How to adjust string height on acoustic guitar

Generally speaking, standard acoustic guitars use 012 strings, which have a high tension. There is a steel bar in the neck of the acoustic guitar that acts as a tension force in the opposite direction to the strings. If the tension on either side is changed, the distance between the strings will change. For example, if we relax the string a little, the string tension will become smaller. If the tension is smaller, the tension of the steel will be relatively larger. String distance factors: One is the upper and lower bridges, and the other is the adjustment of the steel bars in the neck and the mutual tension.

In addition, many friends say that when you get a new guitar, it is best to tune it below the standard tone and then slowly transition. This is wrong.

Especially for better new guitar , they must be tuned to standard tuning. The standard tone can be adjusted with the help of a tuner. Guitars are designed with standard tones. After adjusting to the standard tune, we can feel how the guitar feels, whether the string spacing is appropriate, and whether the tone is good or bad. If the guitar is adjusted down by 2 degrees or 2 degrees at this time, the tone and string spacing will change.

If you want to play other keys in standard tuning, such as playing B flat in the key of C, if you don’t need a special chord fingering, you can use a capo, or directly use the B flat chord fingering (we will tell you this later) talk). Don't lower the pitch at any time. As mentioned before, when you lower the pitch, the string distance must be changed. Everyone's habits are different. Some friends like it higher, and some friends like it lower.

New guitars  are equipped with a hex wrench. We hold the long end and put the short end into the steel adjustment port at the bottom of the neck at the sound hole. When you turn the wrench in a clockwise direction, the tension on the neck pulls the strings back, thus lowering the string distance. There is no absolute string distance requirement, as long as you feel comfortable pressing it. If you feel that the strings are a little too fret-y, then we can twist the wrench counterclockwise to raise the strings a little higher. When adjusting the string distance, it is best to loosen the strings or protect them with your hands to avoid damaging the strings. Each time you adjust, do not twist the wrench more than 30 degrees. Of course, with different types of strings, the string spacing will also change. Basically,

The problem of frets and strings being too high can be solved by adjusting the tension of the steel bars in the neck. It’s best to replace a set of strings every 1-2 months, or you can replace a set every 3 months. Because the strings are used for too long, the tension of the strings will not be enough, and the open strings and 12th fret may not be accurate, and the tone will become worse. When the strings are old and have insufficient tension, they will age and may become fretted.

When you get a new guitar, if you have to grind the frets, unless it is a deformed guitar and you can see at a glance that the lower bridge is much higher than the end of the fingerboard, do not grind the bridge. Without professional tools or operating errors, it will cause damage. If the bridge is uneven, especially for guitars with electric boxes, uneven grinding will result in uneven contact with the pickup, resulting in inconsistent output, resulting in different volume levels for each string. Some manufacturers set the piano to a very good proportion, but it will not be worn properly. On the contrary, it makes adjusting the string distance troublesome and difficult. If the fret or string spacing is too high, try to adjust the neck to solve the problem.