Bedated uplate

... wait ... strike that, reverse it ... or then again, maybe stet?

Long story short, the extremely low action of a tapping instrument renders it particularly susceptible to any change in the system ... like, f'rinstance, different gauges of strings. Yes, when I changed the strings, the difference in string tension requiree a slight truss rod adjustment (as in, just a 60° turn for both rods). Which reminds me ...

I didn't approach this as a professional research project, so I didn't take notes on where I read what. But somewhere along the way during my online research about Krappy Guitars, I encountered a complaint from someone who said he couldn't adjust the action on his instrument, blaming Kevin's "proprietary" hardware. For all I know, this might be true of that person's instrument, but it's certainly not true of mine. Here are some photos of the bridge:

Yes, the height of each string's saddle is adjustable (with a simple flat-head screwdriver), and each string is fully intonatable (with a hex wrench inserted into the end of the bridge screw that determines the horizontal position of its saddle). Best of all, when I removed the truss rod cavity cover, I discovered that adjusting the truss rods doesn't involve a hex wrench (as I've used on Les Paul copies by Epiphone and ESP), but rather, a crescent wrench (so, it's much easier to apply torque without slipping).

This should be all the functional changes for now, other than experimenting with different ways to damp the strings at the nut. I'm not convinced that simply stuffing felt under them is the best practice (and I see in at least one video that Trey Gunn has augmented the felt by wrapping something around the lowest bass string). And okay, I might need to adjust the intonation on a few of the strings (most likely the low G, which represents the single greatest change in string diameter: from .075 to .065, which is literally an order of magnitude greater than the changes on the other strings, all measured in thousandths of an inch).

On the fingerboard, I applied faux-abalone faux-inlay decals that are 3mm wide, thinking that 5mm strips would be too much. I was wrong, so 5mm decals are on the way. If I feel really ambitious, then I'll re-do the faux-abalone bulldog face on the headstock, but first I would need to figure out the genuinely best way to do it. (For now, my first attempt is adequate, especially when partially obscured by the strings that pass over it.)

So, bottom line ... the Krappy Touchstyle Guitar is not, in fact, a crappy touchstyle guitar. I take it for granted that yes, a Chapman Stick or a Warr Guitar provides a superior instrument, but for three figures instead of four, Kevin has made a thoroughly functional instrument.

Next step: learning to play the thing ...