I own one of these guitars. It sounds Ok, Has a Ok sound quality. Is there any way to adjust the neck to lower strings or file frets for smoother action. It is hard to play somewhat.
Re: I own one of these guitars. It sounds Ok, Has a Ok...
Here is quite a good article on acoustic guitar set up and adjustment that will apply to all makes.
http://www.acguitar.com/article/default.aspx?articleid=22188
note - with some makes / models the neck truss rod is accessed by removing a small plastic plate at the tuning peg end of the neck.
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Strings buzzing can either be the action being set too low, or the frets needing dressing or the neck not having enough relief or being actually warped. We can't tell from here.
Learn how to adjust the truss rod in your guitar, if you can. That's the easiest fix that does not involve specialized tools, filing frets, or disassembly. You may need to buy or borrow a long hex driver to reach the truss rod adjusting nut https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyqrSRI2asc&feature=youtu.be&list=UUM-CsUeK57J8grv9BSBRRhQ
If it is a simple relief problem, that may fix it.
Adjusting the height of the bridge requires taking out the bridge and shimming it, which involves some woodworking skills (unlike an electric guitar where you can adjust bridge height and intonation with screwdrivers and or hex wrenches)
This should be possible to fix, depending on the cause, but because this is an acoustic guitar adjusting the action, frets and any major neck issues is a job that should be looked at by a qualified person. Keep in mind that your Alvarez is not a hugely valuable guitar, so you want to set a budget and get an estimate.
I don't know what guitar this is because you need to be specific about make and model? but to set up your guitar the low E string #6 the height should be 6/64ths +/-a 64th and the high E string #1 should be 4/64ths +/- a 64th you must be careful because it's not just lowering the bridge saddles to do this the adjustment also has to do with the neck relief and the condition of the frets EX. if you have frets that are higher than others because you don't play there in that area the strings will buzz of the tops of those higher frets. you can try to do it and get your guitar more comfortable to play I don't know all the details here? how old, first, second owner makes a difference because of different playing habits of multiple people but if you do it and it works GREAT! but if you have the problems with buzzing and still not able to intonate the guitar it needs to be seen by a repairman for a (1)fret dressing=make all the frets the same height and reshaped (2)proper neck curvature adjustment =relief (3)intonation= putting the bridge saddle's in the proper place so the guitar is in tune with itself up and down the neck these things require a skilled repairman for the results you want and if you don't have the knowledge and training and tools to do these things you will only turn you guitar into a mess playing worse than ever and sounding terrible but don't misunderstand me here if your willing to learn how to do these things it will help you keep your guitar maintained and the cost of doing so down there are books you can buy showing you what you have to do to get your guitar straight and if yours is not an expensive model well then you can certainly try but if that's all you have to play I wouldn't! go buy some experimental cheap ones at a garage sale and learn on those you'll be glad in the end that I was the person who answered your question here before you started to embark on your quest for a smooth playing and sweet sounding instrument and only getting a nightmare in your hands with the roar of GODZILLA post back here for more info and help!
There are a few golden rules when adjusting your truss rod. First, only use the rod to keep your neck as straight as it needs to be...do not use it to adjust your action! Second, only use the proper tools. If you do not know what the proper tool is, check with the manufacturer. Truss rod nuts are easy to strip, and once they're stripped, they are expensive to fix! Finally, do not force anything; an eighth of a turn can make a drastic change. Remember, if the truss rod feels tight or doesn't seem to be doing anything, take it to a professional.
Start by sitting with the guitar in the playing position.
Tune it to pitch if it is not already.
Capo the first fret. If you do not own a capo, you can use your fretting hand.
Next, fret the bass string with your picking hand up near where the neck joins the body. This is typically around the 14th fret, but it may be higher up with some electric guitars. In our example, we'll be using the 20th fret.
Use the string as a straightedge held against the neck which will either bow away, or against the string. This is how you determine the amount of relief in the neck. You can also use a steel ruler placed along the length of the neck, in the same manor.
In our example, the approximate half way point between the 20th fret and the 1st, will be the 7th fret where we will observe the distance between the top of that fret and the bottom of the string (or ruler), as pictured. Notice the gap. Hint: Half way down the neck is often between the 7th-9th frets.
If you have a gap between the top of the fret and the bottom of the string, you likely have a bowed neck. If there is no gap, it is likely either dead straight or back-bowed.
HOW MUCH TO ADJUSTThe bigger the gap, the more relief is in the neck. Normally, we want just a small amount of relief in the neck for optimal playing, about the same as the thickness of a business card or less.
