High Action

After searching, I found some folk's rule of thumb for good action height is that the string height over the 12th fret is about the thickness of a dime. I can slide two pennies under mine (about a quarter inch). I was concerned because it feels like I really have to push hard in some cases -- and as an example, the furthest back finger in an A chord; I simply cannot push hard enough.

I was tempted to try sanding down the bottom of my saddle piece myself, but I'm pretty sure I'll take it to the music store to be safe, unless other people have suggestions.

I just noticed I was really creating some unique deviations from the standard finger positions for the chords in order to make them sound clear -- and I don't want to develop bad habits because of a guitar that needs to be setup.

Hi, You didn't mention make or model of your guitar (Most Important).If you are beginning its not good to play on a dog of a guitar,dont believe any of that the harder you push your strings the stronger your fingers get Crap!You obviously have a bowed neck and need your truss rod adjusted, but some cheaper guitars are beyond help.If you let us know the guitar you have it would help more.By the way the 12th fret gap is measured with your finger fretting the first and last fret also the radius (the curve on the face of your neck determines string height as flatter boards ie:Ibanez can have a more uniform action compared to say a low action on a fender as the strings will choke when bent then there are personal preferences, but that aside you just want a action that isn't gonna break your fingers as I said if your guitar is el chepo save up for a medium priced guitar that will have all those worries sorted for you so you can get to playing and not weight lifting resistance exercising.

The guitar is a Jasmine, by Takamine. It is definitely an entry level guitar, but has great reviews everywhere I read (though must people saying you will want to get it "set up" when you first get it). I wasn't sure about a bowed neck, it felt like, to me, the saddle just needs to be sanded down. I'd try doing it myself, but don't want to mess up. I'll probably bring it to the music store today.

Lets just say after a week of playing it, I have calluses on my fingers such that I can tap my fingers pretty hard on the table and feel nothing but a slight tingle.

I was going to suggest you take it to your local music shop for setup the first time out and it looks like that's what you're going to do.

I'm a noob as well, so I did just that the first time out. However, I think it's important that I learn everything I can about setting up my guitar so I can begin to do it myself.

I've picked up a couple of books that are very thorough in discussing setup. One in particular is very good with great photos and explanations. I just finished adjusting the action my Strat yesterday and it's making a difference right away.

If there's a Borders in your area, I suggest you pick up Guitar: A Complete Guide for the Player. I got it off the clearance rack for $8. It's got a great section on setup for various styles of guitars. The book is huge (coffee table style) and it's got over 300 pages of setup, instruction, sheet music, gear info, etc. and comes with beautiful full-color photos. For $8, it's a steal for any guitar player's library.

Originally Posted by: jsquiersThe guitar is a Jasmine, by Takamine. It is definitely an entry level guitar, but has great reviews everywhere I read (though must people saying you will want to get it "set up" when you first get it). I wasn't sure about a bowed neck, it felt like, to me, the saddle just needs to be sanded down. I'd try doing it myself, but don't want to mess up. I'll probably bring it to the music store today.

Lets just say after a week of playing it, I have calluses on my fingers such that I can tap my fingers pretty hard on the table and feel nothing but a slight tingle.

The Jasmine's definitely a good beginner guitar. I've got one that I still play from time to time. Mine's one of the most comfortable acoustics I've ever played, so I suspect that you might need an adjustment. Good luck with it.

I just dropped it off at the music store. They said they can bring the action down for me...that it was playable, but definitely on the high side of the spectrum. They also said the neck looked pretty good, but had a very slight warp at the end.

Good smart move jsquiers .They will proberly do best they can but being an acoustic they are fairly hard to play up the neck(unless upper grade) and generally need a higher action as the strings are thicker wound and when they vibrate need a bigger oval to move.Try a few different guitars at the shop also to find one that you feel has the feel you are looking for so you have a idea of what a good setup feels like.I know how it feels when you want to rip up the neck with a riff and only thing that rips is your fingers.good luck.

I got my guitar back from the shop and OH MY GOSH, what a difference! They lowered the action significantly and now I barely have to press the strings. I can actually do an open A major chord the standard way. I can actually DO barre chords. I'm very happy.