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Options to raise string height on a T-Style

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  • Options to raise string height on a T-Style

    Good day,

    I have a Tele-Style guitar that I want to raise the string height because the strings are too close to the body and it makes it kind of annoying to play. What are my options for doing so?

    The neck feels great, the frets are smooth, and the intonation is great with my left hand, but in my right hand, the string height being so close to the body makes it difficult to play.
    I don't want to mess with the intonation or the action because both are great. I guess what I am really is... is there is a way to do what I'm asking without having to re-adjust the action and intonation anyway?

    Any tips?
    Last edited by GreatOz; 01-12-2020, 08:41 PM.

  • #2
    Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

    In short, no
    You cannot move the strings..........without moving the strings.

    To do what you want you need to shim the neck and change the height of the bridge saddles.
    On the upside, the neck relief and nut slots will remain unchanged, so its just a matter of taking the measurements of string height off the frets and duplicating this once you've played with getting the strings to sit where you want them.

    One caveat is that you will need to look at bridge height adjustment range to see whether you really can get the change you want out of the bridge. Just buying longer screws often doesn't cut it either, as often the saddle mountings don't deal well with diagonal angles.

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    • #3
      Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

      I've heard this complaint before and I just can't get my head around it. If the action is great, what's the problem then?

      It's interesting that you feel the strings are too low to the body (by the way, the result of the neck angle: steep angle = strings high above the body and that's the result of the bridge design used). I had a customer who asked me to recess the neck so deep that the fretboard was flush with the body top. Yes, that low. Oh and please make the body 1.2 inch thich with a 0.8 inch thick neck. Thanks.

      Yeah, that didn't go anywhere :P

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      • #4
        Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

        As long as your bridge will handle the extra height, a neck shim will solve the problem.



        If your bridge won't work at the height that you want, you may need to replace your bridge.
        Originally Posted by IanBallard
        Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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        • #5
          Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

          Originally posted by orpheo View Post
          I've heard this complaint before and I just can't get my head around it. If the action is great, what's the problem then?
          Same here. Somehow fixed/TOM style bridges evaded me for almost 20 years and I had/played recessed Floyd equipped guitars almost exclusively. Some time ago a friend of mine asked me to help him with some basic setup/upgrade on his Epi LP Std... The TOM felt so out of place and so damn high that I could barely play anything on it... So yeah, I'd say be happy with the nice action.

          Also, if you move away the strings from the body with any kind of solution... Wouldn't that force you to raise your PUPs ridiculously high to have the same output as now?

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          • #6
            Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

            Looks like I'll need a shim to adjust the angle, thank you.

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            • #7
              Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

              If you or someone you know is handy you can fashion a flat shim to mount between the body and the bridge plate. That will allow you to shim your neck up without having to crank your saddles at a weird angle.

              I totally understand your complaint! I find Strats very hard to play for the same reason and I like arch tops that have a TOM bridge mounted on top of a wooden base!

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              • #8
                Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

                Originally posted by GreatOz View Post
                Looks like I'll need a shim to adjust the angle, thank you.
                shim it too much and the saddles might not have enough range.

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                • #9
                  Re: Options to raise string height on a T-Style

                  My strat is low, but it's still great and playable. This guitar is too low, but the playability from the neck side is good. I started on a TOM style bridge, so I got used to it. Flat top guitars can take a minute to get used to, but are usually still fine.

                  Would two identical angle shims work? Like two 1 degree shims, just place opposite angle to each other, making effectively a flat shim?

                  Also side note, the pickups are already too low. They're almost flat with the body right now because of the low string height. Raising them wouldn't be an issue.
                  Last edited by GreatOz; 01-15-2020, 07:04 AM.

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