The distance between the 1st fret and the guitar string. How to lower the strings on an acoustic guitar if the neck is glued in? How to reduce string height: Nut

Fine-tuning an electric guitar is a much more complex process than tuning an acoustic one. This is due to the large number of mechanisms and parts in the Electra, which require additional adjustment. In this article we will look step by step at how to properly tune all the necessary elements of an electric guitar.

Anchor adjustment

An anchor is a long metal rod located inside the neck that regulates its deflection and prevents deformation under the tension of the strings. Most often, it is tuned well and there is no need to touch it, but if the guitar rattles with average playing strength, then you will have to tinker.

When the truss rod is not adjusted correctly, the neck becomes concave or curved. This results in string chatter (if the neck is curved) or a large distance between the strings and the neck (if the neck is concave), making it more difficult to play.

How to understand that it is the anchor that is “to blame”? There is a special test for this: clamp any string on the first fret and the same string at the place where the neck is attached to the body (approximately 20-21 frets). Now look at the distance between the 7th fret nut and the string. Ideally, it is 1-3 millimeters. If this is not the case, then you will have to adjust the anchor. To do this you need to follow the following algorithm:

1. Loosen all strings.
2. Unscrew the bolts on the curtain.
3. Insert the hex key and tighten the anchor.

Which way should I turn the key? Clockwise - straightening the bar, counter - arching. If there is anything still unclear to you, we have posted an online video with a detailed description below.

Important! Turn the keys very slowly and carefully until you achieve the desired result. Sometimes turning the key 2-3 degrees is enough to get the desired effect.

After working with the truss rod, you can tune the guitar and start playing. But, there is a high probability that in a couple of days you will have to resort to tuning again, since the strings will create pressure which can lead to slight deformation. There's nothing wrong with that.

If you did everything correctly, but the strings are still rattling or only part of the strings are rattling, there are several reasons for this:

• The strings need to be replaced because their winding is worn out (if the strings are more than 6 months old);
• The guitar bridge is not set up correctly. It may be higher or lower than normal;
• the saddles on the bridge are not adjusted correctly, they may be lowered;
• the top of the neck is worn out, or it is not from this guitar;
• neck deformation. This can only be solved by replacing the neck.

String height adjustment

If everything is fine with the neck, but the guitar still rattles, then you should try adjusting the height of the strings. The higher they are raised above the bar, the less likely they are to rattle and the more difficult they are to clamp. The standard rise of the strings above the fingerboard is described in the table.

Before you begin, be sure to loosen the strings. After this, you can begin adjusting the height of the saddle. Many guitarists ask how to determine the optimal height? There is no answer to this question. It all depends on the characteristics of your sound production. The harder you play and the harder you play, the higher the height should be so that the strings do not hit the saddle. However, remember that the greater the distance to the strings, the more difficult it is to press them. For beginners, it is always recommended to set the minimum height. The attached video will help you understand unclear points.

Scale adjustment

The scale is the distance between the upper and lower saddle, in other words, the working length of the string, that is, the one that is directly involved in the “sound”. The purity of the guitar's sound depends on how well the scale is adjusted. Most guitars are 25.5" or 24.7" long. When purchased, it is roughly configured and you often have to configure it yourself.

First, tune the instrument to standard tuning, and then select the chromatic mode in the tuner. Now play the sound at the 12th fret and look at the tuner arrow: if it deviates to the right, then the scale needs to be “lengthened,” and if it moves to the left, then, on the contrary, shortened, that is, move the saddle closer to the center. Remember to tune your guitar every time you move the saddle.

What to do if the guitar is still out of tune? Most likely, it will have to be carried to the workshop. There is a high probability that the problem lies in the incorrect placement of the nuts, bridge, or incorrect markings of the frets. It often happens that the frets wear out and the point of contact between the string and the nut changes. In this case, it will not be possible to accurately adjust the scale; you will need to grind and polish the frets again. All the most important points are discussed online in the video attached below.

Replacing strings

Another important point that all guitarists have to face sooner or later is. This process is simple, but still has its own nuances.

In the table below, we have given the approximate number of turns of strings on the pegs. This is not important, but will serve as a guide for beginners on how long the string should be left. This is not an absolute truth and following this rule will not affect the guitar in any way.

And finally, a small life hack. To make your strings last longer, you need to take care of them. The biggest problem is the deposits of pieces of skin and sweat on the strings, which, interacting with the guitar, destroy the structure of the string, oxidizing the metal. This reduces the service life of the strings. To slow down this process, always approach the instrument with clean hands and wipe the strings with alcohol at least once a week.

You can also watch the online video if any points are unclear.

