Plays like shit but it's really pretty
this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2025
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guitars
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Oh wow that's very nice looking. Congrats. Got any more pictures?
Why does it "play like shit"?
The action is stupid high. It's a kit so I expected to have to do some fret work but some of the top frets are really tall. It wouldn't even play any lower and I still have buzz where it's at. I've got some tools coming in the mail, I'm hoping I can get it to play as good as it looks ๐ค๐ค I don't have any other pictures but I'll take a couple when I'm back at my desk
Yea, this is the main problem with kits. You can't even really assume you did everything right so you end up problem solving the quality of the kit as well.
If you haven't already, check the StewMac Dan Erlewine videos, especially for setups.
For some all around high quality fixing guitar stuff, Ted Woodford on YT is phenomenal for explaining the whys and what fors.
The first thing you'll need to establish is that the neck angle is correct.
But since you've already glued the neck in, etc., you'll have to do at least a fret-level so that you can lay a straight edge across the frets to see where the strings meet the bridge.
I can't tell from the pic, but if the bridge is decked and your action is still high, that's a problem. That means the angle of the neck is too shallow.
The "easiest" solution would be to recess the bridge and tailpiece. Basically just routing down about 1/4"-3/8" a sausage shape that fits the bridge and tailpiece so they sit lower. That would mean removing the studs, making a template, routing, and then drilling the studs deeper.
So hopefully doing a fret-level will help.
In the end almost anything can be fixed, it mostly just requires new knowledge/skills or at worst taken to a luthier for help.
The fret level helped ๐ now it's just sweet, plays great, feels awesome, and it's beautiful. The whole package. I was really scared that I messed up setting the neck, this project gave me a lot of confidence though.
Good deal. I'm glad that solved it.
Did you crown and polish the frets too?
Sure did ๐ I'm not a guitar tech so I probably did a bad job but it plays now and I've got like .06 on my low E (it's actually a C right now but you get it)
Cool, well if you're happy with it, you did good. Congrats!
Now you can start building your next one! :D
That's a tremendous resource thank you so much
It's absolutely beautiful! If you can make it look like that I trust you've got the skill to make it play nicely too
Second looks sweet! Why is it not playing right?