String Height

[H8Red442]

What do you consider high or low? What string height do you prefer?

I set mine to 2mm just about. I get a better grip on the string and I feel a better tone and more resonance. My BC Rich Wave was a custom order and came with very very low action and no buzz but just tonight after a couple months with it decided to raise the action because it was just too low for comfort for me. My Jackson KV2 which was new when purchased also came with unbelievably low action yes I have left that alone as it does feel comfy so far.

So where do you normally set your action?

 

[Mr. B]

Re: String Height

Somewhere between 4/64ths and 6/64ths, with the bass side a little higher (very little) than the treble. (usually measured at the 17th fret). Depends on the guitar, exactly where in that range. Ibanez & Gibson on the low end, and strat & Tele on the high end of that measurement spectrum. Sorry, you will have to do the conversion to millimeters yourself, I'm too lazy.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: String Height

I've never measured, just set them by feel, and usually end up with all of them set differently. My action is definitely on the low side, though.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: String Height

I set them up by feel, but the high e generally ends up at 1.14mm or less and the low e at 1.2 or less, measured at the 12th fret with the string depressed at the first

 

[Pierre]

Re: String Height

Without the first fret depressed I feel most comfortable with about 2.5 on the low E and since my axes are Floyded I keep the baseplate parrallel, so I don't measure the high e. I find I play a little better this way than with uber low action and my guitar sounds way better.

 

[Aceman]

Re: String Height

I play mine low...usually a touch of buzz and rattle. At least on my #1 and Jaci - those are the rocker Pauls. I don't mind that in the distortion. Pretty much standard action on my studio.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: String Height

I'd say mid. Not ultra low, but I remember when I first set up my LP for decent action without buzz I was surprised that the G string isn't supposed to go OVER your finger when you bend the B! :scratchch

 

[stonabus]

Re: String Height

i generaly go by feel.
at work i set them up just under 3 and 2 (32nds)

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: String Height

When I do setup, I set to minimum string height recommended by Fender, then play. If I cause string rattle a lot, I bring the pole pieces up about 1/2 turn and try again. But overall, I prefer to adjust my playing to low action rather than play with high action. Playing all my life is better than sounding like SRV, at least in my opinion.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: String Height

Not quite sure how mine's setup, well I do, but I don't really care so... But once you run across a professional guy who quite literally likes to play his strings touching the fretboard, it bends reality and it showed me sometimes I pay way too much attention to "proper" setup that sometimes ya gotta defy convention - or just play, in other words.

 

[Smilemon]

Re: String Height

Some of my strings buzz if the weather is right, but i play loud enough that it doesn't bother me. Its so slight, i like the lower action and 10 - 46 strings.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: String Height

Somewhere between 4/64ths and 6/64ths, with the bass side a little higher (very little) than the treble. (usually measured at the 17th fret). Depends on the guitar, exactly where in that range. Ibanez & Gibson on the low end, and strat & Tele on the high end of that measurement spectrum. Sorry, you will have to do the conversion to millimeters yourself, I'm too lazy.

ya that is about the measurement i use but i measure at the 12th fret.. i'm a heavy hitter and i need some clearence or the strings will rattle so sometimes i go higher then that... deoends on the axe and the fret dress... some of them i can adjust ultra low and others i have to set up higher!

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: String Height

I don't really have a way to measure string height. I'm not one of the people who likes high action. I did notice that on some guitars when the action was really low, the strings sort of lacked the kind of spring they need.

I'd say that on most of my guitars, the strings are over 1/16" at the 12th fret. If they're too close, the guitar becomes rather useless for playing slide on.

Pete

 

[Mr. B]

Re: String Height

Not quite sure how mine's setup, well I do, but I don't really care so... But once you run across a professional guy who quite literally likes to play his strings touching the fretboard, it bends reality and it showed me sometimes I pay way too much attention to "proper" setup that sometimes ya gotta defy convention - or just play, in other words.

Are you smokin' crack? :33:

 

[Mr. B]

Re: String Height

I do tend to measure when I do setups, but it seems each guitar has its own sweet spot. I can feel when I have it right, when I bend notes on up the fretboard. Way Too low, and the string tries to slip below my finger, way too high, and the string gets up toward your fingernails.

I probably set up 20-30 guitars every year for students at school, and the most common 3 problems I see are...

1. The string saddles are not radiused to match the fretboard.
2. The truss rod has been overtightened, creating a perfectly flat neck.
3. The pickups have been cranked up way too close to the strings, because the kids think it will give them more volume.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: String Height

Are you smokin' crack? :33:

Haha, whaddaya mean?

 

[Bludave]

Re: String Height

I'm a blues/rock kind of player. I like my action higher than most people. I play most of my electrics with acoustic guitar action. My acoustic guitars are slightly higher than that. Much of why I like the action higher is due to the fact I have a fairly heavy right hand. I also use some alternate tunings and when you loosen the strings they tend to get to floopy. I also use heavier strings. My electric guitars have 11's, the acoustics get 13's. Theres a few things working for me here. Heavier strings, higher action...... no buzz, plenty of sustain.

 

[mrturtle_91]

Re: String Height

I just put it where it feels good, I have it set fairly low though, but not too low.

 

[Aceman]

Re: String Height

I will say I always set up to spec to begin. First string height, then relief, then tune/intone and do again a couple of times until it's spec. Then I drop from there until it feels good. But It's probably a moderate bit below that point. Setting up to spec is a great reference point for evcerything, including pup height, IMO. Kinda like cooking to the recipe, then adding spice to taste on the second round. If you start tinkering before you ever made it right in the first place, it's hard to know what it was supposed to taste like!

 

[itbepopples]

Re: String Height

I set my treble side height and then add 1/32" for the bass side. Then radius your saddles with a radius gauge resting on the E strings. I dig 2/32" on the treble side and 3/32" on the bass side.