Stiff feel on acoustic-Why

[gordon]

I'm sure this is a question that's been asked before but I'm trying to figure this out.

I have a very well made hand-built acoustic guitar, the action is set low, 5/64, 3.5/64, little to no relief, light gauge strings.  You can get a note by barely touching it so I'm not referring to the fretting. It has an overall very stiff feel to the strings.  When I play for a while it really tires the hand.

BTW  I already tune down 1/2 step and it still feels stiff.  Any thoughts??

[LARRY KLOSE]

I don't find coated strings any stiffer than their uncoated counterparts (e.g. D'Addario) and I gig a lot. It's great to have strings that aren't dead before a performance and not to have to take the time to replace them.

Try DR's. They are made with a smaller core on the wound strings and may feel softer to the touch than the others. DR now makes a coated string which I haven't tried but may satisfy that need.

I agree with the comments about action at the nut. Just a couple of thou' will make a huge difference, especially on the first or second string. I've rechecked some of mine and found it could be better so it's always worth another look. I keep mine as low as possible. Some luthiers like to leave a little leeway for wear but I'd rather have it very low and shim the nut later or make a new one if there's wear. Hasn't happened so far on my 18 year old Shanti so I think it's kind of a red herring.

And sometimes, there's just no explanation. I have an archtop that feels stiffer than anything else I have and I just haven't been able to solve the problem, even with .010's. And it has a short scale... . Maybe it's the neck profile, as someone said.

Larry

[gordon]

Larry.  You wouldn't think that a coated string could be he difference would you? I doubt it's the coating but it could be the strings themselves.  I'll be changing them tonight and it would be great if it were that simple.

 

I have some DR Sunbeams to put on.

 

It's not the nut.  It feels the same even capoed.  It doesn't fret or chord with any difficulty it's just a stiff feel.

 

If it's not the strings I think Howard may be on to something.  Stiff neck, top=stiff feel.  I hope not though.

 

[Ned Knepp]

 Just a personal observation.

I own a Martin 12th fret guitar that feels stiffer than my other guitars. It bothered me enough when I got it that I didn't play it as long or as often as I do now and I ran through the setup and changed brands and gauges of strings but never really found an answer. Over time,  I have come to appreciate the difference it presents to me when I play. At the present I have a "Nashville" set on it and it still feels stiff but I  have come to realize, as I played it over the last several years, that it also seems more responsive than my other guitars and I have adapted to the feel so that it is one of my two main players. At this point,  I would have a hard time doing without it.  It's just a suggestion but perhaps time rather than adjustment is what is called for in this instance.

 

Ned

[gordon]

I thought I'd update you on my progress as to why my guitar was feeling so unusually stiff.  It was the strings!  Too simple right? To vindicate myself, here's what happened. I have always put either Elixir, DR's, GHS or John Pearse strings on in light gauge and I've always either been in an open/altered tuning or standard dropped down 1/2 step.
Elixir sent me a set of "test" strings which they say are standard lights but they don't tell you what alloy or if they're trying out a new space-age material or something but they appeared to be just normal Elixirs.  I still don't know the answer to that is but I have a call into the R&D guy.  They sounded great, very loud but they felt like mediums, very stiff.  I really didn't think they were the culprit though but I decided to take them off and put on a set of good ole D' Addario lights anyway!
I can't believe the difference.  If the Elixirs were lights I'm amazed at how different a string can be between manufacturers and materials.  A point that may be of interest to you as well.  Most people say that the plain strings are all the same.  There's no way that's the case.  I really noticed a difference on these but I've noticed a difference even between other brands when it came to the treble strings.

Well I guess it wasn't such a big mystery after all but a lot of folks diss the importance the impact strings have on a guitar, feel as well as sound.  Thanks for all of the thoughts and advice from everyone.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Well, I told you it was a simple one. No need to brainstorm that much! ;)

[Jeff Highland]

How many luthiers does it take to change a set of strings.......

 

12,  but they have to really want to change.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Hahahaaaa....

[Tim Mace]

blahahahaha!!! Hopefully this is firew00d by now...

[Grahame Myers]

Ouch! Maybe we should start a new thread with luthier jokes? Here's one: Q.How do you become a millionaire? A. Start out with 2 million dollars and open a luthier business!

Glad you solved the problem though :-)

 

Grahame

[gordon]

I know, I know!

[Tim Mace]

Once again ...have you tried a different string?Keep us up to date..............how many millionaires does it take to

change a litebub ina Fox Bender?

 

[gordon]

Tim,

Read my last post!  Thanks!