Official Luthiers Forum!

My acoustic guitar came from the factory 7/64th bass e and 4/64th..Im not liking the 3/64th taper of it..Ive made a alot of saddles for another acoustic usually with about a 1/64th difference(like 6/64th low e 5/64th high e) between the high and low e,s measured at the 12th fret..Im just trying to get some opinions on low and high e differences..Like 1/64,2/64,No taper at all?

Hi ya:

The taper is largely a function of getting each string to a low action, provided that the specific player wants a low action, that is low and also won't buzz or rattle with the frets. The higher pitched, narrower diameter strings can be lower without rattling. So if we lowered all strings as low as they will go on a specific guitar because of the diameter and pitch differences we see that taper.

Action is also very much a function of player preference. Some of the best players that I know are not keen to have low action and prefer higher action. So you can set the action as you wish and specs such as the 4 and 6 thing (4/64th" and 6/64th") are simply informal standards that will suit most not all. The 4 and 7 that you have from the factory is pretty typical although more common, when the instrument has actually been set-up.... is 4 and 6 or 5 and 7 with 5 and 7 being better suited to mediums and a more heavy handed attack.

But again anything above the so-called standard specs is fine too if that's what you like and the instrument will do it.

The dirty little secret these days is most new guitars that are purchased have not been set-up... They get hung on hooks with a factory set-up which is typically by no means good enough with a few exceptions out there. Folks purchase a new $2K instrument and then struggle with it for a year or so before they give in and take it somewhere to be set-up. That's when they learn that their guitar could have been way easier to play all along...

Welcome to the forum too!

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Ann Arbor Guitars