I visited my guitar guy for guitar repairs and “horse trading” (guitars really) last night in Oak Park, IL. It was worth the drive.
I traded in a Hohner and Bristol acoustic for a future electric guitar and brought my Ibanez V70CE for him to examine.
I had traded a 1969 Harmony student guitar for the Ibanez V70 CE acoustic electric about a year ago. Nice looking black guitar, sounds great when amped on my Roland 40GX.
“I just can’t play the Ibanez very easily. The action is too high.” – Shoshin Guitarist
“Let me Lower the Action on your Ibanez”
While I played a few guitars I considered trading for, Paul the Guitar Guy sat in his tiny space (I couldn’t see him) and he worked on lowering the action on my Ibanez.
I peeked into his office and saw him sanding down the bridge on a tiny glass (?) surface.
Paul: Try Your Ibanez Now
First I eyeballed it. Without a ruler or “Fritz Ruler”, I could see that the action had been lowered. Even with its older strings it played more gently, easier than before. The action was significantly lower.
Awesome, I could now play the Ibanez and it wasn’t painful.
Paul, what did you do to lower the action on the Ibanez?
In 12 minutes he had made the guitar useable, actually fun.
This is what he said or what I surmised from his remarks.
- Paul adjusted the truss rod to eliminate the bowed neck.
- I am sure he loosened the strings before doing so.
- Then he turned the “wrenched” the truss road clockwise to flatten the truss rod and reduce the bowed guitar neck.
- Paul sanded down the saddle. That’s the thin white thing on your guitar bridge that all the strings pass over before being tied down.
- First he loosened the strings a lot.
- Second, he removed the bridge.
- I wish I had seen that step. What was the technique?
- He sanded the removed saddle by moving it back and forth on a sandpapery small tool. I didn’t see it.
- Then Paul tightened the screws, checked the action, strummed it briefly and handed the Ibanez to me.
Have Courage, Lower the Action on Your Acoustic Guitar
I need to learn how to lower the action on an acoustic guitar. It shouldn’t be hard.
But the “first time” in many things is always a bit more difficult for all of us.
I have played guitar for 2 years and bass for 1 year. It’s time to actually take care of my guitars/basses by myself.
Wish me luck 🙂