Andy P
C.O.G.
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My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Post by Andy P on Feb 3, 2020 21:46:00 GMT
Thanks Vinny, I didn't know they sold them. I'd love to go down that route but like it says, it's recommended that you get someone who knows what they're doing to shape and fit them. Like I said I don't rate the local guys I've used and I just don't have the equipment, in all senses of the word, to do a competent job
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Post by Vinny on Feb 3, 2020 22:10:42 GMT
Hope you didnāt think I was being a smart alec. Itās just that I spotted those on the lowden website and thought you could get a free pass at trying them without changing the existing saddles. That way you could try them as they are or sand them using your existing saddles as a guide, and still have the old ones to fall back on if it didnāt work.
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colins
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 2,318
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Post by colins on Feb 3, 2020 22:33:30 GMT
The advantage for you in using shims is that you won't need to shape the saddle compensation, and of course you can also remove the shims and replace with new ones at any time if you want to change the height of the strings.
I assume that you have checked the relief by holding down the string at the first fret (use a capo) and at the 13th and checking that there is a small gap at the 7th. A lifting fret can also cause a problem, check this with the edge of a credit card placed over three frets and see if it rocks if it does the centre one of the three is slightly high and need dressing or reseating, but don't try this yourself, that really is a job for someone with the right tools.
String buzzes can be difficult to pin down, definitely check the relief first though.
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ocarolan
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CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 3, 2020 22:42:36 GMT
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Post by Andy P on Feb 4, 2020 21:29:52 GMT
Many thanks for your help colins and ocarolan , although it's looking like I'm terminally unhelpable! I checked the neck relief and sure enough there's no gap at the 7th fret. So, I set about trying to adjust the truss-rod, despite knowing from experience that due to the adjustor being tucked away behind the front brace, it's an absolute nightmare. After about 90 minutes, involving much cursing and practically having to dislocate my thumb, I managed to turn it anti-clockwise and re-check it four times, with the result that neither the neck relief nor the buzz has improved one iota and the truss-rod is now loose and rattling. I really should know better as it always ends in tears I've messaged Lowden asking for advice. Looks like I may have to send it over to the factory after all. At least I know they'll do a proper job.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 4, 2020 21:30:56 GMT
Hope you didnāt think I was being a smart alec. Itās just that I spotted those on the lowden website and thought you could get a free pass at trying them without changing the existing saddles. That way you could try them as they are or sand them using your existing saddles as a guide, and still have the old ones to fall back on if it didnāt work. I just thought you were being helpful Vinny and I'm grateful. Things have moved on since then and not in a good way
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Post by Vinny on Feb 4, 2020 22:17:15 GMT
Thatās a nuisance. Hope you get it sorted soon. Good luck.
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Post by PistolPete on Feb 5, 2020 7:50:24 GMT
I'm sure it will horrify the proper luthiers here, but when I've looked under shimmed saddles on instruments I've owned it's usually been done with strips of thin white plastic. Consequently last time I wanted to do it myself I cut some strips from the side of a yoghurt pot, which looked about the same, and seemed to do the job...
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stringdriventhing
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Post by stringdriventhing on Feb 5, 2020 15:04:37 GMT
My Furch guitar came with a little pouch of things, which included a couple of shims made out of some very hard plastic-type material. I used one of them the other day on a tenor guitar which had developed an annoying string buzz. I just cut a bit off the end of the shim to get it to fit. I was a bit worried it might not work with the undersaddle pickup, but it did and it also got rid of the string buzz
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
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Post by Andy P on Feb 11, 2020 16:23:07 GMT
She'll be on her way back to the factory tomorrow to be sorted out. I have to say Lowden are brilliant: they've sent me a prepaid shipping label and arranged for the guitar to be collected by UPS tomorrow
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Feb 11, 2020 16:41:52 GMT
Thanks for this, Keith. ive got a slight buzz š thatās come about after I was over-enthusiastic with the sandpaper recently just ordered a rosewood veneer and look forward to destroying it in various stages of hope and despair, peppered with bouts of fury. good luck with the Lowden (again), Andy
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colins
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 2,318
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Post by colins on Feb 11, 2020 21:43:17 GMT
Veneer is usually 0.6mm thick which will raise the action by 0.3mm at the 12th fret. One of my main complaints is that a lot of players want unrealistically low actions, I aimed for 2mm at the 12th for the 1st and 2.5mm for the 6th. Much lower than that and you are walking a tightrope.
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Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,982
My main instrument is: Taylor 312ce, Guild D25, Deering 5 string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
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Post by Andy P on Feb 14, 2020 21:32:07 GMT
Veneer is usually 0.6mm thick which will raise the action by 0.3mm at the 12th fret. One of my main complaints is that a lot of players want unrealistically low actions, I aimed for 2mm at the 12th for the 1st and 2.5mm for the 6th. Much lower than that and you are walking a tightrope. Those are Lowden's standard action settings too.
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Post by andy3sheds on Feb 18, 2020 14:53:47 GMT
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