How To Adjust Action: Essential Resonator Guide

Adjusting the action on your round neck resonator guitar involves carefully adjusting the bridge and nut to achieve comfortable string height. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step process for beginners to improve playability and sound, making your resonator guitar a joy to play.

Playing a resonator guitar is a unique experience, and sometimes, the strings sit a little too high or too low for your liking. This is called “action,” and it affects how easy it is to fret notes and how the guitar sounds. If your resonator guitar feels a bit stiff on your fingers, or if the strings are buzzing, adjusting the action is a great fix. Don’t worry if you’ve never done it before; it’s simpler than you might think. We’ll walk through it together, step-by-step, so you can get your resonator guitar playing just right for you.

Why Adjust Your Resonator Guitar’s Action?

The “action” of your guitar refers to the height of the strings off the fretboard. When this is just right, playing becomes smooth and effortless. Too high, and your fretting hand will feel strained, making it tough to press the strings down. Too low, and you might get annoying buzzing sounds from the strings hitting the frets.

For round neck resonator guitars, especially those played with a slide and often favored for blues and bluegrass, the action needs to feel comfortable for both fretting and slide playing. Many players find that the factory setting isn’t always perfect for their personal style or playing technique. Adjusting it allows you to:

Improve Playability: Make it easier to form chords and play faster passages.
Reduce Finger Fatigue: Less effort is needed to press down strings.
Eliminate Buzzing: Get a cleaner, clearer tone without unwanted noise.
Enhance Tone: Proper action can sometimes contribute to a better overall sound projection.
Optimize for Slide Playing: Many resonator players prefer a slightly higher action for clear slide articulation once they find their sweet spot.

This guide will focus on how to adjust the action for a round neck resonator guitar. We’ll cover the most common and effective methods.

Understanding Key Components Affecting Action

Before we start adjusting, let’s get familiar with the parts of your resonator guitar that directly impact string height.

The Bridge

The bridge on a resonator guitar is crucial. For round neck models, it typically consists of the saddle (where the strings rest) and the biscuit (a small piece of wood, usually maple or ebony, underneath the saddle). The height of the saddle is the primary determinant of your string action.

Saddle: This is the part the strings actually sit on. It’s usually a thin strip of bone, plastic, or composite material.
Biscuit: This small piece of wood stabilizes the cone and transfers string vibrations to it. The saddle sits on top of the biscuit.

The Nut

The nut is located at the headstock end of the fretboard. It has slots cut into it to guide the strings. The height of the nut slots also contributes to the overall action, particularly in the first few frets.

Nut Slots: These grooves hold the strings at the headstock. Their depth and spacing are important.

Tools You’ll Need

Having the right tools makes the job much easier and safer for your guitar. You don’t need a professional luthier’s workshop, but a few essential items will help immensely.

Here’s a list of what you should have on hand:

• Screwdrivers: A set of precision screwdrivers (Phillips head might be needed for some bridge adjustments) and a flathead screwdriver for truss rod adjustments (if necessary, though we’ll primarily focus on bridge/nut adjustments for action).
• Ruler or String Action Gauge: A precise ruler (preferably with millimeter markings) or a specialized string action gauge is essential for measuring string height accurately. You can find these online from guitar part suppliers.
• Guitar Picks: Various thicknesses can be helpful for measuring or even temporarily shimming.
• Small Files: Nut files are ideal for making precise adjustments to nut slots. If you don’t have these, very fine jeweler’s files can work, but use extreme caution.
• Sandpaper: Fine-grit sandpaper (e.g., 220 grit and above) for smoothing any adjustments.
• Workbench or Stable Surface: A clean, flat surface to work on.
• Soft Cloths: To protect the guitar’s finish.
• Optional: Small Shims: Thin pieces of plastic, hardwood, or even dense paper can be used to raise the saddle.

Remember, patience is your most important tool. Take your time with each step.

How to Measure Your Guitar’s Action

Before you adjust anything, you need to know where you’re starting from. Accurate measurements are key to a successful adjustment.

Step 1: Tune Your Guitar

Ensure your resonator guitar is tuned to standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). An out-of-tune guitar won’t give you accurate action readings.

Step 2: Choose Your Measurement Points

We’ll measure action at two main points:

At the 12th Fret: This is the most common place to measure overall string height.
At the Nut: This measures the initial height of the strings.

Step 3: Measure at the 12th Fret

1. Place your ruler or action gauge under a string at the 12th fret.
2. Measure the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string.
3. Repeat this for each string. Some players prefer to measure only the low E and high E strings, while others measure all six. Measuring all gives you a comprehensive picture.

A common starting point for resonator guitar action at the 12th fret is: