Stiff Feeling Action: Am I Crazy?

Luke Gibson

Luke Gibson

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Dec 8, 2015
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I have debated posting this, but here it goes! (it sounds crazy)

My Stripped58 feels "stiff", not such a big deal in and of it's self. I raised the Tailpiece and bam it feels "Slinky" easy to bend strings, chords etc, great, I love it! A while later (day/hours) it's back stiff feeling again.... I tighten the tailpiece back down, "hey that doesn't feel too bad" A little while later, it feels stiff again..... I have done this over and over, and every time it goes back to feeling stiff. Before you say I'm crazy (it is a possibility) I own a vintage Les Paul Standard, Jr's, 335, Explorer, Tele's none of them do this! I even own an '09 DGT it doesn't do this either.....

The guitar originally came strung with 11's, I put my standard 10 set on and barely tweaked the neck. (I have a StewMac Dial Gauge that measures neck relief) This is driving me nuts! The guitar has been in it's case, left in a stand, it doesn't matter. The humidity is pretty much the same in the house.

Right before I posted this I raised the tailpiece again, nice and slinky feeling like my LP Standard, each time I put it down and pick it up it feels slightly stiffer..... This has been going on for almost three weeks.

Has anyone ever dealt with anything like this?

What is going on?
 
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The guitar is probably irreversibly busted. Send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly:p

But seriously...no clue what's going on there. Hope some other members have some ideas!
 
....it just might be toothace, it just might be!

This could turn into Luke's a Loon thread! :confused: Which would be pretty funny....
 
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Following your experiments with the break angle at the bridge I think the only way forward now is to change the strings. Your strings have not been on very long but it sounds like their elasticity properties are not working for you. I would try to find a lower tension set. Some manufacturers state their string tension values in pounds and kilos for each string and as a whole set. D'addario for example.

Hope to see more and maybe better suggestions. Interesting.
 
charliefrench said:
Following your experiments with the break angle at the bridge I think the only way forward now is to change the strings. Your strings have not been on very long but it sounds like their elasticity properties are not working for you. I would try to find a lower tension set. Some manufacturers state their string tension values in pounds and kilos for each string and as a whole set. D'addario for example.

Hope to see more and maybe better suggestions. Interesting.
Click to expand...

First thing that popped into my head this morning was maybe try a different brand of strings. Typically I buy the 10 Pak of D'addarios EXL110 10 - 46 I do have some Ernie Ball's I may try..... Thanks for the reply!
 
I think you're a little bit crazy.....just like all the rest of us floating around here! :D

Seriously, good luck. Sounds strange. Hope the string change takes care of it.
 
Lots of factors when a guitar feel stiff.As you mentioned string gauge,relief,tailpiece height.Some guitars have a stiffness to them and some feel softer.I kinda like the different character in different guitars,it makes you play them differently and they bring different ideas out of you.One thing not mentioned very often is fatigue in muscles.If you have worked a lot,not slept enough etc etc.I do manual labour myself and after three days working for 10 hours every day most of my guitars feel stiffer.Some guitars benefit from tuning down to E flat for example.From experience I have learnt that it's best to let it be.Have the guitar setup after your liking and accept its temperamental.
 
I had that with my SC245 at first, it was almost unplayable when it first came in the mail. You cannot adjust the height of the tailpiece on the PRS 2-piece bridge which was an annoyance at first. I lowered the bridge so that they break angle wasnt so bad and then adjusted the truss rod to get it back to the relief i liked. It was a laborious process of back and forth between the truss rod and the bridge but i got it dialed in finally and now i have 11's on it and it plays like a dream.
 
swede71 said:
Lots of factors when a guitar feel stiff.As you mentioned string gauge,relief,tailpiece height.Some guitars have a stiffness to them and some feel softer.I kinda like the different character in different guitars,it makes you play them differently and they bring different ideas out of you.One thing not mentioned very often is fatigue in muscles.If you have worked a lot,not slept enough etc etc.I do manual labour myself and after three days working for 10 hours every day most of my guitars feel stiffer.Some guitars benefit from tuning down to E flat for example.From experience I have learnt that it's best to let it be.Have the guitar setup after your liking and accept its temperamental.
Click to expand...


In my experience relief ( truss rod adjustment) is the biggest factor in feel followed by saddle height and string gauge. I personally set my guitars up with a tiny amount of relief and set saddle height to taste. String gauge and right/left hand technique will be a factor.
 
Luke Gibson said:
You might be onto something.....
Click to expand...
Wondering if a resolve was ever discovered? I've encountered this on a couple PRS guitars. 1st was a SC 250, it always felt a tad stiffer than my mccartys or cu24. Then recently I've gotten a cu24 and a McCarty and its kind of the same feel. The 2004 McCarty I had, 1 piece wrap around bridge, had 11s on it and was silky feeling. But the newest ones I have is the opposite. Frets are different I believe, may contribute. Let me know what you discovered or decided to go with. I know this thread is old but yet its relative for my current situation. Thanks man
 
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