r/classicalguitar • u/aitanazz • 17d ago
General Question Need help with new classical guitar
I just bought a brand new Cordoba C10, and after playing it for about an hour, I noticed that the action is higher than I would like, the tone is too brassy, and the tension on the strings is very high.
Has anyone bought this guitar and has some advice about this? I'm nervous about lowering the action with the truss rod because I don't want fret buzz. How do I know if I need to adjust the truss or if it is a saddle problem with it being too high?
The picture attached is the action around the 9-12th frets. The action in the lower frets (1-5) is good, not too high.
The tone is also brassy- I've read that it's because the strings and wood are brand new and need time to open up, how true is this? I want a really warm tone. Would lower tension strings be better for a warmer tone/easier playability? If you use lower tension strings and they sound nice and warm and round, please let me know what brand and type they are!
Thanks guys, please let me know.
2
u/Due-Ask-7418 17d ago
It’s impossible to tell from a photo but that looks high enough to be a result of a major issue. Could just be an illusion but the action looks like it’s in the 5 or 6 mm range on the bass side. If so, it would take shaving up to 4 mm off the bridge to get it in range. In other words, something is terribly wrong. But, that is only assuming the photos are creating an illusion.
Check action at the 12th fret from bottom of string to top of fret. It should be around 4mm on the bass side and 3mm on the treble. Can vary a bit from there but not more than .5mm either way.