Bought a Taylor 314CE (New) from a local guitar shop, sounded great. Took it ti my guitar tutor who also repairs guitars, he lowered the action, adjusted the truss rod, dressed the frets, and wow plays like a different guitar and sounds way better. Shows that new out the factory is not always set up correctly. Great video, thanks for posting.
Thanks very much for getting back to me. I'm going to take your advice and take my Lowden guitar to a guitar teck. I'll keep you posted. Probably be new year now. Thanks to everyone else who gave advice.. it's nice to get other players thoughts. Regards, Rober.t Ireland..
Hi Robert. You should find a local experienced guitar tech or luthier to help you. As I said in the video, all guitars should be set up for the individual player. I cannot be sure of your Lowden guitar problems unless I have it in my hands, but it "sounds" like the action needs a proper set up. This would include setting the truss rod and the saddle height and nut slots. Generally, a good action (easy play) is 2mm for the low E and 1.5mm for the high E when measured at the 12th fret between the top of the fret wire and the underside of the string. But that measurement alone is only correct if the neck relief (truss rod) is properly set and the nut slots are at the proper depth. Also consider that the frets will need to be at the same height (fret leveled), crowned and polished.
Thanks for this. Looking for an acoustic in the UK in region of £500. Difficult to get non Chinese or something without electrics. Will keep looking. Very well presented video.
Listen closely to the experience given here for free. There's a lot of heartache that could be avoided by taking this advice. Especially the set-up advice. I had to learn all this the hard way. There are advantages to getting "taken" though. You learn how to repair your own instruments...
Only thing I disagree with is aways buy from a store where you can play the instrument you're planning to buy. I bought my Martin D1 from a store that had three identical ones but only one of them sounded so good I had to buy it. The others with the same setup and identical strings were just not the same. Trust your ears ❤
You are right. This video "assumes" that the buyer has found an instrument that they like. This video has more to do with checking that instrument for possible problems that might cost them down the road. As I stated in the beginning, a "New" instrument is not always "new". I tried not to point at specific instruments to try as everyone has different ears. The D1 you chose might not have been the same D1 that someone else would choose. I'm glad you found the one "you" like! 👍
I have a couple of pet peeves with acoustic guitars in general. First, 'acoustic' has come to mean slim neck and steel strings. I prefer nylon strings but if I go into a music store and ask to see an acoustic guitar with nylon strings, I will be directed to the classical guitar section. Second, so why aren't there any nylon string, slim neck (48mm or less) acoustic guitars available? The only ones I've seen are the cross over instruments, of which I have one. Surely, manufacturers could provide nylon strings on some of their guitars. I keep reading that you shouldn't put nylon on a steel string. I don't know why not. I understand not switching nylon (exp. a classical guitar) to steel. I've been thinking of getting a 2nd guitar but figure I'd just end up with another cross over. Anyway, rant over.
A bit off topic, but I can tell you why folks "suggest" that you do not string your steel string acoustic with nylon strings. 1. Steel string acoustics put much higher tension on the top (soundboard) and are much more heavily braced when compared to a nylon string acoustic. So stringing the steel string with nylon strings will sound muted and restricted. 2. Stringing with nylon strings is going to require lots of modifications to the steel string body, like truss rod adjustments, a much higher saddle and a higher nut with wider slots. 3. It is not required, but the tuning machines are the wrong type for nylon strings and will not work particularly well. All that said, you can mount nylon strings on your steel string body but consider that it will need lots of modification and it will not sound very good.
I bought a new Lowden guitar 2 years ago. Its a beautiful looking guitar and sounds good but i feel its fighting me as i play up the neck particularly with bar chords. Also its good for fingerstyle but its sounds very poor when strumming. I have a Takamie that's 30 years old and there's no problem with bar chords anywhere up or down the neck. Is it necessary to have a new guitar adjusted. You would imagine the manufacturer would have it set up correctly. Im very disappointed wiyh this very expense Lowden guitar. Any ideas ? Robert Sweeney.
Check your relief ( quick and dirty method ) capo on 1st fret , hold down the 12th fret , and check clearance around the 7th fret ( if you’ve got feeler guages it should be around 10thousands or under , if no guages then you should be pushed to see the clearance but if you can see daylight easily then you have too much relief , adjust truss rod to put more back now on the neck ( basically straightening it , after that you could check the nut slots are cut deep enough , I could give you info once you’ve determined the proper relief , once you have the relief dialled in , check the action at the 12th fret , measure clearance again if you have guages
Excellent video. Very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Can't wait for the used guitar vid.
