PDA

View Full Version : my first Anderson



geoangus
02-28-2007, 12:24 PM
Here’s what promises to be the last “S” guitar I’ll ever need: Hollow Classic 05-31-01A. Ash on Ash, Rosewood neck, SA1 SA1R SA2+.

http://andersonforum.com/board/attachment.php?attachmentid=342&d=1172683254

It took a little amp tweaking to get into the ballpark as I started out with a very bright almost brittle sound, but after backing down the treble it is beginning to sound great. The cleans are unbelievable. Still working to find an overdriven, crunchier tone, but I’m sure it is just a matter of time. Last night was a bad night, as I couldn’t drive the tubes enough since the girls downstairs (my wife & daughters) were watching American Idol. And as I’m sure many of you know, if they’re not happy, nobody’s happy.

If I may, I’d like to ask a couple of quick questions. This is the first guitar I’ve ever bought having never played it, but the confidence Tom Anderson guitar owners share removed any doubts about that. The neck is a little bowed (away from the strings) and the action seems a little high as a result. I think it is likely due to being on a Fed Ex truck for 7 days worth of winter weather. But before I adjust the truss rod, I thought I’d give it a couple of days in its new home, to see if this is just due to low humidity. Is this a reasonable course of action? I’ve attempted truss rod adjustments before, but without adult supervision (maybe I did it right, but I really had no clue, I just turned the screw). I don’t want to screw this guitar up - is it a relatively easy task, or should I take it to a shop? If it is something I can do, could someone give me a quick lesson? Like I said, I’ve done it before, but I don’t know if I did it properly. Does a small turn of the screw result in a big change in the neck? Also, do you do this with string tension on the neck? Do you make small adjustments and then give it time to stabilize, or just make the adjustment in one step? I apologize if these are stupid questions, and I probably should know the answers given how long I’ve been playing, but I don’t have definitive answers.

Second, and this is about the guitar itself. When I turn the guitar volume all the way down, I’m still getting output from my amp. It’s a low volume, but certainly not a whisper. The tone is very acoustic sounding. As this is the first hollow guitar I’ve ever owned, is this by design? Is there something special about the bridge? I believe it’s an Anderson Vintage Tremolo bridge. Is there something up with the volume pot? Or are my tubes just REALLY microphonic?

I’m sure there will be other questions as I get some time in with this beauty, and I hope I don’t try people’s patience. I tried a TAG Classic for the first time just about a year ago, and knew that I was destined to own one. While my talent falls well short of the guitar’s capabilities, when this one came along, with the features and even color I was looking for, I knew it was time.

Thanks for your patience and advice.

geo

BluesProf
02-28-2007, 03:18 PM
Can't help you with the second problem, but I can with the action.
You should ALWAYS do truss rod adjustment with the string tension on, so you are adjusting what it will be like when it is being used.
You should press the 1st sting down at the 1st fret and at the end of the fretboard, and see how much 'relief' (distance between the string and fret there is). Depending on how hard you play you should have about a 16th of an inch of relief. Go carefully when making this adjustment, and DO NOT USE A FEELER GAUGE. Set up the guitar so it plays well, not to measurements. When adjusting the saddles, take it down till it buzzes, then raise it slighly. You can't really go wrong with saddle adjustment. Finally, check the intonation, whilst holding the guitar as you will when playing. Set the intonation so it is right in the first few frets, no intonation can be perfect, even on an Anderson. You unconciously bend notes in tune in the upper register.
Hope this answers your question.

tom
02-28-2007, 04:19 PM
1/16th is a huge amount of relief. we check holding down at the 1st and 15th, and look for .006-.009". always check neck adjustment before messing with saddles. we've had lots of people mess up the action adjusting saddles when it was not needed.