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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 888
Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | Is there any chance that Adamas guitars have lower action than Ovation guitars? It's probably just a coincidence but both Adamas guitars I've owned have had outstandingly low action. But my O models seem high in comparison.
I love the tone and looks of my 07 Collectors guitar but am frustrated with the action. I've taken it to a professional and he improved it a little but it's still considerably higher than my Adamas. Is it worth sending to the Mother Ship for a setup? |
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Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 8
Location: Canada | Good Question. I wounder why its high myself. My 07C had five shims under the saddle removed 2 and it still seems high, but cannot go lower. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4042
Location: Utah | Stellar, check the whole action starting at the nut, then the relief, and finally the saddle.
My '07C wasn't as easy to play as my 6778LX which had been professionally set up by the original owner. Comparing the two guitars showed that the main difference was the height of the strings at the nut was lower on the 6778LX.
Here's my setup method. Capo the strings between the 2nd and 3rd fret. Now see how much space is between the top of the 1st fret and the bottom of the strings. The gap should be barely perceptible. With reading glasses on, I can see the smallest space there. Gently tapping the string onto the first fret, it can be felt as a tiny gap. For my electric guitars the gap is around .002" which is darned near zero. For the Ovations it is a bit more, I think around .005".
If you strum hard, you want more clearance.
Next, check the relief using a similar method. Capo at the first fret and at the 13th fret. Check the clearance between the top of the 6th fret and the bottom of the strings. For really low action the gap is nearly zero. For heavy strumming it will be more. Adjust the truss rod slowly and in small increments until it is good. I don't do more than 1/4 turn on the truss rod at a time and then wait until the next day to see how it settles in.
Finally you can check the saddle height. Play notes above the 12th fret all the way to the highest fret for each string. The notes should ring clear. Lower the saddle by a shim. Check each string at all frets above the 12th fret to be sure they ring clear. If they start to sound dull, pinched, buzzy or otherwise not clear, you have to add a shim back in. Use a half-thickness shim if you have one.
If it were me I would not send it to Mother for just a setup. You can do everything your self if you are careful. If you don't want to buy the files to take on filing the nut, a good local luthier should be able to work with you to get the nut where it works best for you. Truss rod and shims you can do yourself. |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | What Flysig said.
Remembering that the most important nut is the one holding the guitar. :D
AJ |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | They are all different.
I like my action LOW, I mean very LOW, no I really mean super duper LOW!
My 07C is so low now I get buzzing and choked notes in places BUT it's my main practice guitar and having light strings (11s) and low action means that I'm not over exerting my hands for 80% of my playing time.
Then when I play the Adamas 1680 it's sings out loud even with 10s on it. In fact I've found that playing with 10s means you have to have the lightest and precise of touches, I like this, it means my playing can be controlled, delicate and sounds better.
So to sum my 07C is lower than my Adamas's. Oh and lastly I'm thinking of having the nut adjusted on the 1680 so that the strings are lower and possibly even brought together more by 2mm. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 888
Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | Thanks for the nice tutorial FlySig...I'm on it. I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh and by the way, what the heck does FlySig mean?
Jim |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4042
Location: Utah | Jim, FlySig is the name I use all over the web. It started on a gun forum for Sig Sauer firearms, and since I like to fly airplanes it was the best I could do when signing up to come up with a username. |
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Ovation Action vs Adamas Action
