Which strings & action height...

How do :)

So i've had my Taylor 310ce for just over a month and I really love it, but there are a couple of things I would like to change but not sure a) how to and b) if i should...

The main thing is the action, I would like a lower action but does this mean there would be fret buzz? near the neck its pretty much fine but playing up near the cutaway the action is quite high and I don't really like that - I play my own take on songs which would usually be played on an electric and I do play stuff higher up a lot...

How would I go about lowering the action and should I even do it or will other things suffer (I'm assuming this will be the case as Taylor surely know what they're doing and noone would choose a high action, would they?)

secondly, I have been through a range of strings in my 4 weeks of ownership I have played the 13s (elixir) that it came with, some d'addario 11s and some Dunlop 12s, and I'm gonna go back to the medium 13s - my question here is what make would you advise? is the 2x cost of elixirs worth it? are they even better i've got a feeling the cost is based on a coating for durability rather than sound? maybe its worth trying some Martin strings but there are a lot of types to choose from...

so yeah, 2 q's - action and strings :)

Hi SooTyLaD,

I'll see if I can send the best person your way to answer your questions.

Ooh, great questions. I too am looking to restring my Seagull acoustic guitar for the first time since I bought it, so I'm wondering how to choose. I also think my action is a little too high, so I'm going to try to get it into the shop this week. I've got D'Addario EJ16 Light phosphor bronze on there right now. The guy at the shop recommended not going any lighter than that.

Hi. If it helps, I have always preferred Gibson or Martin brand strings for Acoustics. I always figured those folks would know thier business if anyone did. :) For my electrics, I happen to choose D'Addario.

My personal preference is bronze wound medium gauge. (Generally .013 - .056) You can go lighter, but I find lighter gauge has a thinner sound and they break more easily. That's a personal thing, though. At some point you should at least try a set of light strings.

IF your guitar has an adjustable bridge, you could try tweaking it a bit. I would take it down to the point I get string buzz, then raise it until it's gone. Remember to loosen your strings well between adjustments.

There is a lot more to set up than that, like neck adjustment, and nut height which you might want to consult a professional for. But, if you are lucky enough to have an adjustable bridge, it ain't rocket science to drop those strings a bit. :)

Hi Soo and Gary,

Since both of you are asking about relatively new guitars that you recently purchased, I'd say that this first time out you take it to the shop and have it set up and strung with light gauge strings.

If they do their set-up right, it should hit the perfect sweet spot that allows you to have the lowest possible action without buzzing.

Also, you'll get an idea of what the guitar feels and sounds like when it is set up just right, with brand new strings. Next time, you may feel better about taking it on yourself, and experimenting with different string types if you want to.

New guitars often take a little breaking in period, so it is not unusual at all for a customer to request a set-up and some tweaks in the beginning.

Keep us posted!
Best wishes, Lisa