TelePaul
J to the R O C
What's an acceptable action for a 12 string acoustic? I know the strings will never be as low as on a standard acoustic but I'm guessing that 5 -6mm on the bass side at the twelvth is a bit much? It's not comfortable to play.
muttley600
Banned
depends largely on string gauge, string length and tuning but yes that sounds a bit high. You should be able to get it down to at least 4mm without much trouble if the instrument is sound.
Light
New member
Well, I don't think in mm, but there is no reason the action has to be any lower than a six string. It will, of course, FEEL stiffer, since you have the extra strings, but the actual measurement shouldn't be all that different.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
TelePaul
J to the R O C
Interesting, interesting. This'll probably sound stupid but I can just 'tell' by looking at it and playing it that it's too high. The 5mm thing probably isn't an accurate guess - I can't find the feeler gauges we have, but 32-20 says he'll take a look at it over the weekend and decide if it's too high.
I've strung it with lights (or possibly d'addario extra lights if such things exist?) but havn't tuned down. I've had it about a year or so. With a capo on the first fret and the 16th fretted, you'd be hard pushed to fit a 1mm pick through the 8th. Dunno if that's of any help.
Thanks for your feedback.
Oh and Light, if I could get the action on this the same as the action on my Martin, I'd be sorted!
I've strung it with lights (or possibly d'addario extra lights if such things exist?) but havn't tuned down. I've had it about a year or so. With a capo on the first fret and the 16th fretted, you'd be hard pushed to fit a 1mm pick through the 8th. Dunno if that's of any help.
Thanks for your feedback.
Oh and Light, if I could get the action on this the same as the action on my Martin, I'd be sorted!
TelePaul
J to the R O C
Wait, do you mean lower or higher?
muttley600
Banned
What light is saying is that you can achieve a similar or nearly similar action on a 12 string as on a 6 string all things being equal.
The most common problem with the action on 12 string guitars centre around the neck relief in the short term as you do have a good deal more tension on the neck and they are more susceptible to humidity changes as a result.
In the mid to long term you also get significant problems with the bridge rocking forward and the belly dropping at the sound hole because of the extra tension. You haven't said if this guitar is new or second hand?
The third and most common problem with 12 string guitars centres around fact that few techs REALLY know how to set them up and players have a higher expectations of the results when they are. They are harder to do a good reliable setup on in our part of the world.
The most common problem with the action on 12 string guitars centre around the neck relief in the short term as you do have a good deal more tension on the neck and they are more susceptible to humidity changes as a result.
In the mid to long term you also get significant problems with the bridge rocking forward and the belly dropping at the sound hole because of the extra tension. You haven't said if this guitar is new or second hand?
The third and most common problem with 12 string guitars centres around fact that few techs REALLY know how to set them up and players have a higher expectations of the results when they are. They are harder to do a good reliable setup on in our part of the world.
TelePaul
J to the R O C
Guitar is new, a Breedlove Atlas 12 bought last August. 32-20 was telling me to hold a ruler perpendicular to the bridge to see how much it rocked (I should say, he was explaining all this to me over the phone from another county where he was off BBQing and generally enjoying himself
)If we suppose for a sec there's nothing wrong with the neck relief or belly, and the action is still higher than normal, could there be another source of the problem?