Really high action advice needed!

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by JRay

Well it's almost impossible to get a good shot of the neck sight line with a phone but I tried anyway in case it helps the triage...

Here are some pics of the neck sighting...







One thing I haven't got is a long straight edge to check the neck angle with, so I tried using a glass plate and rested it flush on length of the fingerboard from the 13th fret to the last fret on the fingerboard closest to the sound hole. Strings at concert pitch. When flush on the frets, the end of the glass points nicely to the top of the bridge as per the pic below...



I hope these pictures help, let me know if you need any other (better) ones.

Cheers
Ray

Once you get your truss/neck-bow set well, you may wish to look at the height of each individual string. It seems as thought the high e string is too low at the saddle, compared to the next few strings. It is unfortunately too common to have saddles that don't well match the radius of the fingerboard.

[Scallywag]

Action at the nut looks super high to me. Granted, this is based on a photo and the fact that I prefer to keep nut slots/action as low as humanly possible on my guitars. That aside, still looks really high, fwiw.

EDIT: re-read you post. Nut action works for you, then so be it.

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by Scallywag

Action at the nut looks super high to me. Granted, this is based on a photo and the fact that I prefer to keep nut slots/action as low as humanly possible on my guitars. That aside, still looks really high, fwiw.

EDIT: re-read you post. Nut action works for you, then so be it.

Good point. I missed that one. Nut action on Gibsons from the factory is often VERY high, and the saddle shouldn't be taken to final height before cutting the nut slots low enough.

If the nut slots are 0.75mm high (which is not uncommon), then the 12th fret action will be too low if the saddle is lowered first, then the nut is corrected.

[JLS]

You need a straightedge that will index the fingerboard from the nut to the last fret, and continue on to the bridge. Straighten the fingerboard as flat as possible (forget about stringbuzz for now), see where the straightedge lands at the bridge; if it doesn't rest on the top of the bridge body, and butts up against it, have a pro look at it. It sounds like you are in trouble, neckset-wise. It may be cold comfort, but I've seen many a highdollar, couple-of-years-old guitar, in need of a neck reset.

Kudos to the modern bolt-on neck joint, which can get you in & out in an hour or so. Thank you, Mr. Taylor!

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by JLS

You need a straightedge that will index the fingerboard from the nut to the last fret, and continue on to the bridge. Straighten the fingerboard as flat as possible (forget about stringbuzz for now), see where the straightedge lands at the bridge; if it doesn't rest on the top of the bridge body, and butts up against it, have a pro look at it.
!

The straight edge test is just a quick and dirty indicator, not the whole picture. The measurements the op took are necessary and sufficient to assess the situation and related geometry. The thick bridge could be thinned to provide additional ability to lower the saddle. Alternatively, a neck reset or slotting of pin holes.