What should I do with it?

RVA

RVA

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Since I am on the verge of a new acoustic, my already rarely played 1990s Epiphone PR350 acoustic will likely will get even less play. The upper fret action rather high. This may be the setup or maybe it developed a bit of a belly or something - I do not have the experience to tell. It is still a great strumming guitar and really sounds quite nice. It is not worth much in the resale world so I would not spend a lot of $$$ refurbishing it. I offered it to my nieces, but they do not seem to have any interest in playing an instrument. So what to do? Keep it as a strummer? Should I try my hand at a fixing it up? Does anyone have any idea of where to start?

Pics to follow
 
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I'm not even an apprentice luthier, engineering background but on a sharp learning curve.
I got the dip out of the top (post #5 photo) as the problem became obvious ...
Yours looks (to me) OK for an old guitar.
Given you change nuts etc on electric instruments, why not consider sanding the bottom of nut to lower the upper action rather than file the slots.
I've just done the slots and bottom of a new bone nut on a 335 clone and think if the slots are cut correctly for each string it's easy to set the height by sanding the bottom, one action rather than balancing six actions.

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gasket said:
I'm not even an apprentice luthier, engineering background but on a sharp learning curve.
I got the dip out of the top (post #5 photo) as the problem became obvious ...
Yours looks (to me) OK for an old guitar.
Given you change nuts etc on electric instruments, why not consider sanding the bottom of nut to lower the upper action rather than file the slots.
I've just done the slots and bottom of a new bone nut on a 335 clone and think if the slots are cut correctly for each string it's easy to set the height by sanding the bottom, one action rather than balancing six actions.

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Thank you. It will be getting a full standard setup tonight. For all I know the action has always been that way. I did not have any skills for setup in my youth. That guitar is exactly how it was purchased from Sam Ash back in 1994 (I figured out the year last night based on the serial #). If this works out, I may not need to buy an acoustic (but may anyway!)
 
When you say upper I am assuming closer to the sound hole.
If you can straightedge it like you are doing and it looks pretty good, ya then its all truss rod and bridge / saddle height, and maybe the nut can use some fine tuning anyway.

I just started doing some setup stuff on my acoustic as well, you saw in other threads I think.
I dont want to screw mine up, but I will probably sand the saddle to bring the bass side down a bit.
Can always get another saddle if need be.
but man, what a big improvement just dressing / tuning up the nut slots and getting the truss rod / relief right.

You got nothing to lose but more to gain in your tech skills.
I'm fixing to do fret levels on a couple more of mine, including the acoustic.
I had only done them on cheap guitars I have bought that really needed it, but YOU had to egg us all on with all your fret leveling pron. (all my guitars are cheapies), 3 of them under $100 and only 2 +- the $250 mark as max.

So, I am still blown away at how even better my Epi SG Jr. is, and was pretty darn good before, after the full fret dress last weekend.
 
Here's the right way to check things.
Lay a long straight edge down the fretboard without the strings on.
If the neck is set right that straight edge should just sit on top of the bridge base while still being flat on the frets.
That being said, the saddle looks awfully tall. Pop it out & as others have said, sand that sucker down.
I use a belt sander, it's quick & easy to keep a square edge on the saddle bottom.
 
Tune to pitch you play in
Check neck relief
Adjust neck relief
after you set the neck relief do like Dave said and pop that bridge out and sand it down.then if if the nut slots need filing do that but Neck Relief FIRST.it will affect all the rest of those adjustment.i learned this the hard way
 
Considering that this guitar was not in a humidity controlled situation or even a case for for 20 of its 22 year life, I would say it is in rather good shape!

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sweet.
so --- where do you guys get the magic camera that fits in the guitar ?????? I may need this in the near future as I have a 70's era Epiphone on its way to me as we speak ...........and I am wanting to take a look sie in the ol girl ya savvy ???

IS this some camera on a tube thing like the groinacologist uses ????? 'splain please????
 
eSGEe said:
where do you guys get the magic camera that fits in the guitar ?????? ... IS this some camera on a tube thing like the groinacologist uses ????? 'splain please????
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While my first choice of occupation always was a "groinacologist" ... didn't happen :-(
As a result I make do with shoving my mobile phone into said slot :-)
 
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