Well, that's all the information that may be useful to you when tuning your guitar. Perhaps tuning an electric guitar seems complicated: adjusting the truss rod, the height of the strings, the scale, but if you figure out the network, it turns out that everything is not so difficult and even brings pleasure! Thank you for reading the article, we hope that you found answers to all your questions. If anything is still unclear, ask in the comments below. Join our VKontakte group, where you will find even more useful and fresh materials for guitarists. Bye!

The quality of play and technique indirectly depends from. I remember how I felt the difference between my Russian guitar and a classical one, when I came to the teacher’s first grade at the age of ten. My first teacher had a nice “varnished” instrument with nylon strings. Yes, when I came to , I wanted to stay there, only because there I could play a “normal” instrument. Therefore, the adjustment distance between strings and fingerboard is an important factor in the process of learning and playing the guitar.

Each guitar has the ability to be adjusted, albeit by sawing the sills that hold the strings. Let's look at each in order:

There are two ways to adjust the distance between the strings and the neck - this is the deflection of the neck, which can be adjusted with an anchor bolt that penetrates the entire neck. The greater the tension in the anchor, the more the bar straightens. If we loosen the anchor bolt, the neck bends accordingly - the mechanics are quite simple.

The second way is to adjust distance between strings and fingerboard bottom threshold. On a Western and classical guitar, this will cause some difficulties, since you will have to file the saddle, or, conversely, build it up.

These two methods are not unique and have their own purpose. The deflection of the neck has a greater effect on the sound of strings clamped on the frets closer to the first (zero) nut. The height of the nut, in turn, mainly controls the sound for sounds played on the second half of the neck, closer to the soundboard.

And one more small note distance between strings and fingerboard measured at the 12th fret. Mostly

Detailed knowledge about the structure of the guitar will never be superfluous. Plus, learning guitar is a lot of fun. This step-by-step guide will help you fine-tune your guitar yourself. As with anything, you will need good tools.

Steps

Neck setup

Check if the bar is straight. Inspect the neck for any bowing or bending. For more accurate results, use a ruler. Make sure one end of the ruler touches the first fret and the other end touches the last fret. Check along both the first string and the last string to make sure the neck is not twisted on its axis.

• It's good if the neck is slightly concave. Guitar makers say that the slight deflection reduces stress on the neck and allows strings to be pressed at all frets. When checking such a bar with a ruler, you may notice that there is a small gap between its working edge and the bar. But if the neck bends in the opposite direction, it will be almost impossible to play on such a guitar, and it will have to be taken to a master.

If the height of the strings on the guitar does not suit you, then adjusting them can be either a simple operation of replacing or processing the lower saddle, or a global repair in particularly unpleasant cases. In each specific situation, you can act a little differently, using standard techniques in different combinations.

A special case of a screw-on neck. Adjusting the height is easy, but remember, when you turn the adjustment screw, you are changing the distance between the frets and the saddle. The problem is exacerbated if the 12th fret and the fingerboard resting point are far apart. This picture is often observed on Soviet guitars. The neck on the screw must also have the correct shape and be even.

What height should the nylon be at the 12th fret?

First, let's remember what distances should be and how to measure them. If you place a ruler at the twelfth fret, then there should be 3.5mm to the center line of the first string, and on the sixth this distance should gradually increase to 4.5-5mm and even 5.5mm. Once again, these are distances for nylon.

(For metal strings everything is lower: up to 2 mm for the first and 3.5 for the sixth.)

The height of the strings above the soundboard in the area of ​​the stand should be from 9 to 15 mm. The bottom sill must stay firmly in the cut.

Causes of incorrect heights

There are many factors influencing the height of the strings. And the reason for large distances can be either an error or inaccuracy during manufacturing, or changes in the guitar over time, predictable or not.

Obvious situations. Without understanding the issue, they changed metal to nylon or vice versa. The guitar was made specifically with other heights and they will not suit you. The guitar has the wrong bone.

The most serious problem is that the neck was installed incorrectly during manufacturing and the bone adjustment is not enough to compensate for this.

The most common reason is that the bar has bent over time and you only need to lower the bone or straighten it. The body of the guitar itself may bend somewhat, then you just need to lower the bone, paying attention to whether the scale has floated yet.

Classic Problem: Neck Bend

This is a systemic problem with bars without an anchor, i.e. classical guitar necks. The neck may bend unnecessarily under the tension of the strings and you will get an increase in string height.

This problem must be corrected by straightening the neck, and not by lowering the nut. Why?

If you simply lower the bone, then you will get a hole, at the exit of which the string will ring. The bottom of the pit is in the area of ​​the 7th fret, after the bottom of the pit the frets begin to rise up and the string will touch the next fret.

