question on guitar

[j2flames]

I don't know if these are stupid questions ... I have a pretty old but in very good condition Ovation Celebrity. When I am playing, my top E string makes a raspy sound when I fret it. I know the string is vibration on the frets lightly... And I know there is a screw type thing in side the sound hole. My question is.. Do i mess with that? Or should I take it to my reg guitar shop? oh, one more question.. When some one refirs to the action of the guitar, what are they talking about?

[Klondog]

Definitely do not mess with the "screw thing". It's the truss rod which secures the neck of the guitar. If there are buzzing or intonation problems, take it to a reputable luthier to get a setup. Basically, the luthier will adjust the action, truss rod, frets, etc. to give you a clean tone and the string action you want. If you know of a good shop, take it to them for a once-over.

Edit: Oh, and the action of the guitar is the amount of pressure needed to push the strings down onto the fretboard e.g. the distance of the strings off of the fretboard. So, a low action setup would place the strings close the fretboard and easy to press, while a high action setup would be the opposite.

[j2flames]

Thanks! I called the local guitar shop and they said bring her in.

[Klondog]

Glad I could help. Happy playing!