Dakota PARLOR, Assembly Instruction Manual

34.

FINE ADJUSTMENTS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

_____66.  There may still be some fine adjustments needed to make your guitar work its best.  Test each string by plucking it 

with one hand while you press it down at each playing position (fret) along the neck.  Here is what to check for:

a).  If the string is difficult to push all the way to the fretboard, it is too high.  If the neck has bent forward because of the 

string tension, you will use the truss rod to counteract that.  Loosen the strings before adjusting the truss rod, and be careful not 

to break the nut of the truss rod!  This is a double-action rod, so turning one way will bend the neck forward and the other way 

will bend it backward.  

b).  If the neck is straight but the strings are still too high, remove the saddle from the bridge and sand the bottom so it 

does not stand so tall.  Sanding 1/8” off the saddle will lower the strings by 1/16” at the 12th fret, near the middle of the guitar.

c).  If a string buzzes when plucked in the OPEN POSITION ONLY (when not held down to a fret), then the notch in 

the NUT is probably not deep enough to allow the string to rest firmly on the #0 fret.  File that notch a little deeper.

d).  If your strings buzz and rattle in general as you play, sight down the fretboard first.  Some seasonal changes may 

cause it to bend backward.  Adjust the truss rod to allow the strings to pull the neck forward.  You may also shim up the saddle 

in the bridge to raise the strings a little higher, or change to heavier gauge strings to exert greater tension on the neck.

e).  If a string rattles or buzzes at just one or two positions (frets), or if you discover that two or three frets all give the 

same pitch, then look for a fret that stands up higher than its neighbors.  You will need to either tap that fret down fully into 

its slot in the fretboard or use flat mill file to level the tops of the frets some more.  Just loosen the strings, lift them out of the 

grooves in the nut, and hold them along either side of the fingerboard as you work the file lengthwise along the tops of the frets.  

You can easily see which frets are the highest, as they are the ones that receive the most filing.

f).  If you find that the strings rattle a little as you strum aggressively, you may want to simply change to a heavier set 

of strings.  This kit comes with light strings, which are easier to play, but your style of playing may be too aggressive for them, 

so heavier strings might suit your playing style better.

ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE FOR GUITAR

1/4” diameter Pearl marking dots for front of fretboard 

Musicmaker’s 

finishing 

kit 

Plastic 

pick-guard 

Spare set of 6 steel strings (light gauge) 

Guitar strap with 2 mounting buttons   

Hard-shell, plush-lined case for parlor size guitar 
Electronic Tuner (chromatic) to aid in accurate tuning
Piezo Pickup for amplification

Call us toll-free (1-800-432-5487) or check our web sit (www.harpkit.com) for pricing and availability.