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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 18
| I've had this O.C.D. for a few years now and I barely play it because the action, specifically from the saddle to about half way of the neck, is too high. I figured the easiest way to lower it would be to file down the saddle but perhaps there is a different approach to go at it (and I wouldn't know the details on how to file it down as far as the materials and procedure). Here are some images.
Notice how high the right side is compared to the left:
Here is the bridge with the saddle:
Here is the saddle off the bridge:
Notice the inside of the bridge how is entirely wooden:
When I screw off the rounded plastic cover from the back I can see two small rods which hold the bridge and have no connection to the saddle since as shown on the images above, the saddle can be simply taken out of the bridge.
Any help with lowering the action on this awesome guitar will be greatly appreciated! |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Welcome... Sorry you came here under such depressing circumstances.
There are some luthier-types here who may be able to help you...
But the bad news is... It looks like you will need a neck reset.
I do not believe that you can lower the saddle enough to cure that much string height.
What model number guitar is that? |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | Welcome
Some questions:
How much neck relief do you have?
What is the actual string height at the twelfth fret?
How much clearance do you have between the strings and the top of the bridge?
It's hard to tell in the pics, is the saddle recessed below the bottom of the bridge?
Are you wanting to play it plugged in or not?
AJ |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 18
| Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Welcome... Sorry you came here under such depressing circumstances.
What model number guitar is that? RIP Les Paul, he will live forever!
This is a CS-257.
Originally posted by AussieJames:
How much neck relief do you have?
-I dont have a feeler gauge but holding E down (with capos) from the 1st fret to the 15th fret (where neck and body meet) and measuring the gap from the bottom of the string to the top of the fret-top on the 7th fret, is about the thickness of a credit card.
What is the actual string height at the twelfth fret?
-The gap from the bottom of the E string to the top of the fret top on the 12th fret is about 1/7 of an inch.
How much clearance do you have between the strings and the top of the bridge?
-The distance between the bottom of the strings to the top of the bridge (which would be the same distance of the part of the saddle sticking out, which is where the strings rest) is 1/8 of an inch.
It's hard to tell in the pics, is the saddle recessed below the bottom of the bridge?
-No, there is a recession of about 1/4 of an inch which is where the saddle fits into but it is not deep enough to go past below the bridge. From the back there is not sign of anything besides two small rods which are the ones that hold the bridge (besides the glue I guess).
Are you wanting to play it plugged in or not?
-Yes, I definetly want to be able to plug it in, this is the main reason I have this guitar. If I take the saddle out, the action lowers exactly to where I want it but apparently, the saddle is needed to be able to be plugged in since it has a wire connected to it along with that metal plate at the bottom as seen on the photo above (does this work as the "guitar pickup" by the way?).
Let me know if you need more info or if I have anything mixed up.
Thanks for the quick replies guys! |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | (does this work as the "guitar pickup" by the way?).
Yes, that is the piezo-electric pick-up under that metal.
You can switch that out for a 'slim-line' Ovation pick-up or an Artec Undersaddle Transducer.
That could be your best bet. Then you could just get another Tusq, or whatever, saddle that would sit on top of the Artec UST.
I got one of them (UST) for my Trekker Mongrel , and it plugged right into the can for an OP-11/OP-30 pre-amp.
I don't know what kinda pre-amp you have, but it would probably plug into an OP-24+ also.
With the UST you could then sand-down the bottom of the replacement saddle.
But that looks like about a quarter inch at the 12th fret. That would take alot of trimming. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
sand-down the bottom of the replacement saddle. No expert here, but I did sand the bottom of a garage sale Yamaha SJ-180 as a last resort. Worked out fine in my case.
Good luck! |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 18
| Thanks both of you.
I'll see what AussieJames has to say too.
What would be a good website to get a cheap and smaller saddle? |
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Joined:
June 2009
Posts: 67
Location: Texas | http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m38.l1313&_nkw=guitar...
good luck |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | Ok,
The nominal factory specs are 3/32 (.094") at the 12th fret low E.
You say 1/7th" (.144")
So to achieve this we have to lower the action by .05"
The correct method for checking relief is 1st to 13th fret and measure at 6. What you did, 15/7 near enough.
A credit card is approx .025" thick
So if you adjust the truss rod to .005", virtually zero, factory specs are .005 to .015, that will change the action by approx .04" for starters.
Do that, gently mind you, no more than a quarter turn at a time, let the neck settle and then see what string height you have at 12.
Thats the first step before anything else.
AJ |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 18
| So I will have to loosen the rod, correct? |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | No, loosening the rod will increase the relief.
You may have to back it off a tad to get it to move. The adjustment is pretty sensitive so you wont have to move it too far.
This is the first step in solving your problem.
AJ |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | No, tighten it.
Like they say, Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey. Clockwise to tighten.
Like AJ sez, turn it a quarter-turn an wait awhile. Like over-night. Repeat if necessary.
This will only change the 'relief'... Not the total string height at the 12th fret.
You will have to loosen the strings, then go in through the man-hole cover in the rear.
I believe that you will need a 3/16" hex wrench.
Once you have the relief set correctly, then you can worry about the saddle.
(Like the man sez, sometimes you may wanna crank it back a touch first) |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 18
| Perfect. Thanks again AJ and OMA !
I will post results later. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I don't remember if this is the guy that I got my Artec from...
But he seems to have a wide selection of sizes...
Basically this is what I am talking about...
 
(These images are from a different, more expensive seller... I just stole his pics! :D
I don't trust anyone from Hong Kong who has "Trust" in his corporate name!)
Da guy in da link is from Joisey... You can trust him, Y'know? :p |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Truss rod adjustment:
This image, plus a description of minor action tweaking, is from the FAQ .
A GREAT resource for technical tips on setup/maintenance/repairs is frets.com
I have to say, 'tho, from your pics it looks like you probably need a neck re-set. |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 18
| Alright, after about 3 full turns and letting it rest for a bit, these are the new specs:
-The gap from the bottom of the E string to the top of the fret top on the 12th fret is about 4/32 of an inch. (maybe 3/32, again, I don't have a feeler gauge)
-The neck relief is now 0. There is no gap when I hold down 1st to 13th fret and measure at 6. (strings end up touching the top of the frets) I'm sure this is not too good. :rolleyes:
The turns were done by quarters, about 3 quarter turns a day. |
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Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | You need to back off the adjustment a little so that you have just a whisker of relief.
I good rule of thumb is the thickness of the treble E string.
In your case I suggest just that whisker
AJ |
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Lowering the action on an Ovation Celebrity Deluxe.
