Author Topic: How often do you adjust your action?  (Read 11603 times)

GtrgRrl

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #15 on: February 19, 2013, 02:58:49 PM »
Hi All,

Well as promised just a note to keep you updated with my GA4. The guitar is still in Amsterdam. The shop said that Taylor are sending it back to him next week (they would have had it for 3 weeks by then). I have lost faith in the guitar and certainly do not want it back. The one I bought in my mind was a fully working "quality" guitar, not something that would make me have to leave it with the shop 3 times and then be sent away to Amsterdam for 3 weeks.

The dealer has been very good and said that he will honour the price of the guitar as credit in his shop for me on a new one of my choice, even if Taylor repaired it and sent it back. That is great service from him and I am very pleased with that. However, to date I have heard nothing from Taylor in the way of what was wrong, and nothing about any good will gesture to compensate for my time making trips to the dealers store and not having a guitar to play intermittently through the winter months.

Without any news or updates from Taylor I almost feel as if they are blaming me for the issues with the guitar. Just a point to note, when I took it back to the dealer the dealers tech put it on the bench, adjusted the buzz out of it, left it for 3 or 4 hours and when they went back to it guess what, buzzing strings again. The did this 2 or 3 times. So that gives you the kind of idea of what was happening.
 
I have asked my dealer to enquire about a price for a 512 12 Fret with the added request for a gesture of good will on the price so I do not feel so aggrieved about the issues I have had. 

Lets see what next week brings  ???

I completely understand how frustrating this must be for you.  However, having worked with Taylor and being personal friends with the guy who set up the location in Amsterdam and the guy that oversees it from the U.S., I have a hard time believing that they blame you.  I'd be very surprised if that ended up being the case.  Your dealer should be able to contact the guys in Amsterdam who are working on it to find out exactly what the issue is and how it is being solved.  Since you aren't the person dealing directly with them, it makes sense that they haven't personally contacted you. 

Try, as hard as it may be, to keep your chin up about all of this.  Play it when it comes back and see if it still gives you the pleasure that it first did when you fell in love with it the first time around.  If the joy is just gone, then it sounds like you've got a great dealer working with you on it.   Remember, though, this isn't their fault either.  So often, the dealer gets blamed by the consumer for a product that's defective.  Truly, they are just the middle men and it sounds like they are working hard to rectify the situation for you. 

Taylor builds great guitars, but even with all their checks and balances, something can go wrong.  Not to mention that it's a really long way from El Cajon to the UK.  It's surprising to me that more doesn't go wrong just from all the guitars go through to get there. 

All that said, I know it really sucks when it happens to you.   :P 

“Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.”   Keith Richards

www.portlandmusiccompany.com

Jurrasicway

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2013, 04:21:36 PM »
Hi, two weeks ago I had a message from the dealer saying that Taylor would not do anything for me but return the guitar  :'(
I decided to write a letter listing all of my concerns and send it to the dealer. He forwarded it on to Taylor. I then got the email addresses off the guys in Amsterdam and sent it direct to them after I had not heard anything for about a week. Almost immediately I received an email back saying they had received my letter from the dealer and would give me an answer that day.
Later on a call from the dealer saying they acknowledged that I had been through a poor experience and would agree to give me a discount on another guitar as a good will gesture. This was great news and I now have a 12 fret 500 series on order. Also the dealer has promised to loan me a guitar until it comes. Really great news and very happy. Just a shame I had to fight tooth and nail, but we got there in the end...  ;D whoop whoop !!!
I supposed it paid off in the end to be patient, polite and present the facts in a balanced way..  Thank you Taylor. My faith has been restored...  8)
512 12 Fret.

Cindy

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2013, 04:57:38 PM »
Congratulations Jurrasicway and kudos to Taylor for standing behind their product! 8)

In your initial post, you mentioned how they adjusted the neck on a new guitar and that you thought it was surprising. In the past, I ordered two modify-a-model guitars that needed to be built as none were readily available. Both of them came with the action a little too high and had to get both adjusted. Not sure why it happens, but it does from time to time.

Anyways...glad to hear things have worked out to your satisfaction! After you receive the guitar and have a little time to play it, please take some pics to share with us. After all you've been through, we'd like to make sure your replacement is a good one! ;)
Cindy

Louis

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #18 on: March 04, 2013, 10:39:32 AM »
Since this is a action post .I read some where here that if you slip a quarter under the 12 fret I' m sure they said it should be a sng fit. I tried it on my 314 and it ain't no snug fit. so,what does that mean,Adjustment time?
Taylor 315ce Jumbo 2010
Bose L1’s (2)
Fender F65--1977
Taylor 12 string 356ce

Fender Strat - 50's special edition (red)
Heil. Fin  microphone
Fender 512 sub woofer
Digiteck 3 vocal harmonizer

Nomad

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2013, 12:40:11 PM »
Since this is a action post .I read some where here that if you slip a quarter under the 12 fret I' m sure they said it should be a sng fit. I tried it on my 314 and it ain't no snug fit. so,what does that mean,Adjustment time?

Don't go by some arbitrary thing you read somewhere.

How does the guitar feel to you? How does the guitar sound to you?

