Stiff playing Takamine Acoustic

[Member 20177]

I have a FP360sc(I think?), like what Townsend use to play.. That action is fine but it just has a "stiff" feel to it. My cheap 80's Yamaha FG335 acoustic plays much nicer... actually the Yamaha is quite nice.. Setup on the Takamine? just seems it should nicer than it is.

 

[RustyAxe]

First off, I have no idea what "stiff" means in this context. Nor do I have any idea of what your experience is, so please don't be offended if I state the obvious.

Are you unhappy with the tone? Are you unhappy with the playability? If the latter, then perhaps a good pro setup is what you need. I've never owned a guitar that didn't benefit greatly from a setup, and always felt the money was well spent. Are you using the right string gauge? Do the frets need leveling or polishing? Correct neck relief? Proper nut slots depth? Saddle height? All these would be checked with a pro setup. And that's not the tech at the local music store, but someone who knows, builds and loves acoustic guitars.

 

[Member 20177]

"Stiff" in the context difficult to play... I've been playing for over 30 years so I don't think that is the problem.. It does have a thinner neck than my other acoustics which might actually be a "feel" problem for me.. It just seems harder to fret and move on the neck than my others... It's a very bright guitar by the way, even though that doesn't matter. Mechanically the guitar it immaculate...lowest action of the guitars I own...

 

[tholmes]

My first thought is to check the string height at the nut. Action at the twelfth fret may indeed be low enough, but if the strings are setting too high in the nut slots, the guitar will feel "stiff", especially at the first position. Try putting a capo on at the first fret and see if that will improve the feel. If it does, take it to a tech for some adjustment.

Tom