what is the string height (action) on your guitar

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ive always been obsessive about my action and im always tinkering with it trying to lower it just a bit more only then having to put it back up so it plays well.

i think its cos i have a mate with an ibanez s series and a dressed fretboard and his action is the lowest ive ever seen and it plays so perfectly. i have always tried to match it and i got my rgt42 fret dressed but they did a really **** job and i ended up trading for a jackson dk2s. i managed to get the jackson to 2mm at the bass side and 1.8 at the treble side at the 24th fret with 10-46 guage strings, but the buzz was a bit too much. its now set at about 3.5mm at the bass strings and 3mm at the treble. it plays well but it feels higher than i like.

i play mainly metal likes of opeth and arch enemy i also play shred stuff which tests the action.

i was just wondering what different peoples actions are with their guitar and their results or tips. also what string guage you have with that action, bridge type ect.

thanks
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

hmpf, i ride my strats high like western guitars :laugh2:
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

Strats and my Teles at the 12th fret ...Normally around 5/64" both E strings or there abouts? I finalize it by feel and I use radius gauges to match the string curve exactly to the neck curve...This cuts out alot of the center string buzz and gives the strings a perfect curve to follow the neck...
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

Bro, you cant always base what your action sould be vs. what someone else's is. There is alot of different factors that determine what your action should be. The big one, what kind of a player are you. If you are heavy handed you will require a higher action and if you play lighter a lower one will be good. There are a ton of other factors also! Personally, I dont like to set mine up with the absolute lowest action before buzz. Reason why, when you do that you have to tweak the thing almost all of the time to maintain that. A little bit of fretwear, you have to re level the guitar to keep that same action buzz free and so on. It shouldnt be something to obsess over! It it plays well, just play that thang!!!!!

On a different note, alot of players have this unreal expectation on how low their action could be.

Here are some famous players specs,

Robert Cray, Fender Robert Cray model. strings, D'addario 11, 13, 18, 28, 36, 46

Bass E Treble E
action at nut .020 .014
action at 12th .097 .062
Relief at 8th fret .017"

SRV #1 strat. GHS 13-58

Bass E Treble E
action at nut .018 .012
action at 12th .109 .078
Relief at 9th fret .012"

Jeff Beck strat plus D'addario 9-46

Bass E Treble E
action at nut .011 .006
action at 12th .062 .047
Relief at 8th fret .006"
 
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Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

I have Power Slinkys on my Strat, Dean Markley 11 -52 on my Tele. I like a low action but with high frets. My default minimum is 1.25mm at the 13th fret on the high E, 1.5mm at the 13th on the low E. All these measurements are taken with the string stopped at the 1st fret to isolate the effect of a high nut, if there is one. My own guitar's are set a little higher than that.

Once again I find myself echoing Theodie's words...
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

I'm really bad at tapping, so on my high-E side I have about a millimeter and on the low-B side I've probably got 2mm.

Yes, I'm a low-action freak.
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

I used to be a low action freak... back when I was starting out, I had my action set to about a millimeter on a Jay Turser piece of crap. Didn't reallize most of the strings were ringing dead...

I have all my axes at normal action now, with my schecter set slightly lower, and my squier slightly higher (just cause I haven't got to adjustin'

slade
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

Medium. I like it right at that median point where it's easy enough to play, but it still has maximum tone. The lower you go, the smaller your guitar tone gets.
I also agree with Theodie, because it has to correlate with your touch.
That's why I can't have a tech set up my guitar to taste. I tweak it while playing, so it's right where it should be, feelwise and tonewise.......then, I fine tune the intonation, then leave it alone.
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

Medium. Too low and bending gets weird. I agree the higher the action, the better the tone.
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

My current stage electrics have a medium to high action, guages 10, 13, 17, 30, 42, 52
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

Starting point for me is generally 1mm HIgh E, 1.14mm Low E, measured at the 12th fret (top of fret ot bottom of string) with the string capoed@the first fret. I play DR Tite Fits, 12-52

But action isn´t a Contest to see who can get their strings closest top the fretboard....the important thing is that you and that guitar harmonize, if the guitar plays well leave it..... Dave is on the money ;)
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

The string action on my guitars is just right. ;) I never understood why people obsessed themselves with how many mm above the fretboard the strings are. If it feels high lower it. If it feels low or buzzes, raise it. Duh.
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

10-52 strings.
Fender Mexi- Fairly high, I'll say medium. I plan to bring it down just a touch.
Squier Standard- Low as it can go without buzzing...so low!

I plan to pu my mexi inbetween where it is now and the squier.
 
Re: what is the string height (action) on your guitar

thanks guys. i really took thinking to what theodie said. i play shred with my mate who has that really low action and it plays so well for an action that low. but i also like playing other stuff too. at the moment my action is really high as ive set it because i think my neck needs adjusting (went from 9-42 with 3 spring, to 10-46 4spring, back to 9-42, then back to 10-46 with 3 springs) aarrrrgh! damn so i think my neck might be smacking me in the head because of it. but with the action higher now so that it plays nice considering the ?neck i was playing along with ghost reveries tonight and it sounded great in terms of tone which made me play better as a result. i think i need to rethink my thoughts on low action being best.. oh yeah.. the bends on the higher action feel great i forgot how fun it was.. i going to take my axe to a pro to fix it tomorrow and ill get a medium low action
 
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