FThomas

Actually I have the DVD, but was reluctant to tackle anything on a new 814ce Dlx. I can livewith the less than optimum action. It will get sorted out in due time Happy New Year!

Thanks Steve! The atmosphere here sets it apart and above a number of places I no longer visit or participate at. I enjoy the constructive conversations and the ability to interact without the drama or the foul language here. I have closed accounts and unfollowed a few who couldn't even moderate their FB group. I gladly make a commitment to doing my part to elevate the conversation to the best of my ability. I have a lot to learn and this is a great place to continue that journey.

A lot of great information on one sheet. It will become the cover for my studies binder. Here us a Music Theory website that has great lessons and a whole section of exercises I spend time doing on my cell, tablet and laptop. https://www.musictheory.net/lessons This also might help someone: Flats / b B E A D G C F Maj Keys F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb Sharps F C G D A E B Maj Keys. G D A E B F# C# Natural Minor Scales Start on 6th note Example: C maj C D E F G A B C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Natural Minor A min. A B C D E F G A Harmonic Minor - Raise the 7th A B C D E F G# A G# F E D C B A Melodic Minor Raise the 6th & 7th Ascending Lower the 6th and 7th Descending A B C D E F# G# A G F E D C B A

Nutty 1 Thanks! Thank you all for the comments and moral support. Taylor has been awesome and I am very thankful this chapter can close on a positive! As a reminder, not that one is really needed, but we need to be careful who we trust or much loved guitars to! Merry Christmas from the Philippines!

I am delighted to give a very positive update. I met with the Technician from RJ Guitars and he was very professional and thorough. The G string was hanging on the top of the slot and working it up and down solved the hanging problem. He felt that the nut had possibly been modified, but the 1sr fret string clearance is OK. He studied the original saddle and believes that it had been sanded to far on one end and the shim was an attempt to fix a mistake. He said the correct fix is a new saddle, which it has now. He thoroughly went through the neck alignment, string height and ES2 system and I decided to leave it as is. It doesn't play butter smooth like I had hoped, but I can live with it. Happy to put this behind me.

Wow! Thanks to Mr. Glen Wolff - Manager of Customer Service at Taylor USA and also Mr. Michel Gambini at Taylor Amsterdam I am hopefully on a course to resolve this mess! I have a meeting with a Taylor trained technician at RJ Guitars - Philippines tomorrow morning. Of course, everything is out of pocket and they do not have the new replacement nut that is used on the 800 series V Class. So that will have to be ordered from the States and shipped here. The nut is not expensive in and of itself, but the shipping costs can be US $ 50.00 plus Value Added Tax and Customs Clearance if using FedEx or DHL or US $25.00 plus if I use a air freight forwarder who consolidates shipments to Manila, which adds two weeks to delivery time AFTER the air freight forwarder receives it. Not a good experience at all. To say that I am stressed is an understatement! I am absolutely devastated! I am sure there is some anger under all of the emotions I'm feeling, but that has not been how I have acted or responded. When I spoke with Mr. Michel Gambini, Taylor Guitar, last night I was finally brought to tears. I did not realize how deeply this has been affecting me until then. I received a second email apologizing and asking for. forgiveness. As a Christian I accept his apology and I forgive them unconditionally. It does not mean I forget nor does it provide any relief. I am surprised at his major change in attitude.

It wasn't Taylor who stated that a shim like this was normal!!! The initial email to me by the shop stated it was normal and that I had accepted the guitar and it was my problem. He made the comment: "I hope you have better luck next time."

