Can an acoustic guitar be made to feel less stiff?

[shark_bite]

I've played plenty of acoustics... some more stiff than others. I have a Durango B-46 right now that's basically a MIC J45 copy with a few tweaks. Great guitar, especially for the money, but after getting a 1962 J45 and comparing the two side-by-side I kind of wonder. Could anything be done to make the playability a little more rubbery? Granted, the J45 plays like a friggin' electric guitar, but still.

[B Money]

nut height is a major factor in how stiff a guitar plays. If the string slots are too shallow so that the strings are high @ the first fret, the entire guitar will feel stiff.
Tall frets can also make a guitar feel stiff, although they are more forgiving of a bent neck.
How's the relief look? Too much relief can make the action stiffer, particularly in the middle of the neck. Try to get the neck adjusted with as little relief as possible, with an acceptable amount of string buzz.

[Jahn]

Also, use lighter gauge strings. I had a longscale guitar that I wasn't getting along with - put some medium lights on there instead of mediums and bingo, dialed it right into my sweet spot.

[mike shaw]

In addition to the above suggestions - try using a round core string. Polish your frets. Make sure your bridge saddle is not too tall.
How high is your action?

[shark_bite]

The action isn't especially high. To be fair, the guitar isn't especially tight either. Just tight enough that I wonder if I can improve it, especially since I have another guitar that is just right.

I may just sell it though... I can't really see why I'd need both guitars, and I can't envision a scenario in which I'd pick the Durango over the J45.

[GA20T]

Yep to all above. What scale length is yours? Other than nut height/width/spacing, bridge height, neck relief, how slick the frets are, and to some degree the neck shape, I couldn't really think of another factor affecting playability. I only play with Med gauge strings on acoustics with different scale lengths and don't notice any discernible "stiffness" between guitars with a consistent setup. While the skinny neck on my K.Yairi would cause painful cramps just looking at it, with a nice low buzz-free action and nearly straight neck relief, it requires about as much effort as a well setup electric to play. I can quite literally play that guitar 8 hours per night.

[Greg.D]

I think everybody is right and B Money and Mike Shaw really get it right esp regards to the nut. Divide the problem into its parts as they say. Then, funny, but rough frets can really be a "drag" literally and inhibit your playing. Assuming all they need is polishing, you might be able to accomplish that with 0000 gauge steel wool.

But, in the end, it's probably the difference in the action. Oh, yeah: you always need a less valuable guitar alongside your really good one for those occasions .... maybe you should keep it.

Greg

[JohnSS]

a 60's Gibson J-45 has a 24.75" scale, if memory serves. Your other acoustics likely have a 25.5" scale, which will account for the difference in stiffness.