Guitar Belly

[GAD]

Acoustics are not my strong point as you may all well realize by know, so please help me out here.

The DV73 I recently bought has some severe bellying in the top which makes the action high:

From what I've read it looks like this is very fixable - is that correct? I'm going to record it with the 13s on there then put on some 11s to let it relax a bit, and I know I could shave that saddle a bit, but am I correct in thinking that it will likely need a trip to @Fixit?

 

[GGJaguar]

Sometimes it's as simple as humidification and sometimes the bridge has to come off, the top flattened and the bridge re-glued.

 

[Walter Broes]

apart from the bellying (it's there, though I've definitely seen worse), in the pic it does look like the saddle is leaning a little bit. But it does look like you still have healthy saddle height, and you could bring down the saddle a little bit.

If you play in standard tuning, I don't really think there's anything to gain from 13's though, except bass and volume, and a good healthy dread should have both of those in abundance already. I'd take the 13's off and not go any heavier than 12. A good flattop will sound just as good with 12's, and 13's aren't just hard on your guitar, they're hard on your hands too.

 

[gjmalcyon]

Acoustics are not my strong point as you may all well realize by know, so please help me out here.

The DV73 I recently bought has some severe bellying in the top which makes the action high:

My '93 JF4-12 jumbo 'hog 12-string has about that much belly since the day it arrived at my place 8 years ago. Hasn't moved an inch, and the playability, string height, neck angle, etc. all are fine and stable.

 

[FNG]

Ditch the .13s. I'd bet a nickel that guitar came with lights.

 

[awagner]

I think it would be a mistake to put .11s on. I personally prefer .13s, but .12s at a minimum to really appreciate the sound of a great Guild dred. If you want less tension, then just tune it down.

Just my opinion.

 

[wileypickett]

Shaving the bridge reduces its mass which can (according to the experts) affect how well the bridge drives the top. I'd avoid doing that. It'll also do nothing to fix your bellying problem.

The first Guild I had with severe bellying issues was a 12-string. The saddle was tipping forward to such a degree that not only was the intonation way off, but the bridge, which remained flat, was lifting all the way to the back row of guitar pins. (You can't expect a flat surface to remain glued to one that is bowed.)

To cap it off, the bellying in back of the bridge caused reciprocal dipping in front of it, around the sound hole. The strings came straight out of the bridge pin holes and over the saddle with almost no break angle.

My luthier -- a former authorized Martin repair guy -- repaired it with what was then a relatively new device, or at least one I'd never heard of before: a JLD Bridge Doctor. I've since put them in several of my Guilds with bellying problems, and they've made all the difference in the world in every one, no exceptions. They flatten the top, both in front of and behind the bridge; they improve the intonation; and in some guitars they improve the sound. (I put one in a DV52 that I'd had for several years and was very familiar with. The improvement in sound was so pronounced I couldn't believe my ears and removed the BD to see if I was imagining it. The guitar, which was already lively, had greater clarity in the mid-range with the BD.)

There's been a lot of discussion, pro and con, here and on virtually every other acoustic guitar forum, on the merits of Bridge Doctors -- check the archives.

The traditional way of fixing a bellying problem is to remove the bridge-plate and install a new one. This is a costly and somewhat difficult repair and the danger is that the bowing may come back eventually, because the bridge plate is so much smaller than the area that wants to belly.

Some people complain that the Bridge Doctor provides "only a temporary fix." It's only temporary if you take it out. So long as it's in there, it does everything its proponents claim.

Best of all, they're cheap and easy to install.

Good luck!

Glenn

 

[Walter Broes]

It's impossible to say from a pic, but in the pic you posted, it doesn't look like you're in bridge shaving/bridge doctor territory quite yet. I'd start with lighter strings and taking the saddle down a hair.

 

[FNG]

I run John Pearse PB lights on all my guitars, .12-.53s. Plenty of pop.

 

[wileypickett]

It's impossible to say from a pic, but in the pic you posted, it doesn't look like you're in bridge shaving/bridge doctor territory quite yet. I'd start with lighter strings and taking the saddle down a hair.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the saddle does appear to be tilting slightly forward. But how's the intonation? Are the harmonics at the 12th fret and the notes at the 12 fret the same? If you're not sure, compare them with a tuner.

If the intonation is off, it may be due to the saddle being pitched forward.

But if they're the same, I'd go with Walter's suggestion as a first step and see if that helps.

 

[kostask]

I don't see "severe bellying" at all. I see some bellying, which is really is quite normal for acoustic guitars, if they are not over-braced. Some bellying is normal, too much bellying is an issue. There will be less bellying with lighter gauge strings than with heavier gauge strings. You are using .013s, which are medium gauge. If you use the more standard .012s (light gauge) do you have as much bellying? If not, you may want to try to determine what the factory recommended string gauge is. If the recommended string gauge is .012s (which I suspect is the case), then the extra bellying you are seeing may be due to your use of .013s. If the recommended string gauge is .012, you can either use a higher tension .012 set (GHS Americana, or light top/ heavy bottom sets from a number of vendors), or tune the .013s down a half step and use a capo. .011s will also reduce tension even further, but it may not be necessary to go down that far, as you will have a noticeable drop in volume and maybe tone.

If you have an unacceptable amount of bellying with the .012 set, then a luthier (goes without saying, a good luthier) needs to get inside the guitar and inspect for a cracked/loose bridge plate, or loose/unglued braces. It may be a good idea to get the guitar to a luthier and have him look at the bellying, even with .013s and see what he thinks of the bellying.

 

[GardMan]

I play John Pearce on bluegrass on my 73. Light treble (12 e) and med bass (56 E). You definitely can bring the saddle down some...
Have you checked the relief? Too much relief would also raise the action. When setting up my guitars, I first adjust relief, then nut height... adjusting saddle height to set the action comes last. I don't recall off hand where you are located, but you could take it to a good local tech for evaluation and setup. If that doesn't bring the action to what your comfortable with, you could consider sending it to fixit.

I know some folks have positive experiences with bridge doctor... I just don't consider it an appropriate approach for an instrument of this caliber. I also wouldn't shave the bridge...

For the record, most would say that my 73 needs its neck reset... it's saddle is less than 1/16" under the treble e, with action at 5/64" (treble e). But it's perfectly comfortable to play, and sounds great. Atter discussing it Tom (fixit), I decided it was playable now, and likely to remain so for the remainder of my playing years. So I opted not to reset it now...


Btw... what's the nut width on your 73? And what's the neck profile? Mine has a 1.75" neck that is also fatter than any other guild I have played...

 

[F312]

What year is your DV73, and do you have the reinforced sound hole? The picture you posted doesn't look bad to me. Any upper fret board separation on yours?

Ralph