How do we go about selecting a guitar shop / luthier to perform a setup or other work? This is a decision that can either go great or have unexpected serious negative consequences!!! Taylor Customer Service recommended that I play my new guitar a while before having a setup done. That was wise counsel that I should have heeded! I failed! That is good advice regardless of who manufactured your guitar. I selected a shop that has been in business for 45 years and is a Taylor dealer to go over a new Taylor 814ce Dlx very carefully . What I was left with is heartbreaking and unimaginable. I had asked that they go over it carefully and wanted the string height at the 12th fret to between the Taylor recommended .080 and .090. A pretty small margin. This is my FIRST expensive guitar. I now have to go through unbelievable inconvenience and expense to even get the guitar back to Taylor specifications. A setup on a new guitar should NOT require major modifications, but small adjustments on the trifecta +1 of Action: Neck Relief String Height at the 12th Fret String Height at the Nut Taylor Guitars also have shims in the neck that can be changed to impact action With minor adjustments major improvements can be delivered. BUT, the one doing the work has to be professional and ethical. I believe that any ethical guitar repair shop / Luthier would not deliver substandard work and if they made a mistake they should let you know, correct it and not hide it under the saddle! Let my experience be a cautionary tale about how you go about selecting a Luthier to make repairs or do a setup on your prized guitar. A setup should only require small adjustments to the specific areas above. In the case of a Taylor things are done a little differently because of the Taylor NT Neck with the Taylor neck shims. Like me, you have a lot invested regardless of the price of the guitar. Money invested is one thing, but we have time, effort and emotions connected to the guitar we selected to purchase and play regardless if it is new, used or we have been playing it for a long time. We love our prized guitar! Don't end up in my situation! Choose who works on your guitar wisely! Pictures of the saddle modified by ----------------------- on a new Taylor 814ce Dlx I cannot take a picture of the G string hanging at the nut and popping loudly when it releases when it is tuned up or down. This makes it impossible to tune! -------------------------------------- delivered a guitar with a shim under the High E and B string and a G string that is hanging in the nut making it almost impossible to tune. If you tune the G string down it hangs and the pops loudly at the nut. If you try and tune it up the G string hangs in the nut and the pops loudly. I have been absolutely devastated by the unprofessional, unethical and unacceptable work they performed. When I got home (overseas) the guitar had no tone, projection or sustain. I was in denial, but after three weeks I could not take it anymore and pulled the saddle to compare it to a new Taylor saddle. What I found was extremely upsetting!

C, E and G are all major triads as well. G is R 3 5 R 3 R C is X R 3 5 R 3 F is X X R 3 5 R It is not that they are all major triads, which they are, but it is that when moved to higher strings you must raise the 2nd string 1 semitone and when going the other direction you must lower the 3rd string one semitone. The above, like E, A & D have the same chord construction even though the chord shape is different because of the Major 3rd between the 3rd and 2nd strings instead of the Perfect 4th and all the other strings to include between the 2nd and 1st strings. It is for that reason that understanding the layout of the fingerboard can be a challenge. Once you understand it can unlock a lot of mystery.

It is exactly why I have made this forum open every time I launch my browser. I look forward to reading the posts and the responses. Thanks to everyone for participating!

And that is what makes the chords: E A D The exact same construction - Root 5 Root 3

I agree with your summation. The CAGED System is not inaccurate in the least. It fails to fully explain the irregular standard tuning that makes it clear that a E, A and D are all the same chord construction across the neck: Root 5 Root 3. Moving across the neck you must raise the second string 1 semitone from the 3rd to 2nd string and you must drop the note from the 2nd to 3rd string one semitone when moving the other direction. The CAGED System does not clearly show this. "Recognition of the half step (one fret) expansion that must occur between 3 & 2 to equalize the interval relationships between all of the adjacent strings is the key factor in understanding how and why all chord shapes, as well as scale patterns, appear as they do across the entire fingerboard." Quoting from Fingerboard Breakthrough by Howard Morgan

Joseph Alexander is an amazingly prolific writer. I have his books on Jazz, Blues and Fingerstyle Blues as well as other titles. Each are very well written. I was not as impressed with his "Scales in Context" where the context is the CAGED System. It makes sense if you rely on the CAGED System for all of your chords. For chords and a better understanding of how the fretboard is layed out I really like "Fingerboard Breakthrough" by Howard Morgen. It is available at TrueFire and his website, which is maintained by his wife since he passed away.

This is very common in jazz and I don't think I'm up to the task of explaining it let alone applying it on the guitar. In general it is an advanced improvisational skill. It is taking scales and arpeggios that have similar notes in the key from "outside" of the key signature of the music. It is easier to look at than execute or explain for me. Hope someone with a better scale (skill) set will post a response.