Steel string action lowering?

amit

How do you lower the action of a steel string acoustic? Is it easy enough to do by yourself, or is it annoying and complicated?

who's_pearljam?

You have to determine the reason that the action's high.


Take a straight edge like a rafter square and lay t on the neck to see how straight it is. OR,,,, put a capo on the first fret and press string down at about the 15 - 17th fret. If the string is way off the fretboard at the 9th fret or so, then the neck is bowed. Common and almost always fixable.
If the neck is bowed forward, then it might just be a truss rod adjustment.
That can be touchy with an acoustic. If it's old, then the nut on the end of the rod may be stuck.
If it's a newer guitar then it can be SLOWLY tightened. (Like 1/8th of a turn at a time.wait for an hour and 1/8th more.)
If it's stuck,,, don't force it!!!
If that seems scary, don't do it and take it to a tech. A good set up can work wonders!

The other reasons may be a top bowing out and causing the saddle to be too high. Sometimes the saddle and bridge can be shaved down.
The other common reason is that it may need a neck reset. Definitely a pro job for those two.
It's almost standard maintenance on guitars as they age. Martins need it done occasionally. (Like every 20 to 40 years) as the pull of the strings slowly pulls the neck joint and makes the top bow upward right behind the bridge.


Like I say, check and see how straight the neck is first and check back here!