string height adjustment on a lap steel

[Brad McLean]

Hello I have just changed strings on a Rouge Lap steel guitar from stock strings to C6 tuning. When I use my tone bar some of the strings are not touching the tone bar evenly.
How should I correct this
Thank You Brad

[Bill Groner]

I bought one last week. I tuned mine to C6 and left the strings on that came with it...........no problem.

[Andy Henriksen]

Assuming its an issue with the nut slots, you can file those slightly using "acetylene torch cleaners" available at Lowes, etc. They are super cheap, and a kit contains a wide range of diameters that you can match to your string gauges. I'd keep the guitar strung up, take note of which string(s) is sitting too high, and then just slack the string enough to get it out of the slot. File lightly/gently and check your work often - you definitely don't want to go too far and make the issue worse.

Here's some online:
https://www.amazon.com/Forney-86119-Tip ... cleaner%5C

[Jim Pollard]

Just to cover all bases, I see the bridge is individually adjustable for each string.. any chance a string got itself off to one side or another a bit? Maybe on top of an allen screw?

[Stephen Cowell]

String height near the bridge is not critical at all... most steel guitars don't bother with bridge height settings, and those that do are usually made with armpit guitar parts. String height near the nut is the one that bugs you the most, and presumably the one you're having problems with. In the middle of the fretboard there's normally not a problem.

If one string's high at the nut, you can cut it down with a nail file or three-corner file... if one string's low you can space it up using superglue and baking soda (if you have a file to re-cut it) or, as I did, just put a folded-up piece of paper under it. You can adjust the folds for the right height... and once you standardize on the tuning and gauges you want, you can have your guitar professionally set-up.


If you adjust the paper so that it doesn't protrude into the fretboard then the tone won't be affected (much).

[Jim Pollard]

Learn something new every day! Thanks Stephen.