- Joined
- May 26, 2020
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 1
Hi all,
Really happy to join the community - after playing my Martin DCX1E as my sole acoustic for 17 years it was finally time to go for "the guitar" and I ended up with a 1982 D-70 in great shape (serial EF100185). Paid $2800 cash from a dealer in NYC who had it listed for $3k. Loving this guitar!
One thing I have noticed - I always played with .13s on my Martin, and despite having only .1" difference in scale length, the string tension on the Guild seems to be much higher. So much higher that my fingers are quite sore - something that hasn't happened in a long time. I also noticed in standard tuning the sound was a bit tight - hard to explain but almost like the strings weren't resonating to their potential. I detuned to D# and it improved. And in open D it's absolutely perfect (unreal). However I tend to play mostly in standard, so I ended up putting .12s on it and the tension problem is gone. It plays like a dream, however I have lost some of what I love about this guitar - the tone at high volumes.
Is this something that can be fixed by getting it set up? The action is perfect with no buzzes, so there are no other issues. It's just that with .13 gauge strings the tension is too high for my liking. Can it be reduced at all by adjust the nut/saddle/truss rod? I don't know much about how to fix issues like this, just hoping I can get the tension and action of .12s with the tone of .13s. My Martin played like a dream with .13s but was never close to the tonal qualities of the D-70.
Pic attached!
Really happy to join the community - after playing my Martin DCX1E as my sole acoustic for 17 years it was finally time to go for "the guitar" and I ended up with a 1982 D-70 in great shape (serial EF100185). Paid $2800 cash from a dealer in NYC who had it listed for $3k. Loving this guitar!
One thing I have noticed - I always played with .13s on my Martin, and despite having only .1" difference in scale length, the string tension on the Guild seems to be much higher. So much higher that my fingers are quite sore - something that hasn't happened in a long time. I also noticed in standard tuning the sound was a bit tight - hard to explain but almost like the strings weren't resonating to their potential. I detuned to D# and it improved. And in open D it's absolutely perfect (unreal). However I tend to play mostly in standard, so I ended up putting .12s on it and the tension problem is gone. It plays like a dream, however I have lost some of what I love about this guitar - the tone at high volumes.
Is this something that can be fixed by getting it set up? The action is perfect with no buzzes, so there are no other issues. It's just that with .13 gauge strings the tension is too high for my liking. Can it be reduced at all by adjust the nut/saddle/truss rod? I don't know much about how to fix issues like this, just hoping I can get the tension and action of .12s with the tone of .13s. My Martin played like a dream with .13s but was never close to the tonal qualities of the D-70.
Pic attached!