Luthier Anxiety

Anybody ever nervouse about somebody working on your guitar?? I got a 2011 Martin D28 that still has the factory setup, never touched. I been playing it for about 7 months now that way, but the factory action is starting to wear me out. Im a bluegrasser so i cant have to low of a action, but i feel there should be some space to smooth it out.
Problem is im scared to death to let somebody fool with it lol. Ive never had a personal luthier before, and totally distrust the local guitar store. I know a setup isnt that big of a deal, but i cant help but worry about it. And just for the record, the local Martin dealer said they could fix me right up with a bone nut and saddle. My guitar came factory with bone. Guess they thought they could pull one on me.
Anyway, anybody have any personal recomendations in the Bowling Green Ky area??

Understand your concern but unless your willing to do the work yourself you just have swallow and sweat it out. The good news is forums like this one are a great way to discover and learn of quality luthiers in your area. I highly recommend you head over and join the acousticguitarforum.com site and ask their for a luthier rec in your area. The knowledge base for acoustics is off the chart in addition to there being many world class players and luthiers that hangout. They do for acoustics what tdpri does for tele players

10-4 on that. Ill def check them out.

I cant imagine there isn't a top shelf bluegrass savy luthier in Bowling Green or in the area.

1. Go to the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum and ask there.

UMGF (http://umgf.com/)

2. Go to the Martin website and check out the authorized service centers.

Martin ASCs (http://www.martinguitar.com/dealers/services.php?state=KY)

You are in a prime area for people who know how to set up guitars for bluegrass.

Jim

I cant imagine there isn't a top shelf bluegrass savy luthier in Bowling Green or in the area.

If there is, they dont advertise it. I kinda thought the same thing. I will check out these other sites and see what i come up with. Thanks

I'd just set it up myself. It's really easy, a good learning experience, and the worst case scenario is that you're out 1 saddle. Not a very risky learning curve. I've never had a guitar that DIDN'T need a little tweaking, and for most of my life was too broke to have someone else do it. It's not hard at all.

In fact there is a real benefit in lowering the saddle yourself - you can do it a little bit at a time until you get it absolutely perfect.

The technique I use is to remove the saddle (obviously) and colour the top with a Sharpie. Then I use a small file to take the off the top of the saddle, with the Sharpie ink helping me to get it even. I take great care to make sure that what I end up with has exactly the same profile as the saddle had originally. I file off enough to see some dust building up, but I take care not to go too far. Then I use whatever grade of wet and dry paper is going to get the saddle smooth again to remove the file marks.

Then I pop the saddle back in, tune her up and see how it feels. Sometimes I may need to do this three of four times but eventually I get the exact saddle height I want. In some cases after one or to goes at it I realise that maybe just the area around one or two strings needs taking down, so I get a really precise finish.

A good luthier may well get you where you want to be in one visit, but personally I like the gradual approach described above.

NOTE that this assumes it is just the saddle that needs lowering - sometimes a truss road adjustment is needed and sometimes the nut needs attention too.

You're in a different part of the state from me so I'm not too familiar with over there. Would Nashville be too far a trek for ya? I know you can find some good ones there.

I'm like you and don't like others touching my guitars unless I know them really well so I always do my own, just be careful not to go too far, especially since you're a bluegrass picker. My HD-28V has the opposite problem actually. It sounds and plays great until you get in a wide open bluegrass jam with a banjo and such, then you start to hear the rattle haha.

If its a standard D28 you should have a regular saddle (mine has a through saddle) and I would think it would be easier and better to file the bottom rather than the top, just keep it flat. A truss rod adjustment is another easy do it yourself thing, plenty of good info on the web.

Filing the bottom would be ideal but personally I have never been able to do that and keep it perfectly flat, hence filing the top instead. If I had better tools and a steady hand though I would file the bottom of the saddle.

Filing the bottom would be ideal but personally I have never been able to do that and keep it perfectly flat, hence filing the top instead. If I had better tools and a steady hand though I would file the bottom of the saddle.

Filing the bottom should actually be easier than the top as the bottom on most guitars should be level. (Not all, but most.) If I tried filing the top, I am sure I would screw up the radius of the nut.

