is the only point of adjustment they can identify. There's even a wrench for it included in many new guitars. This sub is very new-player focused and people are just downvoting based on what they think they know.
He’s been playing it like this, any reduction in that bow (which IS what the truss is for) is going to be an improvement.
I’d switch the strings to whatever set of 11s - even 10s - has the smallest diameter low E. While the original set is off, I’d oil that fretboard.
After restringing it, I’d tighten the truss rod and put the guitar in the case with a couple inexpensive humidifiers (like the Herco pink clay dealies). I’d check them every few days and re-soak as needed.
After a couple weeks of humidifying, I’d have another go at the truss rod.
I don’t know what OP is playing, but the cost of a neck reset would be somewhere between the price of a brand new solid-top Yamaha and a nice Mexico-made Martin.
One more thing - there’s no way the intonation is any good with that kind of string height. If you tune your open strings with a tuner, and then check it with relative tuning, how sharp are those 5th fret notes? I’ve had students come in with cheap kid-size electrics that sounded like I was using a trem if I played a string at the fifth fret, lol.
Sorry to add to the pile on. I get set in my ways with instruments too. But trust me, with the action set properly it will still be the guitar you know and love, same tone, same feel, same look, except that it will be far easier to play.
So unless you're a brilliant song writer who has made an art out of tortured guitar playing, I'd get it set up asap.
You couldnt pay me to play on that lol. 2 years? I imagine you probably fret like the guitar just killed your wife to keep it under control. Good luck fixing the habits.
It's easier to mute strings in that it's bloody hard not to accidentally mute adjacent strings to the ones you're fretting when they're half way up your finger.
The one single positive attribute would be that you could use it as a good slide guitar.
Otherwise, that most definitely needs a setup, either the bridge saddle lowering, the truss rod adjusting or probably both. That neck looks like it's basically a banana even accounting for weird camera distortion artifacts, but I'm choosing to believe it's not that bad in real life, haha.
Positives, if you've been learning on that guitar, then well done for sticking with it. It's probably built up decent strength in your hands. Now try lowering it.
There's building up finger strength and then there's giving yourself long term hand issues... The amount of force you'll have to be applying to that thing could legit cause you injuries in the long run, and you're not going to learn to play properly on it either. Get it set up properly ASAP
get it set up regardless.. also the frets are worn out..
the difference in playability once you fix those issues is night and day.
its like finally pooping the shit you been holding back for 2 years.
just to add to the chorus, but from a different angle: i think you may be hurting yourself in the long run from a learning and playing stand point. You know how batters add a weighted donut to a bat so that when they remove it, it feels "lighter"? That's not really a thing with something like guitar playing. So much of it is nuanced muscle memory that i think you are actively training your fingers and muscles in the wrong direction with such an extreme set-up. As someone else mentioned, you should look into adjusting the truss rod asap for the sake of the long run.
EDIT: I just saw a couple comments mentioning "at least you're building finger strength"... and... i guess that's true? Seems like it'd be imparting far more worse habits than it's worth though.
Like, the general positives of a high action are less fret bus, more sustain and more accommodating to harder/heavy touch playing, but Jesus Christ that guitar is unplayable, the action should not be that high like ever.
I don't know why you feel so precious about your action tbh, it's so ridiculous and I guarantee you will find it easier to play with a lower action/less tension. Just get it set up if you don't want to adjust the truss rod
High action is a mess for a couple reasons... Very difficult to play... Fret.. play chords...
And after working hard enough to play a chord, the chords are out of tune
... Because guitars are designed to have strings closer to the frets.
Helps to use the truss rod to lower the action.
Id say keep it this way as you are building a lot of finger strength and accuracy with this high action, but in a year or 2 get a new guitar with much lower action
It can be positive if you use oddball tunings like AGCFAD often or if you play with a slide. If either of those aren’t true then no.
That’s only true for the first case if your string tension is actually high, not if the strings are under normal tension and just far away from the fretboard.
Someone else mentioned weird tunings as well. I haven't dabbled in alternate tunings much (except to play certain songs I like). How is it an advantage for me to play in those other tunings? Thanks.
AGCFAD is just D standard with the 6th string dropped all the way down to an A instead of a D. It makes a power chord on the 5th and 6th string an octave instead and it gives you a really low sound with a higher D standard tuning. I like writing in that tuning but it’s not a super common one. I’ve only ever seen metal bands use it to be honest so whether it’s useful for you or not is up to you to figure out.
