String action poll

[hubcapsc]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I always shoot for 3/32” or 6/64” which I thought was low but apparently it’s medium high. Ok

I voted for 5-or-6/64ths. I like mediums, 3/32nds doesn't feel low to me with
mediums...

I had a D-18 that I thought played great, it was almost 4/32nds. Of course,
it has a longer scale length than my gibsons.

String gauge, scale length and action might be too intertwined to separate out
completely...

-Mike

[Mandobart]

2.0 - 2.5 mm at the 12th fret on the low E string is my preference for all my acoustic guitars. I use 13’s on some guitars, 12’s on others. 10’s on my 12 string and 11’s on the Sel-Mac copy.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I like it low, but I've never measured it. Either it feels good or it doesn't.

[Rev Roy]

6/64” E - 4/64” e for me. I consider that medium height.

[rllink]

I don't remember the measurements.

[Gress]

There are multiple problems with my poll.
1. Many members here have number of guitars and setup them differently (as well as use different strings, etc.) for different use.
2. There are different neck shapes, relief setting etc.
3. Multiple other contributing factors (humidity, etc)..

Then there are two other aspects causing issues with this poll:
1. Units causing inconvenience communicating
2. Granularity of the measurements
3. Number of the options in the poll (many could not find a good answer to reflect their setup).

Here is a post on the topic I personally enjoyed reading

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

It is hell trying to conduct polls like this, because you will always be told what's wrong with it.

Here we go :

1. As I measure with a Stewmac action gauge I measure in Imperial decimal figures.

2. Actions rise and fall with the seasons, and here in south eastern England we have high RH during the autumn to spring months, which of course make tops swell and actions rise.

3. I have NEVER chosen to have the same action height in both 6th and 1st strings, so I don't know which string you are referring to.

4. Very few of my guitars have identical actions heights, which vary from .120" to .080" bass, and .060 to .100" treble if I include some of my archtops, and 12 strings.

5. Here in the UK we would have suffered detention or a beating (or both) in school if we failed to reduce a fraction, so a figure of 6/64"is of course a 3/32".

6. I am very old so I still tend to think in Imperial but my younger luthier/tech only thinks in metric.
We have constant conversion games.

My preferred summer action heights on most guitars are:

.090 - .105" (Bass) and .070 - .080" treble.

Dave (my tame tech) is currently working through my guitars doing whatever is necessary for set ups and he did suggest having a summer and a winter saddle for each - expensive!

Hope that helps - possibly not.

So my poll is controversial and I am fully aware of this. However, with all the drawbacks, I believe that it has some value as statistical data source.

At the end of the day many volume produced guitars (brands) have specs for the action height. Some are generally considered as pre-set for lower actions (Maton comes to mind). So it is interesting to see where statistically majority of acoustic guitar players have their comfort area.

[Jimbo00]

Originally Posted by Bowie

You'll get different answers for those who fret at the first fret and those who don't. And, which guitar am I answering for because my action varies a little to a lot on each instrument.
Not trying to spoil the thread, there's just not a good way to get an answer as it can vary so much on each instrument.

That's what I ended up learning & did, setting the guitar up for rock bottom low string action for Standard D tuning and it's as low as any electric guitar I have. My acoustic play is soft & gentle and easy for the string pick attack. I'm finding setting it that low, the guitar plays fine for the easy play 1980's acoustic rock ballads & Air Supply-like Pop songs. And it seems to accrue benefits even at the 1st fret. It's almost zero effort to fret any of the 6 strings. String set gauges also matter to some extent. I'm using 12-53's, but I've read others may go lighter or heavier with their strings for preference. Couldn't be happier with the guitar. Was my first acoustic set up, so I didn't want to be too aggressive in taking too much material out with a file. But it's as low as i can go in Standard D, I figure capo or tuning to Eb or Standard E, whatever that string action pulls tighter for is something that I'll just have to live with for where it settles at.

