Is your action above below or average?

LazyLightning

LazyLightning

New member
Hi folks,
Just sitting up can't sleep ( as usual ) and just put a new set of strings on. Looking at where I play it got me wondering how many of you play according to factory specs, or go above and or below them to suit your playing style?

IIRC
I am supposed to be 5/64 low E & 4/64 high E at the 17th.
I tend to play between 1-2/64 higher on both ends ( using 9's ). Even though I play music ranging from rock n Roll through bluegrass, I tend to play with a heavy hand. I find I can get away with lower action if I really want too, but I seem to get better accuracy and dare I say tone from having to push down a bit more then some may wish too. I do the same on my acoustic but atm am using a much thicker gauge then I like ( wanted to try something different when I got it, that was a mistake, lol )

Anyhow,
just curious where you guys fall in, especially in regards to what type of music you tend to gravitate too?

LazyLightning...
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

i think i prefer lower action but i dont really care all hat much. I can make do if i have to.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I tend to use slightly high action i like to be able to dig under a string when doing bends and if i decide to whack the strings hard i get sound not buzz off the frets.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

What is average?
I play mostly 80s hard rock and metal, and I'd say that my action is "medium", just as I like my steak.

With 10-52s, I set my guitar up at 2.3-2.4mm low and 1.9-2.0 high at the twelfth, and 2.6-2.7mm low and 2.3mm high at the last. This ensures a freely vibrating string arc (less jangly tone to my ears) while relatively retaining playability. To me, bending is much easier with this setup, as well.

However, this varies between guitars. On particularly stiff guitars, I set my action medium-low at 2.1mm low and 1.88mm high at the twelfth; 2.5mm low and 2.0mm high at the last.
 
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Re: Is your action above below or average?

^^ as low as I still get full screaming squeelies on the high frets, and nice thick and focused rythme tone on the lower frets. My (not so new) ibanez uv70p now has 1.35mm @24th fret, low B, 1.15mm @24th fret high E.
Neck relief is about 0.05->0.1mm measured at 10th fret by fretting the 1st and 24th frets.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I guess it's about average (around the 2.5mm mark for the low E at the 22/24th fret) though I've never measured. I just set it high enough so there's no buzz. Some of my guitars have (marginally) higher actions than others. If it (action) gets too low I raise it a bit so I can dig in better when I'm bending strings..
 
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Re: Is your action above below or average?

I'd say "average". In hindsight it was always medium to high, then I looked up Fender recommendations and matched my Fenders to that with slightly lower gauge strings. In comparison, they all play like butter to me now. ;)
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

By "average" I meant based on suggested specs from manufacture.

For example mine says 5/64 low E & 4/64 high E @ 17th fret, sorry I wasn't more specific in my original post.:9:
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I use shreddy action on all but the B and high E, where I've raised the floyd on that side some so I can get under the strings for bends.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I take out any relief in the neck and set the action to about 2/32nds at the top of the 15th fret.some people have trouble playing my guitars because theyre heavy hands make them buzz.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I'm a long-time acoustic player, a strummer, and I tend to hit hard. So I like the typical Martin action. In some ways, my Taylor plays better, but it simply doesn't have the rich tone of a Martin.

I played mostly rhythm parts for many years, so I had my action high, and usually quite a bit of neck relief.

Over the past few years, I have progressively lowered my action, as I am doing more and more lead work. I'd say most of my Gibsons and G&Ls are right at factory, perhaps just a touch lower.

But it really depends on the guitar. I find that some guitars like a certain string gauge that might not be my first choice, and the action set a certain way--and that's where THAT guitar plays the best. I notice this with my LPs--some are just DIFFERENT.

Bill
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

On my guitars, I start at factory recommended specs, just to give me a standard point of departure. I adjust from there, almost always higher and with heavier strings. I usually like the factory recommended relief setting.

On bass, I get the heaviest strings available, jack them way up, and let the neck do its best impression of a banana. I like the big, clear notes, and having to work hard to get them.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I used to like low but I really can't stand buzzing and I sort of don't like that feeling that the strings are nearly pressed up against the board, especially now that I tend to bend more. I'm tending towards above average these days, but it's a fine line and depends on the axe.
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

Before I was "forced" to take a break from playing, I did mostly rhythm work so keeping the neck straight and action lower was never really an issue. Since returning and focusing more on leads, with a lot of bends, etc.. this is where I started running into issues and decided to add a bit of relief and raised the strings.

Appreciate all the feedback folks!
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

Wait a darn second!!! You guys measure your action???

(In my best delusional Ozzy voice)"what the f@ck is this?!"

I like to run my action as low as I can get it, then back it up juat barely until the buzz stops..
 
Re: Is your action above below or average?

I like the strings to "bounce" so they feel "lively"... if the action is set to super-low against the fretboard, they feel "dead" under my fingers.

Also, I like to bend and vibrato quite a bit, and like a clean fretted note.

ActionBassSide_zps339867b6.jpg
 
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Re: Is your action above below or average?

About once a month ,is that above average IDK ?:18:
 
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