If there is a gap, tighten the truss rod clockwise until you have something closer to what we're after. Slide a business card in between the top of fret and bottom of the string (or ruler). Make sure you are placing the card parallel with the string or ruler. If there is no gap, you may be either dead straight or back bowed, so you will need to loosen the truss rod counter-clockwise to get the results we are after. Hint: If the strings are buzzing in the first few frets and open strings, it is often a clear indication of a back bow.
Remember, do not force anything to get the results you are after. If it is hard to adjust or spins freely you may need professional assistance.
The final step in setting your relief is to test it out! If it feels better, you're done! But take note, straightening the neck may actually make your guitar play worse! Consequently, when the truss rod is tightened, the height of the strings are lowered, which can create string buzz if your guitar isn't setup properly to start. Likewise, it can make a poor fret condition more noticeable. So, if your guitar plays worse after adjusting the neck, it is either too straight for your playing style, or it is a sign that more work is needed. Thankfully, you can easily reverse the changes you've just made if required.
If the ringing only occurs with a specific range of notes it may be something rattling in the amp loose or speaker enclosure.
It could also be feedback occurring at certain frequencies - does the ringing stop if you turn the volume down a bit or stand in a different position in relation to the amp?
Could be a problem with your guitar? Maybe the pick up height needs adjusting in relation to the E string or is it the string buzzing against a fret - indicating a need for adjusting the bridge height or trussrod settings?
The frets MAY be worn or the neck truss rod MAY need adjustment, Neither of these is DIY unless yiu have experience in repoairing guitars. Since this is only on the 2nd string, inspect the frets for wear and the only DIY thing to try is to replace that string... DO that first !!!
Have you changed strings on it? Old strings get worn spots in them from rubbing on the frets that will cause these type of symptoms. If you put new strings on and get the same issue, check your neck relief (the amount of bow in the neck) to do this, hold your low E string at the first fret, and at the 12th or 14th fret. The neck should have a slight bow in the middle that puts it between 1/16" and 1/8" or so away from your string. If it does not have enough bow in it, you can adjust the truss rod. Most guitars use an allen wrench for this, it will be inside the soundhole on an acoustic usually, and on an electric it is normally on the headstock under a cover. There are many how-to's online about adjusting a truss rod, the key is to do it very slowly, only do about a 1/2 turn a day, retune, check it again the next day. Loosen the truss rod to put more neck relief, tighten to straighten the neck. If this still doesn't fix you up, let me know, and I'll tell you where to go from there.
Buzz usually translates to either inadequate fret clearance or poor quality strings or inadequate pressure holding strings against the fret.
The guitar DESERVES using high quality strings and I would look at the manufacturers recommended string weight or your music store should know what to use. The LIGHT strings MAY be your problem.
Hello Have a look at the neck part where the strings move through that aligning unit which has the 6 slits cut into it where the strings goes through at the top of the guitar neck.
What usually happens, the slits get worked out, thus the strings move fractions closer to the fret board which will result in a muffled sound if you press down on the string you get a fret buzz. This happens when the string touches the fret board on more than one spot.
When you play a solo you can get a muffled sound out of certain strings. This happened to me, i just replaced this unit, very cheap, and all was fixed. Hope this can work.
Sometimes the truss rod (nut you are referring to) will do the trick. The truss rod runs under the fingerboard and allows you to give the neck relief or tension. Some truss rods are dual action but I'm guessing yours is designed simply to give basic relief of the neck. I would make sure the truss rod is adjusted properly before sanding down the saddle. If you sight down the neck you should be able to see the relief in the neck - just use the string as your straight-edge. Most guitars need a slight amount of relief but higher-end guitars can be almost straight (better fretwork.) Once the neck has been adjusted correctly you can move forward with the setup.
Make sure the nut is also the proper height. If the nut is too low (1mm height between bottom of string and first fret) you should get it replaced by someone capable of doing such a thing. If the nut height is okay I would suggest moving forward cautiously by sanding the bottom of the saddle. Make sure this is done patiently and carefully as it can drastically change the sound and playability of the guitar. Hardly any material needs to be taken off to lower the action just a little. Error on the side of not-enough than too much. Make sure the bottom of the saddle remains flat! If the bottom isn't flat the guitar can sound horrible and if there is an undersaddle pickup it might not pick up evenly. The easiest way to do so is to tape some sandpaper rough side up on a flat surface (just don't pick something like mom's heirloom or something important in case it gets scratched.
If you'd like more detail check out http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/Repairs2.htm
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