Hi, recently bought a Thomas Buchanan zouk, Im well pleased with it but have found the action a bit high and I cant be a 100% sure but i think the action has got higher since i bought it which makes me think the truss rod might be a bit lose or need adjusting, does anybody know anyone in the greater Belfast area (or N.Ireland) who I could take it too to have a look at it. Cheers
It might just be that you have become more familiar with it, and it's starting to become hard work with a lot of playing.
Have you tried squinting down the length of the neck ? The fingerboard should be almost dead straight, although some luthiers favour the slightest dip in the fingerboard to prevent fret-rattle.
Also, is it a floating or pin (guitar-type ) bridge. As in guitars, these bridges are easily adjusted by sliding out the bone/ivory saddle and sanded away a little of the underside to lower the action. Beware of overdoing it ! Floating bridges might need a luthier.
I have to disagree with you on this one, Pete. I can't see the sense in starting to learn luthierie on your new, 750 pound bouzouki. It's not at all uncommon for a new instrument to settle a bit after it comes out of the shop, and it's probably a pretty straightforward job to put it right, but there's a hell of a lot more to it than just cranking on the truss rod or having a go at the saddle.
I wouldn't hire a luthier who'd never adjusted a guitar to work on an instrument that I wanted to keep playing - why would I want to be that luthier?
Thanks guys,the neck looks to be dead straight and yeah its a floating bridge but to be honest i know my own limitations and I wouldnt dream of startin any alteration work on it. I wanted to try and find someone local to see if I could get looked at before contacting Thomas Buchanan. cheers Sean
The world of guitar/zouk repair is a small one, and people tend to know each other. Buchanan might be able to suggest someone local, and that would be a reasonably trustworthy recommendation.
Sorry I can't suggest anyone local to you. I used to know the name of a guy in Galway, I could try to dig it up for you, but that's not so nearby to you.
I wouldnt go at the rod yourself...The slightest wrong turn of it could shag up the neck altogether...It could be caused by a few things...
I have a guy down here that does all the work on my weapons if and when they need it, but Im afraid he is based in Limerick, which is along way down from you....
I will look into something closer to home for ya, and I will get back to you Asap.
A while back I asked the Lowden Guitar factory about having some work on my Lowden done by them, and they gave me the contact of the guy who does all their repair work. He was based in the north, but I can't find his details any more. You could try asking Lowden for his contact number - +44 (0)28 44 61 91 61. If they use his services then he must be pretty good!
I know a man in Omagh who might be able to look at it for you, he makes guitars, mandolins, mandolas. Don't think he's made any bouzoukis but I'm sure he could advise you about it anyway. I play in a band with a bouzouki player too, he recently had it set up again as it was buzzing and intonation was gone, but I think he took it to someone in Dublin. I'll PM you the Omagh man's details if you want to chat to him.
A truss rod is not an unexploded bomb in the neck of your instrument. It's there to be adjusted. Very small incremental adjustments can make a big difference in playability and you can always put it back the way it was if it doesn't produce the desired result.
The reason people generally tell you to avoid screwing with the truss rod is not because you'll do damage to the instrument (it can happen, but it's not likely) but because the truss rod is there to do one thing, and that is to counteract the tension of steel strings at about 25 pounds of tension each, so as to keep the neck at the proper degree of relief.
It is not there to adjust string height, which is determined by the height of the nut and the saddle and the set of the neck. The setting of the truss rod affects none of these things.
It is not there to "fix the intonation", which is determined by the relative distances from the saddle to the twelfth fret and to the nut, plus a certain amount of compensation for the displacement when you fret a string. If you change the neck relief, you will affect those relative distances, but if your guitar is set up correctly when you start, it'll have major problems when you're done.
The truss rod is not there to fix buzzes and rattles, unless they are caused by a lack of neck relief. Why would there be a lack of neck relief? Usually, because someone decided to "lower their action" by screwing with the truss rod.
I don't know how to be more clear on this, but there is exactly one circumstance under which a guitar (or bouzouki) player would need to adjust their truss rod and not anything else about the instrument, and that is if someone has decided to start turning your truss rod without knowing what it is or what it does.
There's nothing magical about guitar repair, but setup is a very complicated interaction of a number of factors, each of which makes a big difference when changed in a very small way. It's worth knowing what you're doing before you do it, and getting your practice on an instrument that you don't mind making mistakes on. I suggest Frank Ford's web site, www.frets.com for the interested amateur. Frank's knowledge of guitar repair is stellar, and he's pretty good at explaining what he knows in straightforward terms.
In my experience, when people bring instruments in to the shop complaining that the action seems suddenly higher it's often the case that the neck has bowed a bit and there's too much relief in the middle. This is most common when the seasons change and long thin necks under a lot of tension are prime candidates. Changes in temperature, humidity, and string gagues can often bring about the need to adjust the truss rod.
Bouzouki question
Bouzouki question
Hi, recently bought a Thomas Buchanan zouk, Im well pleased with it but have found the action a bit high and I cant be a 100% sure but i think the action has got higher since i bought it which makes me think the truss rod might be a bit lose or need adjusting, does anybody know anyone in the greater Belfast area (or N.Ireland) who I could take it too to have a look at it. Cheers
# Posted on September 30th 2008 by Sean Q
Re: Bouzouki question
It might just be that you have become more familiar with it, and it's starting to become hard work with a lot of playing.
Have you tried squinting down the length of the neck ? The fingerboard should be almost dead straight, although some luthiers favour the slightest dip in the fingerboard to prevent fret-rattle.
