It was a Setup - BAD SETUP!

[DO18]

I purchased a 814ce Dlx and had a setup done by a guitar shop / luthier that has been around for a very long time and is a Taylor dealer.

Things were just not sounding right so after I gave it a month I finally pulled the saddle to measure it and compare to a Taylor replacement saddle I have.



SHOCKED!  UPSET!  I am going to send the owner a picture and ask for a refund.

What I found was the guy had sanded down the thickness of the saddle quite a bit and for some reason had to put a shim under the high E & B.  The shim is over 3/32 thick.  I replaced it with the new saddle and the sound is what I hoped for.  Full and rich. The action is .015 inch higher than I would like, but I'm going to give it a month before taking .01 inch off, which would put the low E at .085.  I have the tools to do the job.

I should have listened to Taylor, who recommended I play for a while before having a setup done.

This was not the quality work that I paid US $100 for. Unacceptable!!  Not sure if it is OK to put the shop's name here.  They are in Orange County California.   PM me if you want the shop's name. 

[Edward]

A truly good guitar tech is like finding a truly good plumber, accountant, or contractor: when you find one, you pay him anything he wants because he is truly good.

Sorry to hear of the botched setup, but sadly, I've seen similar, and it's not uncommon.  Like mickey-mouse repairs done by mechanics or home repair guys, I've seen my share, which always prompts me either to learn and do it myself so it's right, or else find the guy and pay him to do it right.  Frustrating, I feel your pain!

FWIW, a properly shimmed saddle is not uncommon and when done properly, sounds right.  As you've noted, shimmed slip-shod, and it kills the strings' energy transfer to the soundboard.  That said, one does not shim Taylor saddles (or for that matter, you don't have to shave it either), as one addresses string height with the proper neck shims, the very beauty of the NT system.  You can shave it, course, as that is the normal route with acoustics, but with the NT proper geometry is achieved through the neck angle.  Can you confirm that it was this Taylor dealer did the work?...if so, it's shameful and the factory should know as they offer users recommendations and they provide their "factory authorized" techs the Taylor neck shims to do the set the geometry correctly.  Your choice to set the neck or shave the saddle, as either road will yield a proper-sounding acoustic, but I'd go with the NT. 

Edward

[Earl]

That is pretty appalling work from a "professional" shop.  In general you want to wait a couple of weeks before doing set up work on any new guitar, since it needs to acclimate to its new home.  And FWIW I have only ever done very minor set up tweaks to any of my Taylors. 

[DO18]

EDWARD, unfortunately I can confirm that it was this particular shop who did the work.  I had the guitar delivered to them and asked that they give it a very thorough going over and perform a setup.  Nothing drastic!  I was expecting around 5/64 on the low E or according to the Taylor spec sheets right about .08 inch.  Taylor calls for between .08 & .09 inch, which is a pretty hair thin margin.

I had the guitar delivered to them.  I live in SE Asia and was in the States on business and to pick up my guitar. 

Where I live a reliable luthier is extremely hard to come by and I am not sure I trust the Taylor distributor here, but in this case I am willing to bet they would have done a workmanlike job.  They will not order any higher end instruments for you.  I tried. 

[DO18]

A truly good guitar tech is like finding a truly good plumber, accountant, or contractor: when you find one, you pay him anything he wants because he is truly good.

Sorry to hear of the botched setup, but sadly, I've seen similar, and it's not uncommon.  Like mickey-mouse repairs done by mechanics or home repair guys, I've seen my share, which always prompts me either to learn and do it myself so it's right, or else find the guy and pay him to do it right.  Frustrating, I feel your pain!

FWIW, a properly shimmed saddle is not uncommon and when done properly, sounds right.  As you've noted, shimmed slip-shod, and it kills the strings' energy transfer to the soundboard.  That said, one does not shim Taylor saddles (or for that matter, you don't have to shave it either), as one addresses string height with the proper neck shims, the very beauty of the NT system.  You can shave it, course, as that is the normal route with acoustics, but with the NT proper geometry is achieved through the neck angle.  Can you confirm that it was this Taylor dealer did the work?...if so, it's shameful and the factory should know as they offer users recommendations and they provide their "factory authorized" techs the Taylor neck shims to do the set the geometry correctly.  Your choice to set the neck or shave the saddle, as either road will yield a proper-sounding acoustic, but I'd go with the NT. 

Edward

Edward, Sir!  I should have quoted you in the above post to notify you of a response.  Thank you sir!

[Edward]

You asked the store for what basically amounts to a factory-spec setup; not difficult to accomplish at all.  Too bad the shop took the cheap/easy route (either through ignorance or expedience, either way, no good)!  I incorrectly assume folks who post are in the States, so a factory-authorized shop is fairly easy to get to ...sorry for my presumption.  That you live outside the US makes it more challenging, but perhaps you can try doing a web search (or forum searches) and try and findt a Taylor-savvy tech within reach, if only because that tech would have access to neck shims which are available only from the mothership.  That said, shaving a saddle is a pretty straightforward job should you be so inclined ...have at it, sir, and enjoy the tone!! 

Edward

[JuanValdez]

I've been taken once on a set up. But checking with a couple of teachers and other players word of mouth helped point me to a Class A luthier in Provo, UT.  See Rio at Great Salt Lake Guitar Co. (Yeah, it really is in Provo)