Action Height

[Gunrunner]

Don’t recall any discussion regarding this in all my years on the forum, but wanted to offer this up for your input.
I definitely prefer a slightly higher action than one that seems to be preferred by many rock guitarists. To me bending is so much easier with a higher action, and I don’t have any problem at all with fretted notes. When I buy new guitars that are “properly set up by our resident tech” i invariably need to raise the action to suit my style of playing. All the more reason to gain experience with guitar setup by yourself.
What are your preferences?

 

[PapaRaptor]

My guitars are all set up at 4/64" clearance, across the fretboard, slightly proud on the low E and slightly shy on the high E.

 

[Jay Dee]

I like mine set at 3/32". Electric and acoustic.

 

[blackcoffeeblues]

4/64"

Doesn't that equate to 1/16th inch? That is LOOOOOWWWW. What happens when you sneeze?

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Doesn't that equate to 1/16th inch? That is LOOOOOWWWW. What happens when you sneeze?

That is way too low for me. I do a LOT of DEEP bends, so it is IMPERATIVE that I can easily "grab" a string with my finger tip solidly enough so the string doesn't slide under my finger for the bend. I have NO USE for calipers or measurements ... it is all by feel. If it feels right, it IS right, if it doesn't it is NOT right. Simple as that. I have no idea what my measurements are and I flat don't care ... but I do know that a mere 16th of an inch is way too low.

 

[sdbrit68]

I go the other way, my action is slammed and I allow some fret buzz

The damage to my shoulder has been causing pain problems in my thumb, so I place my thumb in a bad position for a player on the back of the neck, if I dont, I can only play a short time, with age and the other damage I have arthritis type symptoms, so low action allows me to play easier

 

[Gunrunner]

That is way too low for me. I do a LOT of DEEP bends, so it is IMPERATIVE that I can easily "grab" a string with my finger tip solidly enough so the string doesn't slide under my finger for the bend. I have NO USE for calipers or measurements ... it is all by feel. If it feels right, it IS right, if it doesn't it is NOT right. Simple as that. I have no idea what my measurements are and I flat don't care ... but I do know that a mere 16th of an inch is way too low.

 

[Gunrunner]

That has been my experience, RR; don’t use calipers for measurement, just do it by feel. Over the years I wondered if perhaps some of my guitars just arrived with a higher action (bought many via EBay) and I worked around it, and honestly I’ll never know the answer... all I know is that a higher action works best for me; still was interested in hearing the thoughts of the folks here.

 

[straightblues]

String action is a very personal thing. I like it a little high but not too high. Higher than most. If you are just learning, I say try it a few ways to figure out what you like the best. No rules, experiment.

 

[PapaRaptor]

but I do know that a mere 16th of an inch is way too low.

To each his own. For you, 1/16" is too low. Not me. That's actually Fender factory specs. I can bend to any level I want and I get no fret buzz. This is my 335


If setting action by feel is how you like it, who am I to argue with that? Whatever works for you.

If it feels right, it IS right, if it doesn't it is NOT right

I completely agree with you. The difference is, I know what feels right and have taken steps to measure it, so it's easily repeatable. When something doesn't feel right, I check neck relief, then string action and finally nut action at the first fret.
I know if:

• The neck relief is in spec (.012" 8th fret on a 9.25" radius fretboard, .010" 8th fret on a 10-14" radius fretboard)
• Near 4/64" string height at the 15th fret.
• I have a first fret clearance (nut action) of between .017" to .020" the guitar is in good shape.

If I have any fret buzz at those settings, I know I have a high fret and proceed to look for it.

The action you like is strictly up to you. How you arrive at it is up to you. This is what works for me, every time.

 

[tommytubetone]

I agree with Paparaptor. You have to start somewhere, so it might as well be factory specs. I have one of those Stew Mac gauges but find it hard to read, so I just stack a couple of feeler gauges to get there. I heard Dan Erlewine say that he starts with a flat neck, so I do that first. YMMV

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Papa, for all I really know, that might be about where my action is. I have guitars with every fret radius and scale length. One measurement will not ft all. The greater my fret radius, the lower my action is ... not much variance, but some. All I know is that it feels "right" to me. Works for me, may not be OK for others.

 

[dvs]

4/64 is a hair more than the thickness of a US quarter, which seems pretty reasonable to me. That's what I use as a gauge - I can't see those marks on the ruler.

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

4/64 is a hair more than the thickness of a US quarter, which seems pretty reasonable to me. That's what I use as a gauge - I can't see those marks on the ruler.

The two-bit setup eh?
HEY! IF IT WORKS, IT WORKS!

 

[MikeS]

4/64 is a hair more than the thickness of a US quarter, which seems pretty reasonable to me. That's what I use as a gauge - I can't see those marks on the ruler.

When I bought my Stew Mac gauge, I could read them... Not any more. Not even with reading glasses!

 

[PapaRaptor]

When I bought my Stew Mac gauge, I could read them... Not any more. Not even with reading glasses!

Damn, I thought my eyes were bad! I need good light to see it, but otherwise... I wonder what people did before flashlights started appearing on phones.

 

[MikeS]

Damn, I thought my eyes were bad! I need good light to see it, but otherwise... I wonder what people did before flashlights started appearing on phones.

That's a whole other issue...
Guitar... guage... light... tools... I need more hands.

 

[PapaRaptor]

That's a whole other issue...
Guitar... guage... light... tools... I need more hands.

I need more horizontal surfaces to work on. It seems every time I add some new flat workspace, a whole bunch of crap finds it's way on it, covering it and making it useless.

 

[snarf]

I usually try to set my guitars up myself, but I'm so good at doing a setup that I'm not sure I've ever hit the same measurement twice. So these days I go by look and feel together. I'll set it up until it looks right, and then play it for a day to let it settle. Then I'll tweak it higher or lower as I feel like it needs it. Like someone else mentioned, I can live with a little bit of fret buzz if that gets the action a little lower. I also know that, for some reason, the action on my Strats always ends up higher than my other guitars even though I have the trem decked. One of these days I should probably grab 3 or 4 guitars out of the closet and just setup one after the other after the other until I get to the point I can actually hit a specific measurement.

 

[MikeS]

I need more horizontal surfaces to work on. It seems every time I add some new flat workspace, a whole bunch of crap finds it's way on it, covering it and making it useless.

I have no idea what you are talking about...