A standard check is that if you lower the strings to normal height above the 12th fret and they all start to jingle starting from the middle of the neck, then you have excessive bending.

Just for contrast: if the strings ring on the first frets against the next fret, then your strings are too low or there is a bend in the neck.

I specifically indicate the reason for the ringing, on the next scale, since the reason may be different, for example, an overtone on the upper or lower sills. This is another problem related to their shape.

On a crooked neck, you can only adjust some part of it for normal playing. In a sense, this is justified if you only play in the first positions. The amount of deflection directly affects the complexity of the situation. It’s still possible to put up with a little excessive deflection. If the strings are ringing already at the fifth fret, then this is too much for simple accompaniment.

A crooked neck requires straightening. Before straightening, decide on the heights that you will end up with. Take advantage of the need to level the pad and clearly get to the desired height. Depending on which side of the pickguard you process to a greater extent, your final result in string height will change.

Height above first fret

Obviously, the open string should not ring on the first fret. Too much distance is unnecessary pain for the guitarist.

To quickly estimate sufficient height, you need to hold the string at the first fret with the correct gap at the 12th fret and look at the distance above the nut of the second fret. The distance at the first fret of an open string is almost the same. We will discuss setting these heights in detail in the next article about guitar saddles and bridges.

Adjusting the saddle

It is clear that there is a standard option to change the height of the lower threshold. This is an obvious setting. If a bone needs to be lowered, then it simply needs to be ground off; if it is raised, then by and large it needs to be replaced. Repairs with glue are acceptable, but the glue should not rise too high in the cut. Glue hard wood, bone or something similar to the bottom sill with superglue. This approach is acceptable for inexpensive guitars. Next, what to do if the bone is too big or too small for its stand.

Please note that in order to raise the string by 0.5 mm above the 12th fret, the bone must be raised by 1 mm.

Working with the stand

Very often it is necessary to edit the stand itself, i.e. the bone is so high that it doesn’t hold up well or, conversely, so low that it sinks into the cut.

Throat too high

If the bone becomes too high for the old cut, you need to deepen it and preferably widen it. The bone should sit securely in the cut. Do this operation with an understanding of what tuning compensation is.

It is necessary to take into account the ability of the deck to resist greater stress. For thick decks, a high saddle can be beneficial. By lifting the bone, you increase the leverage and torque on the stand, and it begins to break out the deck with greater force.

It may also be necessary to reduce the angle at which the string approaches the bone. The strings rise too sharply to the nut, actually breaking it. Fastening with a pigtail (i.e. conventional fastening in one hole) in itself reduces this undesirable effect and allows the string to be pulled up. You can increase the height of the string fastening panel, combine it with something pleasant and glue something decorative on top. Then the loop of the string will pull the string higher, reduce the angle, and reduce the overturning moment on the bone.

Throat too low

If the bone needs to be lowered below the level of the stand, then you can cut off its lip somewhat, making it lower so that the bottom sill can be seen enough. But there is a pitfall - you need to monitor the cut-off angle of the strings, so the tuning progress using this method is small and not always feasible.

The cut-off angle of the strings also depends on the method and position of the hole for attaching the strings. If you need to increase the angle, then the hole should be as low as possible and you should use a fastening with two holes or using a button.

You might consider changing the method of attaching the strings. For example, you have a regular stand with a hole. The stand is high. You can switch to a tuning pegs method, like on Western or Gypsy guitars. For a classical guitar, this will only work in special cases, but it's something to keep in mind.

Here we actually get to the possibility of changing the stand. The option is acceptable, especially in combination with other factors. The old stand is ugly, broken, crooked and torn, and does not cover any stains.

Old holes in the stand can be filled with hardwood caps and epoxy resin and other holes can be drilled below. This can be done on a glued stand using some kind of knitting needle with a drill attached to it. Since there is little drilling, you can simply use sharpening on the knitting needle. Drill from the bottom ring side, low speed.

Big mistakes, i.e. in fact, incorrect installation of the neck into the guitar can be corrected in addition to reinstalling the neck by straightening the fingerboard, as well as sawing the heel. Make the cut very close to the sides, as if you wanted to cut the neck flush to the body, but stop just before the fingerboard. Now you just need to select an insert made of dense wood so that, by gluing everything back with it, you will get the correct angle for gluing the neck. The renovation is radical but effective.

Over time and under the tension of the strings, an acoustic guitar, one way or another, changes, and in particular its body. Unlike us older guitarists, the instrument is starting to show its age. The belly protrudes, the shoulders sag, the neck bends forward.

I agree, not the best comparison.