Bought a Taylor 314CE (New) from a local guitar shop, sounded great. Took it ti my guitar tutor who also repairs guitars, he lowered the action, adjusted the truss rod, dressed the frets, and wow plays like a different guitar and sounds way better.
Shows that new out the factory is not always set up correctly.
Great video, thanks for posting.
Thanks very much for getting back to me. I'm going to take your advice and take my Lowden guitar to a guitar teck.
I'll keep you posted. Probably be new year now.
Thanks to everyone else who gave advice.. it's nice to get other players thoughts.
Regards,
Rober.t
Ireland..
Hi Robert. You should find a local experienced guitar tech or luthier to help you. As I said in the video, all guitars should be set up for the individual player. I cannot be sure of your Lowden guitar problems unless I have it in my hands, but it "sounds" like the action needs a proper set up. This would include setting the truss rod and the saddle height and nut slots. Generally, a good action (easy play) is 2mm for the low E and 1.5mm for the high E when measured at the 12th fret between the top of the fret wire and the underside of the string. But that measurement alone is only correct if the neck relief (truss rod) is properly set and the nut slots are at the proper depth. Also consider that the frets will need to be at the same height (fret leveled), crowned and polished.
Good advice!
Thanks for this. Looking for an acoustic in the UK in region of £500. Difficult to get non Chinese or something without electrics. Will keep looking. Very well presented video.
Listen closely to the experience given here for free.
There's a lot of heartache that could be avoided by taking this advice. Especially the set-up advice.
I had to learn all this the hard way. There are advantages to getting "taken" though. You learn how to repair your own instruments...
Great presentation. I'm happy you're on TH-cam! You got a subscriber in me 😊
Words of wisdom.
It is essential to support your local music store because once they are gone they are gone for good
Only thing I disagree with is aways buy from a store where you can play the instrument you're planning to buy. I bought my Martin D1 from a store that had three identical ones but only one of them sounded so good I had to buy it. The others with the same setup and identical strings were just not the same. Trust your ears ❤
You are right. This video "assumes" that the buyer has found an instrument that they like. This video has more to do with checking that instrument for possible problems that might cost them down the road. As I stated in the beginning, a "New" instrument is not always "new". I tried not to point at specific instruments to try as everyone has different ears. The D1 you chose might not have been the same D1 that someone else would choose. I'm glad you found the one "you" like! 👍
I have a couple of pet peeves with acoustic guitars in general. First, 'acoustic' has come to mean slim neck and steel strings. I prefer nylon strings but if I go into a music store and ask to see an acoustic guitar with nylon strings, I will be directed to the classical guitar section. Second, so why aren't there any nylon string, slim neck (48mm or less) acoustic guitars available? The only ones I've seen are the cross over instruments, of which I have one. Surely, manufacturers could provide nylon strings on some of their guitars.
I keep reading that you shouldn't put nylon on a steel string. I don't know why not. I understand not switching nylon (exp. a classical guitar) to steel.
I've been thinking of getting a 2nd guitar but figure I'd just end up with another cross over. Anyway, rant over.
A bit off topic, but I can tell you why folks "suggest" that you do not string your steel string acoustic with nylon strings. 1. Steel string acoustics put much higher tension on the top (soundboard) and are much more heavily braced when compared to a nylon string acoustic. So stringing the steel string with nylon strings will sound muted and restricted. 2. Stringing with nylon strings is going to require lots of modifications to the steel string body, like truss rod adjustments, a much higher saddle and a higher nut with wider slots. 3. It is not required, but the tuning machines are the wrong type for nylon strings and will not work particularly well. All that said, you can mount nylon strings on your steel string body but consider that it will need lots of modification and it will not sound very good.
@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs Thanks for the explanation. I assumed there must have been some reason.
I bought a new Lowden guitar 2 years ago.
Its a beautiful looking guitar and sounds good but i feel its fighting me as i play up the neck particularly with bar chords.
Also its good for fingerstyle but its sounds very poor when strumming. I have a Takamie that's 30 years old and there's no problem with bar chords anywhere up or down the neck.
Is it necessary to have a new guitar adjusted. You would imagine the manufacturer would have it set up correctly.
Im very disappointed wiyh this very expense Lowden guitar.
Any ideas ?
Robert Sweeney.
Check your relief ( quick and dirty method ) capo on 1st fret , hold down the 12th fret , and check clearance around the 7th fret ( if you’ve got feeler guages it should be around 10thousands or under , if no guages then you should be pushed to see the clearance but if you can see daylight easily then you have too much relief , adjust truss rod to put more back now on the neck ( basically straightening it , after that you could check the nut slots are cut deep enough , I could give you info once you’ve determined the proper relief , once you have the relief dialled in , check the action at the 12th fret , measure clearance again if you have guages