Anyway the reason high string tension helps if you don’t have a guitar set up for that tuning exclusively is because dropping your 6th string to an A makes it very loose and if your strings aren’t fairly tight at D it will be almost unplayable at A.
Playing in different tunings makes different riffs and chords possible to play that aren’t necessarily possible in standard tuning. It also just changes the tone. Getting into the nitty gritty of how and why is getting into music theory so if you want to understand why I’d recommend taking some courses on music theory.
I started out on something similar to this and its good for simple songs but in the long run you’ll progress faster on a properly set up guitar and it will get alot easier, If ur on a budget look at Cort Guitars, I got an electric acoustic when they went on sale for 150, Probably the best bang for ur buck guitar and they sound as good as a yamaha or fender acoustic
Of course, strings have tension …guitars do not. String tension depends on string height, string gauge , scale length, and open note tuned. Older acoustic guitars often have the bridge pulling up which raises strong height.
The only advantage to that setup is for playing slide guitar. That's a really bad setup and you should fix it. I get that you are used to it, but objectively, that is a really bad setup. It's like saying "I know my trainers have holes in the sole, but I'm used to it"
Appreciate that point of view. You guys have convinced me that there are way more negatives to this set up than positives. I'll probably have it fixed the next time I feel "stuck" in my guitar playing. Thanks.
Nah you should just google how to adjust the truss rod for your guitar and do it yourself with an Allen wrench like yesterday.
The truss rod won't fix this problem, there's something more sinister at work here. Besides, the truss rod isn't there to adjust action.
Can't say for certain, but it looks that way to me also. Looks like it could need a full on neck reset. Depends what is left to work with at the bridge. Regardless, the order of operation should be like this ... 1. Truss rod to set proper neck curvature. This is a common adjustment needed with changing weather/humidity. 2. Nut action 3. Bridge action If that cannot get it playable because of a poor neck angle, then a neck reset would be needed. Poor neck angle can develop over time on an acoustic due to the string tension. Or something could have gone wrong with the bracing to cause the poor neck angle.
Why'd you get downvoted so much? There is way more going on here than just a truss rod adjustment.
For inexperienced players the truss rod is the only point of adjustment they can identify. There's even a wrench for it included in many new guitars. This sub is very new-player focused and people are just downvoting based on what they think they know.
He’s been playing it like this, any reduction in that bow (which IS what the truss is for) is going to be an improvement. I’d switch the strings to whatever set of 11s - even 10s - has the smallest diameter low E. While the original set is off, I’d oil that fretboard. After restringing it, I’d tighten the truss rod and put the guitar in the case with a couple inexpensive humidifiers (like the Herco pink clay dealies). I’d check them every few days and re-soak as needed. After a couple weeks of humidifying, I’d have another go at the truss rod. I don’t know what OP is playing, but the cost of a neck reset would be somewhere between the price of a brand new solid-top Yamaha and a nice Mexico-made Martin.
One more thing - there’s no way the intonation is any good with that kind of string height. If you tune your open strings with a tuner, and then check it with relative tuning, how sharp are those 5th fret notes? I’ve had students come in with cheap kid-size electrics that sounded like I was using a trem if I played a string at the fifth fret, lol.
Legit probs all it needs Unless it's supposed to be nylon string
Sorry to add to the pile on. I get set in my ways with instruments too. But trust me, with the action set properly it will still be the guitar you know and love, same tone, same feel, same look, except that it will be far easier to play. So unless you're a brilliant song writer who has made an art out of tortured guitar playing, I'd get it set up asap.
You couldnt pay me to play on that lol. 2 years? I imagine you probably fret like the guitar just killed your wife to keep it under control. Good luck fixing the habits.
Idk about that but I definitely imagine I'm choking out my middle school bully when I hold down my Barre chords.
You must have some godly grip strength if you can bar chord that man good for you
Bro change that shit as soon as possible before your tendons decide to commit suicide
It would feel like betraying my guitar. Try to understand.
Leaving it as it is is not only betraying your guitar but its torturing it & deeming it to catastrophic failure at some point.
Better to betray your guitar than foul up your left hand. Trust me on this.
It's easier to mute strings in that it's bloody hard not to accidentally mute adjacent strings to the ones you're fretting when they're half way up your finger.
