When is action too high?

[tonello]

Re: When is action too high?

To me this just sounds extremely low. You must have a feather light picking style. But you are right, it's whatever works for you individually.

I'm sorry I meant a few, like three. I definitely don't have a light picking style or fretting hand.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: When is action too high?

Your action is too high when you can´t play in tune anymore. Other than that, it´s purely personal preference, unless it´s so low that it´s buzzing all over the place choking notes.

I personally have arrow straight to just barely relieved necks, and as as starting point I set the high e string 1.14mm (I use my picks as a gauge, very practical) off the crown of the 12th fret (fretted at the 1st of course). the low e is set a hair higher, about 1.2mm, and then I fine tune from there depending on tuning and string guage until I have no significant buzzing even with my sledgehammer of a picking hand.

Anything under 1 to 1.1mm is to low for me to find enjoyable because of the way strings slip under my fingertips when bending causing unwanted notes. If I want you to make noise I´ll fret you, now shut up and let me bend. That said, thats only 1/25th of an inch, which is definitely regarded as a shredder´s action for the most part, and I can´t play on their piddlyass kinder-strings anyway. But I´m only slightly higher off the board with my bridge cables.

(Actually I CAN play them, in tune, but merely prefer to avoid it when I´m not being paid to be gentle )

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: When is action too high?

 

[Jeff5]

Re: When is action too high?

Totally agree that it's massively personal preference although I do use guides like Stew Mac as a starting point. I can't deal with super low action as I like to bend and vibrato way too much. I also like to play fast. So I guess mine would be considered medium high. On my Jackson it's about .30 at the first fret and .85 on the twelfth fret with Stew Mac's gauge on the treble side. On the bass strings its about what they recommend at .24/1st fret .78 at the twelfth. Necks, now I can't deal with much sag and like them super strait.

 

[Diego]

Re: When is action too high?

Unless it's not bothering you, any sort of action is OK I think.
I like medium action myself, it's harder to bend and do controlled vibratos with low action for me.

However, if I bought a shredstick tomorrow, I'd definitely give it a nice low action. That's the point after all.