Also, is it a floating or pin (guitar-type ) bridge. As in guitars, these bridges are easily adjusted by sliding out the bone/ivory saddle and sanded away a little of the underside to lower the action. Beware of overdoing it ! Floating bridges might need a luthier.
# Posted on October 1st 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Bouzouki question
I have to disagree with you on this one, Pete. I can't see the sense in starting to learn luthierie on your new, 750 pound bouzouki. It's not at all uncommon for a new instrument to settle a bit after it comes out of the shop, and it's probably a pretty straightforward job to put it right, but there's a hell of a lot more to it than just cranking on the truss rod or having a go at the saddle.
I wouldn't hire a luthier who'd never adjusted a guitar to work on an instrument that I wanted to keep playing - why would I want to be that luthier?
# Posted on October 1st 2008 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Bouzouki question
Thanks guys,the neck looks to be dead straight and yeah its a floating bridge but to be honest i know my own limitations and I wouldnt dream of startin any alteration work on it. I wanted to try and find someone local to see if I could get looked at before contacting Thomas Buchanan. cheers Sean
# Posted on October 1st 2008 by Sean Q
Re: Bouzouki question
The world of guitar/zouk repair is a small one, and people tend to know each other. Buchanan might be able to suggest someone local, and that would be a reasonably trustworthy recommendation.
Sorry I can't suggest anyone local to you. I used to know the name of a guy in Galway, I could try to dig it up for you, but that's not so nearby to you.
# Posted on October 1st 2008 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Bouzouki question
Hey Sean Q.
I wouldnt go at the rod yourself...The slightest wrong turn of it could shag up the neck altogether...It could be caused by a few things...
I have a guy down here that does all the work on my weapons if and when they need it, but Im afraid he is based in Limerick, which is along way down from you....
I will look into something closer to home for ya, and I will get back to you Asap.
All the best,
Seanie McG.
# Posted on October 1st 2008 by seaniemcg
Re: Bouzouki question
A while back I asked the Lowden Guitar factory about having some work on my Lowden done by them, and they gave me the contact of the guy who does all their repair work. He was based in the north, but I can't find his details any more. You could try asking Lowden for his contact number - +44 (0)28 44 61 91 61. If they use his services then he must be pretty good!
Best of luck
Mike
# Posted on October 2nd 2008 by Mike C
Re: Bouzouki question
I know a man in Omagh who might be able to look at it for you, he makes guitars, mandolins, mandolas. Don't think he's made any bouzoukis but I'm sure he could advise you about it anyway. I play in a band with a bouzouki player too, he recently had it set up again as it was buzzing and intonation was gone, but I think he took it to someone in Dublin. I'll PM you the Omagh man's details if you want to chat to him.
# Posted on October 2nd 2008 by dee.
Re: Bouzouki question
A truss rod is not an unexploded bomb in the neck of your instrument. It's there to be adjusted. Very small incremental adjustments can make a big difference in playability and you can always put it back the way it was if it doesn't produce the desired result.
# Posted on October 2nd 2008 by Steve L
Re: Bouzouki question
Completely agree with you, Steve. I never understood why people seem to be afraid of adjusting the truss rod. You just have to be careful, that's all.
# Posted on October 2nd 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Bouzouki question
If you're going to tighten it, remember to loosen the strings a bit first, they could break otherwise.
# Posted on October 2nd 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Bouzouki question
Many thanks guys for the the advice and the the phone numbers will give the bloke in Omagh a ring. Cheers
# Posted on October 2nd 2008 by Sean Q
Re: "Adjust the truss rod"
The reason people generally tell you to avoid screwing with the truss rod is not because you'll do damage to the instrument (it can happen, but it's not likely) but because the truss rod is there to do one thing, and that is to counteract the tension of steel strings at about 25 pounds of tension each, so as to keep the neck at the proper degree of relief.
It is not there to adjust string height, which is determined by the height of the nut and the saddle and the set of the neck. The setting of the truss rod affects none of these things.
It is not there to "fix the intonation", which is determined by the relative distances from the saddle to the twelfth fret and to the nut, plus a certain amount of compensation for the displacement when you fret a string. If you change the neck relief, you will affect those relative distances, but if your guitar is set up correctly when you start, it'll have major problems when you're done.
The truss rod is not there to fix buzzes and rattles, unless they are caused by a lack of neck relief. Why would there be a lack of neck relief? Usually, because someone decided to "lower their action" by screwing with the truss rod.
I don't know how to be more clear on this, but there is exactly one circumstance under which a guitar (or bouzouki) player would need to adjust their truss rod and not anything else about the instrument, and that is if someone has decided to start turning your truss rod without knowing what it is or what it does.
There's nothing magical about guitar repair, but setup is a very complicated interaction of a number of factors, each of which makes a big difference when changed in a very small way. It's worth knowing what you're doing before you do it, and getting your practice on an instrument that you don't mind making mistakes on. I suggest Frank Ford's web site, www.frets.com for the interested amateur. Frank's knowledge of guitar repair is stellar, and he's pretty good at explaining what he knows in straightforward terms.
# Posted on October 3rd 2008 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Bouzouki question
In my experience, when people bring instruments in to the shop complaining that the action seems suddenly higher it's often the case that the neck has bowed a bit and there's too much relief in the middle. This is most common when the seasons change and long thin necks under a lot of tension are prime candidates. Changes in temperature, humidity, and string gagues can often bring about the need to adjust the truss rod.
# Posted on October 3rd 2008 by Steve L