[Jmp51483]

I just got my new seagull guitar in but the action is just alittle higher than I liked... now I have another seagull guitar that has awesome action... both of these guitars contain a tusq nut and saddle.. in identical design...Would I be able to swap the two to lower the action on my new guitar since I am going to be playing it more? The action isnt incredibly high but enough for me to notice... so I want to swap the two... what do you guys think????

[The_buffalo]

It's easy enough to lower the action by removing the saddle and rubbing the bottom on a piece of sandpaper you've laid on a flat surface like a table - just don't sand off too much. Or maybe you could return it to the store & explain to them that the action is too high, & get them to do it for you.

This post has been edited by The_buffalo: 24 July 2006 - 02:14 AM

[dadfad]

Swapping parts would probably fit but may or may not help. The difference in action might be related more to other factors other than just the nut and saddle (unless your action is very high in the first few frets you can probably exclude the nut right away). It could be related to little factors intrinsic to that specific guitar... a very slight top-belly, slight difference in neck set angle, etc. It might help to swap, but not necessarily. No harm in trying it. Like Buffalo mentioned, it isn't difficult to shave the bottom of the saddle down a little like he said (myself I prefer using a larger size file on a table so you know the surface is flat, but sandpaper works too). If you do that, make a straight pencil line on the bottom of the saddle about 1/32" away from the bottom of the saddle so you have something to gage how much you've removed and how straight it is by. Be careful you don't take off too much. Better to have to take off more a second time than to remove too much and have to replace and re-carve it completely. Sticking it back in place and re-tightening just the 1 and 6 strings for checking will usually give you a decent idea as to how much you've removed and how much change it has made.

[Jmp51483]

well now that I think about it... with it being my most expensive guitar I am going to just take it somewhere and have it completely setup... I am almost positive it is just the saddle because its almost perfect up top like 1st-7th fret... from the 8th down its just alittle to high for my liking... but I'd hate to shave the saddle down too much right after I get the guitar =)

[ninjato]

It sounds more like a slight adjustment of the truss rod. Many acoustics are sent w/ a little more relief than you'd like.

No more than a 1/4 turn should do it. Make sure you loosen the strings a bit if you are tightening the truss (clockwise)