If you're happy with the way it's playing and the way it sounds, why mess with that?

joerogrz

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #20 on: March 04, 2013, 06:10:47 PM »
Since this is a action post .I read some where here that if you slip a quarter under the 12 fret I' m sure they said it should be a sng fit. I tried it on my 314 and it ain't no snug fit. so,what does that mean,Adjustment time?

I played for years without even thinking about the height of the strings. When I finally played a guitar that had the action adjusted lower, it felt so much better to me and was much easier for me to play. That being said, if you've tried lower action before and didn't like it, don't bother with it. But if you've never played a guitar with lower action I suggest you try it. It's easier to fret and at higher frets your fingers don't have to do Olympic hurdles to get over the strings to the ones you're trying to fret.

Cindy

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2013, 12:22:20 PM »
Since this is a action post .I read some where here that if you slip a quarter under the 12 fret I' m sure they said it should be a sng fit. I tried it on my 314 and it ain't no snug fit. so,what does that mean,Adjustment time?

There are measuring tools which will let you know the action. Stew Mac makes a string action gauge although there are probably many cheaper alternatives. Taylor used to have a PDF listing the suggested height of the action on the low E and the high E at the 12th fret. Taking accurate measurements with a measuring tool would probably be better than using anything else.
Cindy

Louis

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #22 on: March 05, 2013, 02:32:13 PM »
Joe and Cindy, i'm a vocalist so i use my 314 ce just to accompany myself singing with chords. But being stuck in the Canadian oil sands for weeks at a time ( haven't been home for 31 days) i came across this site that i really like, he explains every thing very thoughly and you'll see a stack of lessons there that are all free. He's not in your wallet every time you turn around. So it keeps me expanding my playing and gives me some thing to do .When i take the lessons he makes us go down to the 12 fret area a lot and this is where i find the strings too high and like Joe says do Olympic hurdles to play. Some where on this site they said a quarter is the exact measurment required,and if that's the case the strings are too high.

http://www.activemelody.com/lessons
« Last Edit: March 05, 2013, 02:47:07 PM by Louis »
Taylor 315ce Jumbo 2010
Bose L1’s (2)
Fender F65--1977
Taylor 12 string 356ce

Fender Strat - 50's special edition (red)
Heil. Fin  microphone
Fender 512 sub woofer
Digiteck 3 vocal harmonizer

GSMC Bob

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2013, 02:48:41 PM »
I just fished a quarter out of my pocket and measured the thickness with a machinist's rule and it came out to almost exactly 4/64" at the rim around the edge of the coin.  Taylor's factory string height setting spec is 4/64" under the 1st string and 6/64" under the 6th string at the 12th fret.  I would call Taylor's factory action "medium low".  Depending on your style/technique, neck relief preference, string gauge and some other variables you may prefer to go lower... or not.  Anyway, my particular quarter (I suspect they may vary and certainly they do wear down eventually too and become thinner) would be pretty close to the Taylor factory spec string height measurement under the 1st string... and probably too low for most as measurement for setting the 6th string!

NOTE:  I measured a U.S. quarter, not a Canadian quarter!! :D
« Last Edit: March 05, 2013, 03:09:03 PM by GSMC Bob »

Louis

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #24 on: March 05, 2013, 03:20:47 PM »
Your a good man Bob,thanks a bunch for that reply.To me it's too high and be darned if if gonna start shaving the saddle or what ever else cause i don' t know what I'm doing. if I ever get outta  here  ill take it to guitar works in Calgary and ill have it checked out.
Taylor 315ce Jumbo 2010
Bose L1’s (2)
Fender F65--1977
Taylor 12 string 356ce

Fender Strat - 50's special edition (red)
Heil. Fin  microphone
Fender 512 sub woofer
Digiteck 3 vocal harmonizer

Nomad

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #25 on: March 06, 2013, 11:46:25 PM »
Your a good man Bob,thanks a bunch for that reply.To me it's too high and be darned if if gonna start shaving the saddle or what ever else cause i don' t know what I'm doing. if I ever get outta  here  ill take it to guitar works in Calgary and ill have it checked out.

What about Campbell's Music in Ft. McMurray?

Louis

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #26 on: March 07, 2013, 11:11:16 AM »
  Ya i'm at the top of super test hill. 1/2 hour out of town.Been in there a few times buying strings and such, good idea, i'll call them to see how late they open. Where the heck are you to know about that place  :)
Taylor 315ce Jumbo 2010
Bose L1’s (2)
Fender F65--1977
Taylor 12 string 356ce

Fender Strat - 50's special edition (red)
Heil. Fin  microphone
Fender 512 sub woofer
Digiteck 3 vocal harmonizer

jivauk

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Re: How often do you adjust your action?
« Reply #27 on: March 08, 2013, 12:44:25 PM »
Wouldn't dare make any adjustments!

For us, if the action isn't just right when buying, we take the guitar to our trusted luthier (Mark Challinor in Yorkshire) and he sets it up how we prefer. It's a two hour drive, but we figure it's worth it - he's also our go to tech for replacing tuners and any other adjustments.

Once set, we leave it alone.
Val
www.jiva.co.uk

Guitars: Taylor, Yamaha, Eko
Ukuleles: Kala
Sound System: Bose, AER