[fitness1]

5/64 bass and 4/64 treble for me.

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by Jimbo00

String set gauges also matter to some extent.

They matter to a great extent. You can usually get away with lower action when the string tension is higher. Also, tension will often pull the top and bit more and raise the action. So, that's yet another factor.

I used to set them all up as low as they could go but I'm far from that now. With my really good guitars, I like the action a bit higher as it brings out the beauty of tone and allows me a wider range of expression. But, I do have some that sound good with a more flamenco-style, where I can get some snap and buzz.

[Jimbo00]

Ovation Applause AE 128 Super Shallow, 10 inch fretboard radius, Standard D tuning, Low E is .0625 or 1/16 inch/1.587 mm, the High E 1.42 mm, not capoed at the 1st fret. It's lower than the lowest indicated. It's an acoustic guitar. There is plenty of room for the strings to vibrate at that. It's not like I'm Eddie Van Halen finger tapping the fretboard. A light touch and it's relatively easy to chord. Playing it without a capo in Standard D, obviously that's playing the neck from nut to saddle part, Eb is capoed 1st fret to saddle part & Standard E is playing a capoed 2nd fret to the saddle part . No fret buzz plugged in or unplugged. I usually play classic acoustic rock ballads with it, even can go Nancy Wilson, "Crazy On You" and not have any issues. And if I was ever to tune it straight up as Standard E, the string action is about the same, a little higher maybe for string tension. String Action Height, that's in the playing position. Most acoustic songs are pretty soft play. No reason to beat up the strings & abuse an acoustic. The neck is virtually flat too. I will say measuring the relief like an electric with the 1st fret capoed as fretting the 20th fret it'll buzz like crazy, if I'm heavy fingered. but I never play the guitar like that, ever. Play is like one would strum the strings open at the sound hole. Chording it only like that, it'll never fret buzz. I love the low to near zero effort fretting for string action.

[boneuphtoner]

I voted don’t know - because I don’t - I know when the action is too high and I certainly don’t like the buzzing when it gets too low. When I went to a store and played a D28 that sounded phenomenal but the action was very high, my sales guy immediately said that this instrument was so bad that it would need to be sent back to Martin as it was so ridiculous. So I can tolerate a lot when it comes to high action.

[Jimbo00]

Originally Posted by boneuphtoner

I voted don’t know - because I don’t - I know when the action is too high and I certainly don’t like the buzzing when it gets too low. When I went to a store and played a D28 that sounded phenomenal but the action was very high, my sales guy immediately said that this instrument was so bad that it would need to be sent back to Martin as it was so ridiculous. So I can tolerate a lot when it comes to high action.

That's the Ovation I bought as a preowned. The frets were jagged at up & down the fretboard, the action was high. Turns out that te truss rod needed the tweak, the saddles needed to be slotted lower & strings aligned. I didn't touch he nut slots they were fine & the neck join had no gaps for needing a reset. I filed away the burs of the fret and to me it's perfectly playable at this point on any given day of weather fronts moving in & out year round.

I had seen YouTube videos of correcting the bridge & saddles that entailed routing out the saddle pickup slot for an Ovation for the strings to lay down. I wasn't routing out that slot, nor removing the bridge and thinning the thickness down. The CP-100 piezo pickup has no bottom of the synthetic saddle part to grind lower because of the way it's constructed, slotting from the top of the saddles was the only solution that I could reverse with a new saddle part if I screwed it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BKeoRYSbWE

I didn't have to Dremel the wood bridge part like he did, nor did I end up grinding the bottom of the saddle bone. I prefer the slotting from on top of the saddle vs the extra work he did, same results, ultra low action, n buzzing like he demoed his work around. Plays like an electric guitar with the saddles almost slammed to the bridge plate for low action. And the neck is flat with almost no relief at all. Can bend the 12's like a super shredder with a set of 10's or lighter with 12-53's. As excited as he was for his acoustic playing like his LP, that's where mine is pretty much.