2019 JTV59 action/string gauge too high for me

Started by 2pods, May 19, 2020, 05:10:03 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

2pods

I have a 2019 JTV59 but I can't get on with the action, which is too high for my personal taste, and the 10 gauge strings (YMMV)

However, from what I've been reading, both lowering the action and dropping string gauges really impact on the way the Variax works. Would I be better giving up and selling it, or take the chance of adjusting it to my taste and then finding the acoustics now sound bad ?

Fender G5 Strat, PRS SE Santana/w TriplePlay

Chumly

For the time it takes to adjust the action and string gauge to your liking sure you should do it, and if you then can't get along with the tracking and you put things back the way they were before and it's better, then you have your answer.
I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. - Richard P. Feynman

rockmancentralbob

I had a similar feeling towards my JTV-59. 

For sure the action is way to high for my liking.  I figure that's an easy adjustment to make, though I'm not sure what that changes for the models other than perhaps too much "mag drag" on the strings.

As for the string gauges, I too, prefer lower gauge strings.... usually 8's.  As a Boston fan, I discovered that Tom Scholz uses a mixed gauge set on his guitars with the lower strings being very fine and the upper strings being from a thicker set.  For my playing, the lower 2 or 3 string is where I do most of my bending anyway, and that's where the lower gauges matter the most.  So I'm thinking I might try the mixed set and see if it causes any issues with the Variax models.  I'm hoping that just swapping out the 2 or 3 lower strings won't alter it too much.