Reducing string height on a Guild D35 acoustic by changing the neck to body angle
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- Опубликовано: 10 дек 2018
- This late 70's Guild D35 had developed quite a high action. In this video I show how I reduced the overall string height. I also installed Evo Gold fret wire, a fully compensated bridge saddle and an LR Baggs pickup system
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Great to see another 70’s Guild...
Interesting approach to changing the neck angle. First time i've seen that method used.
This guitar sounds so good. Such nice tone. Preserve it and treat her like a queen
Had this guitar 40 years now. It's a keeper!
Good work
I have an old $100 beater acoustic/electric. I hated playing it. It would not intonate, but every fret regardless of position was sharp. Bought a compensated bridge, as I still don't know the formula for the compensated nuts. It still wouldn't intonate. One day I watched a live video, of a guy who had a guitar company here in the States. A person said his guitar would intonate Open & 12th, but was sharp every fret. The guy said "The nut is cut wrong."(he referred to a vid where he used a business card & half pencil trick. Watched it. Decided after 15 yrs it was only $100, why not try. I used an old credit card to set first fret action, little by little, till I got it. Then I shaved 1/32" of the bottom of the saddle, to get the action down to .080 on bass & .065 on treble. The guitar came to life! It was intonated the entire fret board! I was amazed. It sounds great. Of course no resale value, but it records beautifully.(I'd resorted to using it for slide only). After I checked 1st fret action it was .018 (officially). Who knew a few thousanths of an inch could make such a difference. (This guitar is 25.5" scale [Fender], I'd put the old saddle back on, before the work, it fit better, than the new one.) I'm very pleased with it now. Amazed at its sound. Who knew? Love your videos, & as usual I'm long winded.
Nice work! So 1.8 and 2.1 are the high of the strings? Thats a stratocaster setup also nice. What caliber are those strings? I have a guild and at the beginning the strings are pretty low but are going up (not to much) and the low E sometimes buzz what could it be? Thanks greetings from argentina!
I have a 1977 Guild D40 and it has great action. Whoever owned it before me either had a super competent person do a neck reset or it has never needed one. I'm assuming it just had a really clean reset though because I see the tiniest bit of scuffing around the fingerboard extension, but the rest looks 100% factory (just aged and played a lot).
Just measured my string height at the 12th fret, it's basically exactly the same, about 2.2mm on the bass side and about 1.8 on the treble.
Thanks for the suggestion! I recently picked up an old banjo in a similar state. It could use new frets anyway so I think I’ll try to taper the neck rather than try a neck reset.
Banjos are different to guitars. On most banjos the neck/body relationship has some adjustment. Also the neck might have an adjustable truss rod which might correct any distortion. If the neck has no mechanical adjustment and has distorted, then the only way make it play well is to remove the fretboard, plane the neck true and glue new wood to re-establish original depth. When this is done a truss rod can be installed and the original or new fretboard fitted.
Thanks for the suggestion! It doesn’t have a truss rod at the moment so your suggestion may be the way I’ll go.
Thanks for the great video. I have an identical Guild that I bought new in 1974. I love it, but about 10 years ago I stopped playing it because the action got so bad. My son is a worship leader at church, and I tried to give it to him. He took it to a music store and they told him it was too hard to fix. My son wouldn’t take it. So, I still have it. It has bellied, but I think it is fixable. Your videos are inspiring. I may try installing a bridge doctor and possibly swapping the nut and the saddle to see if that helps. Where do you get your radius measuring too and your radius sanding block? Thanks again for the help David.
Just did a neck reset and fret level on a 70s D35. Put a Barbara saddle pickup in it. I've never considered thinning a fretboard to achieve lower string action and not sure how I feel about it. Would have liked to see it from the side to see if I could pick up the run out at a glance. But you got great results with a lot less invasive procedure.
Welcome, my name is David...I'm a huge Pink Floyd fan, in case you were wondering!! LoL
I thought from RUclips I'd learned that it was an unwritten rule as a guitar repairer that you weren't supposed to be able to play? 😉
Are guilds good for small framed people?
Nice! I have a 70's F50 and love the bottom end fullness. Subscribed to your channel, you might want to check out mt channel. Enjoy that 35
A D35 would bee a Martin , not a Guild ! 😊
Sorry, but it is a D35. Guild also called it the Bluegrass. I bought it new in 1978. Guild did a range of D guitars. Had a mid 70's D25 in my workshop recently. The D25 had a mahogany top.
@@flameguitars5770 thank you for correcting me, I did not know that Guild made a D35 ! I own a couple of Martins , a D18 bought in 71 and a D12 28 bought in 77,
they have the typical curling pick guard but I still love them ! Cheers😊
@@michellessard7047 You’ve discovered one of the best kept guitar secrets. Bought my Guild D35 NT in ‘76 after trying the best Martins and Gibsons EU Wurlitzer Boston had for sale. If you ever get a chance to get behind one, do it. You won’t believe your ears. Like Flame Guitars, I’ll never ever sell.
In the 70s Guild built some of the finest, most reliable guitars. I've found many Martin's from that era, have the bridge located wrong. May be only 1/8 to 1/4", but they won't intonate. I've never owned a Guild but have several friends who have those 70s Guilds. I've always been jealous, not only beautiful guitars, but great sounding guitars.
Just did a neck reset and fret level on a 70s D35. Put a Barbara saddle pickup in it. I've never considered thinning a fretboard to achieve lower string action and not sure how I feel about it. Would have liked to see it from the side to see if I could pick up the run out at a glance. But you got great results with a lot less invasive procedure.
Just did a neck reset and fret level on a 70s D35. Put a Barbara saddle pickup in it. I've never considered thinning a fretboard to achieve lower string action and not sure how I feel about it. Would have liked to see it from the side to see if I could pick up the run out at a glance. But you got great results with a lot less invasive procedure.
Just did a neck reset and fret level on a 70s D35. Put a Barbara saddle pickup in it. I've never considered thinning a fretboard to achieve lower string action and not sure how I feel about it. Would have liked to see it from the side to see if I could pick up the run out at a glance. But you got great results with a lot less invasive procedure.
Just did a neck reset and fret level on a 70s D35. Put a Barbara saddle pickup in it. I've never considered thinning a fretboard to achieve lower string action and not sure how I feel about it. Would have liked to see it from the side to see if I could pick up the run out at a glance. But you got great results with a lot less invasive procedure.
Bloody hell Dane how many D35's you got ?
Just did a neck reset and fret level on a 70s D35. Put a Barbara saddle pickup in it. I've never considered thinning a fretboard to achieve lower string action and not sure how I feel about it. Would have liked to see it from the side to see if I could pick up the run out at a glance. But you got great results with a lot less invasive procedure.
6 posts all the same. Good God.
kommi1974 you been around here long? These comments do what they want. Like I got nothing better to do than repost a comment over and over!!
@@jonahguitarguy That's happened to me loads of times - still you should have posted your reply six times for comedy effect.
@@Iazzaboyce, that would have been very funny!