Help w/ action adjustment

Hello,

I recently picked up a used Epiphone LP custom and need to make some changes. First thing I noticed was the neck pickup is super low and the bridge pickup is super high. Next I noticed the tune-o-matic bridge, quite different from what I've used in the past. It has 6 saddles. The E,A,D, saddles have the slanted part facing the fretboard and the G,B,E saddles have the flat part facing the fretboard. The overall height of the bridge is I believe even on both sides. The action seems low at the first fret and much higher at the twelve. Has anyone had a similiar scenerio in the past and made changes to get better results. I know I could lower the overall height of the bridge but that might screw up the intonation. I know I could lower just the pickguard side of the bridge but that might screw up the intonation. Are saddles for lengthening strings? Playing leads on the 9th fret and up are really rough, should I flip one or more of the saddles around? Help!

Sounds like the truss rod may need an adjustment. Unless you know what your doing, have a pro adjust it for you. It's easy to snap a neck making that adjustment.

what makes you say that, the guitar itself is relatively new.

Those saddles are actually for adjusting your intonation. The two big screws that hold that saddle piece on will get you a lower or higher action depending on how you adjust them. ;)

Thanks Big Buda,

but does the saddle direction / position affect anything other than intonation?

No it shouldn't.

Originally Posted by: epenviswhat makes you say that, the guitar itself is relatively new.

A guitar being new doens't matter. It usually has to do with the wood contracting or expanding. A drastic change in humidity or temp. can have an effect on the neck of a guitar, which calls for a truss rod adjustment. A brand new guitar sent from the factory to wherever you are usually needs this adjustment as the climate could be different, but most music stores just put the guitars on the shelf, then when sold, charge $30 or $40 to do a "set-up" b/c the action is high or too low...Some places throw in a set-up when they sell a guitar if they are asked to do it.

I lowered the action but I still believe it could be better. I'm gonna take it
to a guitar tech to check out the status of the truss rod. Big thanks to
Big Buda and JFrick!

Originally Posted by: epenvisHello,

I recently picked up a used Epiphone LP custom and need to make some changes. First thing I noticed was the neck pickup is super low and the bridge pickup is super high. Next I noticed the tune-o-matic bridge, quite different from what I've used in the past. It has 6 saddles. The E,A,D, saddles have the slanted part facing the fretboard and the G,B,E saddles have the flat part facing the fretboard. The overall height of the bridge is I believe even on both sides. The action seems low at the first fret and much higher at the twelve. Has anyone had a similiar scenerio in the past and made changes to get better results. I know I could lower the overall height of the bridge but that might screw up the intonation. I know I could lower just the pickguard side of the bridge but that might screw up the intonation. Are saddles for lengthening strings? Playing leads on the 9th fret and up are really rough, should I flip one or more of the saddles around? Help!

Lower your bridge as much as you can untill the strings start to buzz off the frets, and then raise them untill the buzzing just stops. The truss rod may need some adjustment, but I doubt much. Its not going to change your string rise off the fretboard top to bottom that much, if your fretboard is sagging in the middle it dose need a stroke, or two. Push down on your strings top fret, and bottom at the same time, and look for a large gap between the middle frets, and the perfictly straight strings to determine you truss rod stroking needs. If theres a large gap, oh say 1/16th, or 3/32nds you have a dip in the middle of your fretboard, if the strings touching the fret you have a rise in the middle. It should have a 1/32nd inch clearance, from what I can remember, or somthing like that, not much. The method for adjusting your truss rod is dealing with very low clearances, I mean like 32nds and 64ths of an inch clearance between the string and fret when ,well I cant remember exactly, but I think when the string is pushed down at the 2nd, and 19th simltainiously, I think I got those frets rite, look it up to be sure. But, while both are pushed down there is a certain clearance your looking for in the middle frets between your fingers, very tiny clearance, you sould look that messurment up to. You need a helper to push down both frets while you messure the fret, string clearance for all six strings. With your string angle, top to bottom being so wild, as you say you would have to put one hell of a bow in your neck with the truss rod to correct your problem, not likly. Lower your bridge as low as possible, then look up the truss rod procedure, if you dont allready know. Remember the lighter the gauge of your strings the lower the action can be set, thats another factor to consider. I dont know what kind of bridge, or tremlo you have so there may be two or three adjustments alone on it. Figure it out, do that first, then the truss rod if needed. Just giving you ideas, Rock on!

Originally Posted by: epenvis... Next I noticed the tune-o-matic bridge, quite different from what I've used in the past. It has 6 saddles. The E,A,D, saddles have the slanted part facing the fretboard and the G,B,E saddles have the flat part facing the fretboard... should I flip one or more of the saddles around?

The saddles face the way they do in order to get the intonation right. There's a video lesson on intonation >here<.