Godin nylon problems

[E***@gmail.com]

I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't
have enough tension to make a difference.)

The bridge has individual saddles for each string and they don't seem
to be adjustable. It has a bolt-on neck. Is it possible to remove the
neck and put in some shims to change the tilt a tiny bit? (I have
never tried doing this before.)

BTW: I think this has the potential to be a nice guitar. Except for
the buzzing (on mostly the first and second string) I sort of like the
tone. It's much better than I can get from my acoustic classical. I
play mostly steel string fingerstyle and my classical technique is not
that great.

Thanks in advance,

Hack
--//--

[t***@jhu.edu]

Post by E***@gmail.com
I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't
have enough tension to make a difference.)
The bridge has individual saddles for each string and they don't seem
to be adjustable. It has a bolt-on neck. Is it possible to remove the
neck and put in some shims to change the tilt a tiny bit? (I have
never tried doing this before.)
BTW: I think this has the potential to be a nice guitar. Except for
the buzzing (on mostly the first and second string) I sort of like the
tone. It's much better than I can get from my acoustic classical. I
play mostly steel string fingerstyle and my classical technique is not
that great.
Thanks in advance,
Hack
--//--

You could try a small piece of a business card. Put it under the neck,
as close as you can get it to the outer edge of the body's neck pocket.
Then you'll probably have to readjust your truss rod.

Would it be possible to shim under the bridge or under each bridge
saddle? I think that would be my first choice, before shimming the neck.

[Jazzer]

Post by E***@gmail.com
I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't

Hi Hack.

I've got a Godin Multiac nylon and had the same problem you describe.
I fixed it a couple of years ago by shimming at the neck joint with a
plastic 'credit' card.
It's perfect now.

Ric

[E***@gmail.com]

Post by Jazzer
Hi Hack.
I've got a Godin Multiac nylon and had the same problem you describe.
I fixed it a couple of years ago by shimming at the neck joint with a
plastic 'credit' card.
It's perfect now.
Ric

Great! I'll try that.

Thanks Ric and Tom Brown.

Hack
--//--

[Gerry]

Post by Jazzer

Post by E***@gmail.com
I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't

I've got a Godin Multiac nylon and had the same problem you describe.
I fixed it a couple of years ago by shimming at the neck joint with a
plastic 'credit' card.
It's perfect now.

Sheesh. With Godin garnering the praise they have I'm surprised this
is a problem both of you have had that Godin didn't get involved with.
I'd take the thing to my guitar-guy (of which I currently have none),
as this stuff gives me the heebie-jeebies doing myself. Besides, as I
mentioned elsewhere, my Michelle Philips screwdriver has been misplaced.

[r***@yahoo.com]

My multiac nylon had action higher than I like (although the classical
guys thought it was normal). It required a neck reset to lower the
action. The classical guy in Gary Brawer's shop thought it was
ridiculously low. I still think it's too high. But, I digress. The
point is that it can be adjusted, but it requires repositioning the
neck.

Post by Gerry

Post by Jazzer

Post by E***@gmail.com
I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't

I've got a Godin Multiac nylon and had the same problem you describe.
I fixed it a couple of years ago by shimming at the neck joint with a
plastic 'credit' card.
It's perfect now.Sheesh. With Godin garnering the praise they have I'm surprised this

is a problem both of you have had that Godin didn't get involved with.
I'd take the thing to my guitar-guy (of which I currently have none),
as this stuff gives me the heebie-jeebies doing myself. Besides, as I
mentioned elsewhere, my Michelle Philips screwdriver has been misplaced.
--
///---

[woland99]

Savarez makes "super high tension" strings - perhaps that would help.

JT

Post by E***@gmail.com
I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't
have enough tension to make a difference.)
The bridge has individual saddles for each string and they don't seem
to be adjustable. It has a bolt-on neck. Is it possible to remove the
neck and put in some shims to change the tilt a tiny bit? (I have
never tried doing this before.)
BTW: I think this has the potential to be a nice guitar. Except for
the buzzing (on mostly the first and second string) I sort of like the
tone. It's much better than I can get from my acoustic classical. I
play mostly steel string fingerstyle and my classical technique is not
that great.
Thanks in advance,
Hack
--//--

[holdgaj]

Yes, the High tension strings are essential for this particular guitar to
play right. I sold mine in the end - the intonation was always out.
--
Holdgaj

Post by woland99
Savarez makes "super high tension" strings - perhaps that would help.
JT

Post by E***@gmail.com
I have a Godin Nylon that the action is too low on. I sent email to
Godin about this and they replied that the only adjustment was the
truss rod. Adjusting the truss rod didn't make any difference. (I
suspect that with a neck this size and nylon strings, the strings don't
have enough tension to make a difference.)
The bridge has individual saddles for each string and they don't seem
to be adjustable. It has a bolt-on neck. Is it possible to remove the
neck and put in some shims to change the tilt a tiny bit? (I have
never tried doing this before.)
BTW: I think this has the potential to be a nice guitar. Except for
the buzzing (on mostly the first and second string) I sort of like the
tone. It's much better than I can get from my acoustic classical. I
play mostly steel string fingerstyle and my classical technique is not
that great.
Thanks in advance,
Hack
--//--

[r***@yahoo.com]

After Brawer set it up and pleked it, the intonation was good for a
nylon guitar. It was never as accurate as I can get with a tuneomatic
bridge. I believe that the Chet Atkins CE is a nylon with adjustable
saddles, but I don't think I've seen another nylon with one (not that
I've seen all that many).

And, after I stuffed it with a sofa worth of foam, it stopped feeding
back and sounded great.

But, the configuration of this guitar is odd. The bridge is in the
middle of the body, so the neck extends pretty far to the left -- and
the lower bout is short. The point is, if you shift the guitar far
enough to the right to reach the first fret comfortably, the thing
slides off your right leg. It gave me tendonitis and I went back to my
Yamaha silent nylon (doesn't sound as good, but much easier to play).

Rick

[j***@uiuc.edu]

While I have never had a Godin, I have owned (and still do) several
nylon acoustic/electric guitars. Each guitar
needed the string height adjusted. I easily accomplished this by
altering the nut height and saddle height. In your
case IF the height at the nut seems ok, can Godin supply saddles that
are higher and could be shaved down to
the exact height you want? On my guitars the nut height was always ok,
just needed to change the saddle height
by shaving some off or getting a different saddle and shaving it to the
right height.