Shredding with medium to high action

[Christopher Caruana]

Something I've kind of always struggled with is getting over the thought of "I must have low action to play fast." When I watch players like EVH, YJM, Vai play, they just make it look so effortless that I think to myself, "they must have super low action, there is no way they can make it look that easy with high action." Now I know this is not true, Ive heard YJM plays with relatively high action from a "shredders" standpoint and SRV played with really high action and thick strings, but its always something Ive struggled with as a player.....but I think its mostly due to the fact that I have short fingers and crappy technique haha

But I just wanted to bring up the stigma about the idea that ppl think that low action is the only way to be able to play fast and effortlessly

:bigok::usa2::headbang:
-CC

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

whats your definition of low or high action?..

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

whats your definition of low or high action?..

Well I didn't say because when person A considers low is not what person B considers low
....For me, I guess I consider "low" anything below 1.5mm

 

[LLL]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

...

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Like I said, I think most of it has more to do with my technique.
1. I have short fingers
2. I prefer to wrap my thumb over the top of the neck when I play rather than set my thumb in the middle of the neck, so my leverage goes out the window

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

i just set the action on my dinky a tad lower.. the action is ~1.75mm at the 12th fret.. didnt fret the first fret either.. before it was like 2.25 .. to me , the action is about right..

not trying to go lower but if i did.. this would require a neck shim and fret leveling.. bridge wont go no further

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

i just set the action on my dinky a tad lower.. the action is ~1.75mm at the 12th fret.. didnt fret the first fret either.. before it was like 2.25 .. to me , the action is about right..

not trying to go lower but if i did.. this would require a neck shim and fret leveling.. bridge wont go no further

I had my wolfgang's action at 1.5mm at the last fret. It was absolutely effortless to play.....BUT it was buzz city and the tone sounded kind of choked

My PRS is set much higher (low E 5/64, high E 4/64) at the 12th fret. It doesn't buzz, the tone is fantastic, but it takes much more effort to play

 

[Archer250]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Do I play faster with lower action? Yes. Much faster? No. It's more in the technique than anything else.

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[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Do I play faster with lower action? Yes. Much faster? No. It's more in the technique than anything else.

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With the higher action, my fingers feel like they have so much further to travel. Ive been working on playing with my thumb on the neck and using more of my finger tips when I solo

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

I prefer a medium action.. I think higher action sounds cleaner and more articulate as well as having better sustain and most importantly
it forces me to be a cleaner player.. You play with a higher action and all of your sloppiness sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

just check my action again. at the 12fret/6th string.. action 1.75.. at the 24th fret/6th string.. action is 3mm.. i get a slight buzz on the 14th fret/3rd string.. which would be cleared right up with a good fret dress

tried to take a decent pic.. still not with this one but it will do.. i know.. i know my neck/fretboard is sexier than a whole room of titties

 

[blueman335]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Like I said, I think most of it has more to do with my technique.
1. I have short fingers
2. I prefer to wrap my thumb over the top of the neck when I play rather than set my thumb in the middle of the neck, so my leverage goes out the window

That's part of it. I have high actions and bend a lot. I also have long thin fingers which helps. I don't 'shred', but I like to play fast at (early) Jimmy Page speed.

To me, low actions feel awful and I can't play worth a crap on them. But raise the strings...and my fingers come to life. All depends on your style and what you're used to.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

This is how I set mine up. 2.1mm at the 12th and 2.5-2.7mm at the 22nd.



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[greekdude]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

I have 1.1mm last fret high E and 1.4mm low E/lowB. No problems, no buzz, great sustain and sound, in 3 of my electrics (Ibanez UV70p, Carvin DC135, Kramer 210). I cannot see any reason to raise the action on them. On the other two (Aria Strat, Ianez ARZ800 it goes about 1.2mm high E, 1.6mm low E at last fret)

 

[orpheo]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

When I set up a guitar I aim at a 1mm action for the high E and a 1.5mm for the low E. I can always go higher but that's what I believe to be right: if it can go that low without buzzing, I did my job right.

I noticed that using 010's with a higher action feels faster than 009's with lower action. The strings aren't as flexy, like rubber bands. So that's a choice for me, too. Rather thicker with a bit more height than ultralow with 009's.

P.S. All guitars that leave my shop get an action of around 0.95mm on the high E for their first, basic setup. No buzzing.

P.P.S.: I measure at the 22nd fret, not the 12th.

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Well no buzzing for one player can be buzz city for another. You must have an un-godly light pick attack to run super low action and not have any buzz. I also like my necks just shy of flat, so I may need higher action for that reason as well.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Well no buzzing for one player can be buzz city for another. You must have an un-godly light pick attack to run super low action and not have any buzz. I also like my necks just shy of flat, so I may need higher action for that reason as well.

Same here.

I don't really "shred", though. At least not to modern standards. I do like to play fast, but only, like, almost-Malmsteen fast in short bursts.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Well no buzzing for one player can be buzz city for another. You must have an un-godly light pick attack to run super low action and not have any buzz. I also like my necks just shy of flat, so I may need higher action for that reason as well.

True. But I believe that setting up the action high, by default, is a way of masking bad fretwork.

And yup, my touch is fairly light, despite playing with super heavy picks (1/4'' to even 1/3'' thick).

 

[blueman335]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

True. But I believe that setting up the action high, by default, is a way of masking bad fretwork.

And yup, my touch is fairly light

Right, high action can hide some neck/fret issues, but some of us like the strings up high.

I also have a light, controlled right hand. My left is where the aggression is.

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Shredding with medium to high action

Right, high action can hide some neck/fret issues, but some of us like the strings up high.

I also have a light, controlled right hand. My left is where the aggression is.

You can have the flattest neck with the best dressed frets in the world.....but if your pick attack is too aggressive, you're going to get buzz