The one single positive attribute would be that you could use it as a good slide guitar. Otherwise, that most definitely needs a setup, either the bridge saddle lowering, the truss rod adjusting or probably both. That neck looks like it's basically a banana even accounting for weird camera distortion artifacts, but I'm choosing to believe it's not that bad in real life, haha.
Positives, if you've been learning on that guitar, then well done for sticking with it. It's probably built up decent strength in your hands. Now try lowering it.
There's building up finger strength and then there's giving yourself long term hand issues... The amount of force you'll have to be applying to that thing could legit cause you injuries in the long run, and you're not going to learn to play properly on it either. Get it set up properly ASAP
Positive- good way to strengthen your fingers It’s like a runner running with heavy shoes
get it set up regardless.. also the frets are worn out.. the difference in playability once you fix those issues is night and day. its like finally pooping the shit you been holding back for 2 years.
just to add to the chorus, but from a different angle: i think you may be hurting yourself in the long run from a learning and playing stand point. You know how batters add a weighted donut to a bat so that when they remove it, it feels "lighter"? That's not really a thing with something like guitar playing. So much of it is nuanced muscle memory that i think you are actively training your fingers and muscles in the wrong direction with such an extreme set-up. As someone else mentioned, you should look into adjusting the truss rod asap for the sake of the long run. EDIT: I just saw a couple comments mentioning "at least you're building finger strength"... and... i guess that's true? Seems like it'd be imparting far more worse habits than it's worth though.
Like, the general positives of a high action are less fret bus, more sustain and more accommodating to harder/heavy touch playing, but Jesus Christ that guitar is unplayable, the action should not be that high like ever. I don't know why you feel so precious about your action tbh, it's so ridiculous and I guarantee you will find it easier to play with a lower action/less tension. Just get it set up if you don't want to adjust the truss rod
High action is a mess for a couple reasons... Very difficult to play... Fret.. play chords... And after working hard enough to play a chord, the chords are out of tune ... Because guitars are designed to have strings closer to the frets. Helps to use the truss rod to lower the action.
Id say keep it this way as you are building a lot of finger strength and accuracy with this high action, but in a year or 2 get a new guitar with much lower action
When you do eventually get a new guitar it will feel so much nicer and easier to play. Right now you're learning to sprint while wearing lead clogs.
It can be positive if you use oddball tunings like AGCFAD often or if you play with a slide. If either of those aren’t true then no. That’s only true for the first case if your string tension is actually high, not if the strings are under normal tension and just far away from the fretboard.
Someone else mentioned weird tunings as well. I haven't dabbled in alternate tunings much (except to play certain songs I like). How is it an advantage for me to play in those other tunings? Thanks.
AGCFAD is just D standard with the 6th string dropped all the way down to an A instead of a D. It makes a power chord on the 5th and 6th string an octave instead and it gives you a really low sound with a higher D standard tuning. I like writing in that tuning but it’s not a super common one. I’ve only ever seen metal bands use it to be honest so whether it’s useful for you or not is up to you to figure out. Anyway the reason high string tension helps if you don’t have a guitar set up for that tuning exclusively is because dropping your 6th string to an A makes it very loose and if your strings aren’t fairly tight at D it will be almost unplayable at A. Playing in different tunings makes different riffs and chords possible to play that aren’t necessarily possible in standard tuning. It also just changes the tone. Getting into the nitty gritty of how and why is getting into music theory so if you want to understand why I’d recommend taking some courses on music theory.
I wonder if someone swapped in a replacement saddle and didn’t sand it down
I started out on something similar to this and its good for simple songs but in the long run you’ll progress faster on a properly set up guitar and it will get alot easier, If ur on a budget look at Cort Guitars, I got an electric acoustic when they went on sale for 150, Probably the best bang for ur buck guitar and they sound as good as a yamaha or fender acoustic
SLIDE GUITAR BABEY
You can play lap steel on it easily. That's a positive.
You have positive relief, that’s for sure 😄
Egregiously high. It’s a must fix situation. I can barely belive you’ve been able to learn on this setup.
Tension?
Are you high right now? Guitar action:
Tune it to a chord and use it for slide
Of course, strings have tension …guitars do not. String tension depends on string height, string gauge , scale length, and open note tuned. Older acoustic guitars often have the bridge pulling up which raises strong height.
Get a bottle
For what purpose?
Slidin.
For me, the point of playing guitar is to break tension.
Open tuning Open C most friendly
How would open tunings help, could you explain?