I use the Sharpie technique mentioned above but instead of using a file, I tape a nice piece of sandpaper to a corian cutting board that is 100% level. Then I mark the bottom of the saddle with the Sharpie and carefully slide it back and forth on the sandpaper, checking every few strokes to see how my Sharpie mark is wearing. Usually it takes at least a couple of times with the Sharpie marking to get to where I need a saddle to be, but I have had some that took several marks with the Sharpie to get it to be perfect. The cutting board technique is great and one of the things I learned over at the Acoustic Guitar Forum. If you join over there, you will get recommendations for excellent Luthiers in your area as well I am certain.

That sounds like a good way to file the bottom of the saddle - but I have tried it and find that I can never get it as flat as when it comes out of the factory. My hand is not capable of holding it at exactly 90 degrees while rubbing it across the sandpaper. That's why I like to file down the top, because it's easier to file a curve than an absolute flat. Great if others are able to do it the other way though!

What is the action at the 12th fret (bass E string) and how much saddle is visible above the bridge in the centre? You have to lose 1/16" from the saddle for every 1/32" at the 12th fret, and you don't want much less than 3/32" of saddle left showing when you've finished.

Work this out and see if it needs a luthier to look at it or just a simple saddle reduction. Also put a capo on the first fret, play a few barre chords at the top end of the neck and then try it again without the capo. If the capo makes it noticeably easier, the nut also needs attention.

Richard Starkey in Franklin Tn!!!! Wow do i feel stupid right now. I had this guy fix a martin i had a few years back that totally came apart after a hot night in july outside. He done a outstanding professional job. I didnt know till afterwards that he was pretty well known guy. You guys familiar with him? Anyways im def gonna give him a call. I 100% trust that man with anything i can throw at him. I must be getting old age already by forgetting about him!

I am not familiar with Richard Starkey personally, but I do know that he has received many recommendations on the Acoustic Guitar Forum, not only from players but from other top class luthiers.

1. Go to the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum and ask there.

UMGF

2. Go to the Martin website and check out the authorized service centers.



+1

I learned how to do my own set ups from the UMGF site on my D18.

As stated above, do a little at a time, including adjusting the neck relief.

FRETS.com (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/OwnerManual/manssguitar.html)has some good advice & articles on set ups too.

Richard Starkey worked at Nazereth Pa for 8 years. If you call Martin and ask who the best is, Richard Starkey is top of the list if not first. He travels around alot and does the Martin Clinic at diff stores. Luckily he only lives a hour from me and i have his buisiness card :)

Filing the bottom would be ideal but personally I have never been able to do that and keep it perfectly flat, hence filing the top instead. If I had better tools and a steady hand though I would file the bottom of the saddle.

Here's what I do. Find a piece of plate glass at a DIY store. One side of plate glass is perfectly flat (at least, enough for this). Find that side by giving it a good look. You'll see the difference. Then use spray adhesive to apply a strip of 60, 100, and 180 or 220 sand paper to it. You can keep the saddle pretty flat against this and get it where you want. Sandpaper is much slower than a file, but the up side is that you won't get over your head too quickly...I've done this for dozens of mine and friends' guitars, with no complaints so far...

I do a lot of saddle adjustments. I've found the best tools for this are a piece of granite counter top and adhesive backed sandpaper (or sandpaper attached to the countertop with double stick tape). I remove material from the bottom of the saddle by rubbing it on the flat sandpaper.

I have a tool that I think I found on Ebay that has slots with depths from 1/64" to 1/8". After figuring out how much I want to lower the saddle I slide it into the appropriate slot and mark with a pencil. It's definitely smart to go slow, even if you have to return to the sandpaper several times.

Personally, I don't think sanding the top of the saddle is a good idea. There's too much chance of changing the radius.

BTW, before adjusting the saddle, make sure the neck relief is where you want it. If you change the saddle height before checking the neck relief, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Personally, I don't think sanding the top of the saddle is a good idea. There's too much chance of changing the radius.


In addition, you risk losing the intonation compensation on the B string.

Jim

Will He notice a def diff afterwards?

C'mon man, this is a technical guitar forum, not two 13 year old girls texting!

Do yourself a favor and drive 1 hour south til you get to a town called Nashville. Look up Joe Glaser and he will do you right. There is a reason why people take their gear to him. You will understand after you work with Joe. He's and old family friend and a #1 kind of guy. Find him here....
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS454US454&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1920&bih=924&ion=1&wrapid=tljp1326388292905015&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=glaser+instruments&fb=1&gl=us&hq=glaser+instruments&cid=0,0,7158543444817641048&ei=SBQPT-yOLcqIsQLK1oT5Aw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&sqi=2&ved=0CAoQ_BI