Although the guitar can be considered as an organism.
Under the tension of six strings, the “shoulders” bend forward slightly. The wood on the top around the sound hole dips down ever so slightly, and the wood around and behind the bridge becomes convex. The lower deck, on the contrary, is smoothed out and actually becomes a little longer. Each of these changes affects the neck. Even if it seems straight to you, there is a possibility that below the 14th fret it already begins to bend.

I would like to repeat here what I wrote in . The truss rod does not affect the angle of the bar. It helps the neck itself not to bend and with its help you can control the deflection of the neck from the top nut to 15-16 frets (that is, 1-2 frets beyond the place where the fingerboard already lies on the body of the guitar). changes the angle of inclination of only the flexible part of the neck.

In my experience, almost all regular metal string acoustic guitars require a neck reset over time. As a rule, lightweight guitars require reinstallation sooner than heavier ones. For example, Martins live on average 20-25 years without resetting the neck, but after such a procedure, time and string tension continue to affect the body of the guitar and it is not always easy to predict how the instrument will behave. In any case, well-made guitars can outlive their owners...

As the neck turns slightly relative to the top, the height of the strings increases, especially in high positions (from the 6th fret and below). In fact, if you know what you're doing, it's easy to identify the need to reset the neck by looking at the height of the strings.

I use three different methods to find out if there are problems with the angle of the bar. Most often I use the third one during the initial inspection of the guitar. Keep in mind that you must first set up the anchor correctly, this is very important.

“Aiming” the neck so that the corners of the frets are in one line, I pay attention to whether there is a clear bend in the neck in the place where it is attached to the body:

The neck is too thick at this point for the truss rod to bend, but if the neck is not aligned with the body, the end of the fingerboard can bend outward. It happens that the deflection is not visible due to the structure of the guitar, for example, too much of the pickguard lies on the body. But if there is a deflection of the pickguard above the body of the guitar, then there are obvious problems with the angle of the neck.

If the neck turns out to be even by eye, then I take a 60cm ruler:

I can't use it if the fingerboard is curved because the ruler won't touch all the frets and it won't be possible to judge the angle of the neck correctly. So make sure the pickguard and frets are ok.

Now I place the ruler on the wooden part of the stand:

Most guitars are designed in such a way that if the ruler rests on the stand and touches all the frets, then I can be sure that everything is in order with the angle of inclination.
Unfortunately, this guitar makes it clear that the neck needs to be reinstalled:

The ruler hangs 0.3cm (1/8”) from the body.

This method is quite simple, but its use does not take into account the thickness of the stand itself. If it was reduced, and the ruler lay as it should, then the angle of the neck may not be ideal. You can measure the height of the bridge (ignoring the height of the sill) and hope it is somewhere between 8 and 9.5 mm (5/16" - 3/8"), or use an easier method.

Here's a method that doesn't involve frets, pickguard, or bridge height.

First, make sure the neck is straight, then look at the height of the strings above the 12th fret. For example, it is within the normal range, that is, from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom edge of the sixth string we have somewhere from 2.4 to 3.2 mm (3/32” - 4/32”). Now let's see what height of the same string is closer to the stand.

If there is 12.7 mm (1/2") from the body of the guitar to the bottom of the sixth string, then the neck angle is correct:

If the distance is less than a centimeter (3/8”), then there are obvious problems with the angle of inclination:

In the photo the strings are very close to the body, which means the bridge and/or saddle have been lowered.

If you don’t have a ruler at hand, you can measure the distance by eye or with your finger, whether it is less than 1 cm or more.

Here are some other points that indicate tilt angle problems:

The distance above the 12th fret is very large, more than 3.8mm (4/32”)

BUT AT THIS TIME the bottom threshold is VERY low:

There are also problems associated with the “reverse” angle of the neck, which arise either from low-quality production or as a result of unsuccessful repairs. This can be seen if the nut is very high, but the height of the strings, on the contrary, is excessively low.

The height of this nut is fine and shouldn't be increased, so if the string height is normal, then the neck angle is probably correct too:

However, if the strings are very low, then I would suggest resetting the neck.

Here you need to understand that all these indicators are not absolute. Most acoustic guitars have parameters similar to Martin guitars, but other types of guitars will have different recommendations. The musician's personal preferences in string height also play a role. It can be easy to get over it if the bar angle is a little off. After all, what is wrong for a guitarist is just right for another. What's appropriate for a perky country singer may not be appropriate for a jazz guitarist.

Also, in the article I meant healthy tools that are kept at normal humidity. High or low humidity has a big impact on the fretboard.

In this case, the best way to help is experience, when thousands of guitars pass through your hands. An experienced master develops intuition and literally senses such problems, taking into account dozens of nuances. Each manufacturer has its own standards, its own guarantees and the degree of repairability of the tool. And each master chooses his own repair method, which depends on the type, style, age, manufacturer and condition of the instrument.