Help lowering guitar action?

[OzZie]

Recently i spent my money on a new guitar bought from a local shop for £300. It's a Minarik Lotus (pics are in the stickied thread) but i've got a problem that i cant seem to figure out.

Basically the action is quite high (i'll measure it in a second). It is playable but annoys me because i like a lower action coming from a squire strat that already had a low action.

I think it is very similar to the Les Paul style design so it could be exactly the same but im not sure. I have a large bridge at the far end of the body, with large screws in place that are adjustable. Just along past there is a smaller bridge with smaller adjusters that can be moved. However, on the smaller bridge, if i tighten the screws into the body the action is lowered but on the higher frets they sound "twangy" and not normall and buzz and you cant get the increase in pitch on certain frets which is annoying.

What is the first thing to try. Do i need to loosen the strings first so that they dont snap when im altering these adjusters?

Just ask if you need pics of the body

Thanks.

 

[starscream]

I always get a pro to do this for me from a local guitar shop. Normally costs under £50 and will be much better than you will do yourself. No dissrespect of course, I wouldn't try it myself either

 

[starscream]

To expand a little on that, as you have realised, changing hights of the bridge affects more than just the hights of the strings. On a LP style guitar there are at least 3 variations that I can think of from the top of my head. Potentially, you could alter the tone and the intonation as well as the action. That is why I would recommend a professional. You can just give it to them and say, I like low action and I play 10's, and he'll know the exact configuration for your guitar

 

[SidewinderINC]

I like low action and I play 10's, and he'll know the exact configuration for your guitar

no he wont

he'll just spend the hours fiddling with it that you cant be bothered / dont have the patience / balls / knowledge to do (pick one tehehe)

on your guitar you have the "tailpiece" which is the solid bar that the strings go through... then you have the bridge, which the strings rest over on individual saddles:

raising and lowering the bridge via the 2 main screws is the simplest way of changing the action, the strings will not break by you raising and lowering the bridge by the small amounts that you will - but you will need to tune up afterwards.

the intonation will most likely be a little off after sorting this, and setting the intonation is what takes time, but if you have the patience its easy to do and a 4 year old could do it!

basically you play the string you wish to intonate (you'll do them all) open with a tuner plugged in, and tune it correctly... then you play the same string but with the 12th fret held down.. if its intonated correctley then these will be exactly the same pitch, if not you need to turn the screw on the individual saddle a little, retune, re-test.. i'm not sure which way you turn if the 12th fret is sharp or flat, but trial and error will tell you

 

[Northwind]

Could very well be neck bow though... Or maybe a high fret or two, I demoed a Minarik a while back and tbh the fit of the frets was crap- the action had been set high to hide it but the variation in height was the worst I've seen on a new guitar not made in a sweatshop Otherwise a nice guitar though. Is it set-neck?

 

[OzZie]

I think its just the 15th fret that is causing the buzzing as the other strings seem fine after lowering the action. I'm guessing im going to have to get it filed down?

edit: whats a set-neck? /idiot

 

[Northwind]

If it's a high fret, then take it back to the shop- it's one thing to get that on a £100 Raven or somesuch but we're past getting that on £300 guitars IMO. It's like buying a car and having it delivered with 4 flat tyres.

It might want dressed, or it might have just lifted slightly. Or, to be fair, it might be something else entirely Set neck = not bolted on. Less capacity for adjustment but generally better for sound. LPs have set, your Squier has a bolt-on.

 

[Andelusion]

A set-neck is a neck which is glued into the body, other types are bolt on (self explanitory ) and neck-through which usually consists of a body made of 3 parts (2 side pieces, and a centre piece which extends to the end of the neck - headstock).