Know nothing about acoustics - HELP!

carlos · June 2015

Hi,

I have 4 electrics with a lot of overlap tone-wise so I decided I should swap one for an acoustic. I've got a really good offer:

http://guitarsbygraham.com/guitars/dreadnought_acoustic

Now, I know very little about acoustics. Does this look like a good one? I'm more of a picker and fingerpicker than a strummer, and certainly not a singer/songwriter but I do write some clean guitar instrumentals that will sound better on acoustic than electric.

All help appreciated!

ICBM · June 2015

In general dreadnought-size guitars are more suited to strumming than gentler picking, although not always. My Gibson Dove - which is also a maple-back dreadnought - is excellent for picking.

You really need to know someone who has played one personally, or by reputation if it's a better-known maker.

It looks well-made in the pics, but even that isn't a guarantee that it will sound good and play well. The bridge saddle also appears to be somewhat high, although that isn't always a problem.

How much is it valued at as a swap for the electric?

Lewy · June 2015

ICBM said:

The bridge saddle also appears to be somewhat high, although that isn't always a problem.

Indeed it does. I'd ask for a measurement of how far the strings are off the soundboard, measured right in front of the bridge. If it a lot more (or less for that matter) than half an inch then something has likely gone awry in the build.

carlos · June 2015

Isn't that adjustable with a setup, though?

octatonic · June 2015

georgenadaintl said:

Isn't that adjustable with a setup, though?

Easily.

Lewy · June 2015

Depends on the action as it is already.
If it's already low-ish and it has a way high saddle then the geometry could be off. The height of the strings above the soundboard, irrespective of action, has an effect on the guitars performance.

carlos · June 2015

Here's a video about it which I've just found out:

My trade item has a value of around £200 so I think I'm getting a good deal here.

ICBM · June 2015

georgenadaintl said:
My trade item has a value of around £200 so I think I'm getting a good deal here.

I think I would take a chance on almost any hand-built acoustic that looks reasonably well made, for that sort of value.

The bridge height is *not* "adjustable" though, as Lewy said - it's dictated by the angle of the neck joint and to a very small extent by the neck relief. So although it can be adjusted by altering the height of the saddle, you have to use it to give the correct action on the basis of the other two things. If the neck angle is wrong, there's nothing you can do about the saddle.

However, makers who really know what they're doing will often build the guitar with a high saddle on purpose - over time under the string tension, the neck block will compress slightly and the top will pull up, meaning that the saddle has to be lowered to maintain the right action. So you don't want it too perfect when the guitar is brand new, or after a while you have no more room for adjustment and the only real fix is to reset the neck, which is why this is a common repair on very old acoustics.

So if that pic was takes when the guitar was straight off the bench, it could be deliberate and not a problem.

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Know nothing about acoustics - HELP!

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