Post by hootenanny58 on Nov 1, 2013 0:32:09 GMT -5
Something really flippant I discovered as an enthusiastic amateur guitar tech.
If you own a First Act PW580 Paul Westerberg Signature guitar - as I proudly do - here's some ultra simple advice on how to cure action problems on a green neck. And let's face it: First Act did not wait for its wood to cure before building it into its mass-produced guitars.
I really dig the tone of the 580's pickup. Played through a funky old amp like my Supro, it gives off a raunchy vibe. But (!) the out-of-the-box action? Not so much. Here's how to fix that (courtesy of advice from my trusty YouTube guru Davey4557):
- Unbolt the neck from the body
- Cut a piece of cardboard from a string packet
- Fit the cardboard piece to the base of the neck/body slot
- Re-install the neck
That small bit of cardboard changes the neck angle ever-so-slightly, enough to make the action butter-soft.
O - and try this too: My 580 is now a Keith Richards open-G five-string. Losing the tension of the low E string allows that green neck wood to relax. So the gitty box stays rock-solid in-tune. Two fingers and every Exile song is a welcome breeze.
Better action. Reliable tunage. Killer pick-up. Knockin' em back!
PS
Check out my avatar for confirmation that the 580 gets its share of the beating beside my LP Deluxe and Gretsch White Penguin.
If you own a First Act PW580 Paul Westerberg Signature guitar - as I proudly do - here's some ultra simple advice on how to cure action problems on a green neck. And let's face it: First Act did not wait for its wood to cure before building it into its mass-produced guitars.
I really dig the tone of the 580's pickup. Played through a funky old amp like my Supro, it gives off a raunchy vibe. But (!) the out-of-the-box action? Not so much. Here's how to fix that (courtesy of advice from my trusty YouTube guru Davey4557):
- Unbolt the neck from the body
- Cut a piece of cardboard from a string packet
- Fit the cardboard piece to the base of the neck/body slot
- Re-install the neck
That small bit of cardboard changes the neck angle ever-so-slightly, enough to make the action butter-soft.
O - and try this too: My 580 is now a Keith Richards open-G five-string. Losing the tension of the low E string allows that green neck wood to relax. So the gitty box stays rock-solid in-tune. Two fingers and every Exile song is a welcome breeze.
Better action. Reliable tunage. Killer pick-up. Knockin' em back!
PS
Check out my avatar for confirmation that the 580 gets its share of the beating beside my LP Deluxe and Gretsch White Penguin.