A guitar for a hard strummer

HarrisonB57 · Post by **HarrisonB57** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:04 pm

I got a Guild GAD-40c a few weeks ago. I loved it in the store but when i brought it home and really started playing, the e-string buzzed really bad. I think its becuase of my hard strumming. I read in a few reviews online that this particular guitar buzzes alot when strumming hard so i think I'm going to have to return it. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a guitar that responds well to hard strumming.

Thanks

mattinbeloit · Post by **mattinbeloit** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:51 pm

get the action adjusted, if you are a hard strummer you are going to have to get use to a high action...

RunsWithBuffalo · Post by **RunsWithBuffalo** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:47 am

That guitar should take hard strumming just fine, from the picture i saw it looks like a dreadnout with a cut away which is perfect for hard strumming unlike smaller bodied guitars.

I agree with mattinbeloit that its probably the action of the guitar, have it taken in for a set up and tell them what style of player you are and the music you play and they will set you up.

p1trick_82 · Post by **p1trick_82** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:27 am

i had this same question

I don't think i strum too hard,but not light (depends on the song)...i read jumbos and dreadnoughts are best for hard strumming,so i always thought those guitars would be better for me...but dave kinda strums hard and uses small body guitars, why is that?

HarrisonB57 · Post by **HarrisonB57** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:47 am

thanks for the help. is it really that much harder to play with a higher action?

mattinbeloit · Post by **mattinbeloit** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:54 am

HarrisonB57 wrote:thanks for the help. is it really that much harder to play with a higher action?

no, but you will feal a difference and it might take you a week or so to fully adjust and feal comfortable with it.

filmdude100cms · Post by **filmdude100cms** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:41 am

get the action adjusted and use medium gauge strings, if your using lights that could also be the problem, mediums will have a richer fuller sound and arent really at all harder to play, i think that could be it since i know a lot of people use lights and most guitars come stock with them... but also get the action adjusted cause that needs to be done to all new guitars.

HarrisonB57 · Post by **HarrisonB57** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:30 pm

the guitar came with light strings and i broke one real quick, so i went ahead and put medium strings on it. so i'll try and get the action raised and see how that works

sfmartins · Post by **sfmartins** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:51 pm

the guitar came with light strings and i broke one real quick

Make sure you are not exagerating with your strumming.
You might want to make an effort to play a little softer.

Anyway, get the action adjusted.

Just my 2 cents.

RunsWithBuffalo · Post by **RunsWithBuffalo** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:59 pm

p1trick_82 wrote:i had this same question

I don't think i strum too hard,but not light (depends on the song)...i read jumbos and dreadnoughts are best for hard strumming,so i always thought those guitars would be better for me...but dave kinda strums hard and uses small body guitars, why is that?

Well first thing is dave has a pretty high action anyways to help him with all his mutes, but i wouldnt say he strums all that hard. He strums very fast but with precision. And when he does strum hard (Check out a live version of Halloween with the band) you can hear the strings buzz a little. Still, his technique is very good and when you play for 30 years, its probably easier to get a bigger sound out of a small body guitar. Body size is just one factor but it is certainly not the only one.

Reckless · Post by **Reckless** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:27 pm

What do they do to raise the action?

mangold · Post by **mangold** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:42 pm

Reckless Mind wrote:What do they do to raise the action?

in severe cases the nut or bridge can be replaced, but ussually they just adjust the truss rod slightly

taylordb · Post by **taylordb** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 3:19 pm

I don't think they ever adjust the truss rod to change the action. All a truss rod does is correct the "bow" in the neck...either positive or negative.

bassman462 · Post by **bassman462** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:21 pm

RunsWithBuffalo wrote:
p1trick_82 wrote:i had this same question

I don't think i strum too hard,but not light (depends on the song)...i read jumbos and dreadnoughts are best for hard strumming,so i always thought those guitars would be better for me...but dave kinda strums hard and uses small body guitars, why is that?
Well first thing is dave has a pretty high action anyways to help him with all his mutes, but i wouldnt say he strums all that hard. He strums very fast but with precision. And when he does strum hard (Check out a live version of Halloween with the band) you can hear the strings buzz a little. Still, his technique is very good and when you play for 30 years, its probably easier to get a bigger sound out of a small body guitar. Body size is just one factor but it is certainly not the only one.

also he does use dreadnoughts too, he doesn't use small body guitars, for martin small bodies guitars are 000 and otherwise called folk size. then there's dreadnoughts and jumbos. i dont think dave has ever used a small body.

mangold · Post by **mangold** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:51 pm

taylordb wrote:I don't think they ever adjust the truss rod to change the action. All a truss rod does is correct the "bow" in the neck...either positive or negative.

um yeh they do that alot, very few people have a problem with the action at the 1st or 2nd fret, by loosening the truss the neck is bowed up and the nut goes up in reference to the bride, thus making the action at almost every fret, especially around 12, higher.

if the action is too low in the 1st 5 frets then an extreme adjustment is required