Looking for a sound/setup sanity check

Pompier

I have a beginner's question. I've had my Cigano GJ-15 set up by a local luthier who seems to be good but not a GJ specialist (I tried to give him Bob Holo's recommended specs, but he said he doesn't believe in one-size-fits-all setup and that he'll find the specs this guitar needs to accomplish the desired end result). He kept the original 17mm bridge and added some relief to the neck (which seemed to have gone completely flat after a few weeks after purchase, because the action dropped to < 1mm). Now I believe the action is about 1.8mm on the high E and 2.1 on the low E. I understand this is considered low action for GJ, but it feels pretty good for rhythm playing with Argentine .11 strings, which is what I've been working on. Now I've started to practice lead playing, and I'm not sure what to make of the sound of strings bouncing off higher frets when I hit the lower strings with even moderate force. On sustained notes this is turning into fret buzz on some frets. I'm not sure if this is something I should get used to or if I should take the guitar back and ask for higher action. It's hard to tell because you don't usually hear sustained notes on the lower strings during actual playing. I would say the fret bounces and buzz I'm getting are rather close to what one hears in this Yaakov Hoter video when he's playing slowly and deliberately on the lower strings (e.g, 2:00-3:00 and 6:00-7:00):



Is this the normal sound for a GJ guitar, or is this just what low action setups sound like?

Thanks,
Michael

wim

Yeah, that's too low. Try not to go under 2mm - a black gator pick should fall through between the strings and the frets at the 12th fret. You don't necessarily need to take it back to a luthier and ask for a higher action though, you can just shim the bridge up with some thin slices of wood (or anything hard, really).

Joshl-m

My best advice would be, if they don't play or have experience with GJ guitars, don't trust them. Don't be intimidated by the idea of learning how to set it up by yourself. Learning about the right set up for you and your guitar will pay off in a huge way. I am still fairly new to this style but in that last two years, most of the techs and Luthiers I know and trust to work on my other instruments have disqualified themselves from ever touching one of my GJ guitars. I think you will find its very common to have a luthier(Even well respected ones) with no prior experience handling a GJ guitar, to insist that he/she knows best. Any they do, if you want your guitar to sound like a Martin that buzzes uncontrollably.
I have a Cigano GJ-10 that came from the 12th fret in Toronto, a well known retailer around here. The set up they did was unbelievably bad! Low, low action and a bridge so poorly fit, I am not kidding when I say my 11 year old could do a better job.
Wim is definitely right. Before you go back to the Luthier, shim that bridge(the stock bridges are too low) and the sound will be there. You can use thin pieces of maple. I started by using very thin Mahogany veneers. If you have a cigar shop near by, just go ask for some. They come in the boxes and most stores just toss them out or burn them.

Joshl-m

Also, When I was really trying to nail down the setup on these guitars, the Bob Holo Video was a great place to start. There definitely is more to it than what is explained and it will depend on your guitar but you cannot go wrong with what he prescribes.

Shemi

Just saying, the whole "he'll find the specs to get the desired result" and dismissing the specs from Bob Holo would make me a bit twitchy. If he doesn't take specs and measurements from elsewhere as a starting guide, how does he determine what the guitar needs? If the answer is through his own experience, then unless he has at least a rudimentary understanding of the technique involved to play it in the way intended then there is a good chance you will leave unhappy.

I think YOU the customer are also important to factor in, and doing set ups for a living can involve a bit of compromise between what suits the guitar and what suits the player, and then striking a balance.