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  #1  
Old 12-22-2017, 03:59 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Default A polite seasonal request for all "action" discussions

It would be really, really great, when contributing to discussions about action, if you could actually specify, in terms of thousandths of an inch, what the action is , rather than vaguely saying "low" ...."high"...." medium" .

Words, in this case, are meaningless .... numbers ..., measurements ... that's what matters.

All you need to do to obtain these measurements is to buy a set of feeler gauges (preferably imperial ... we don't need no steenking metric gauges) .... these gauges are really really cheap, and will enhance your ability to talk meaningfully about action ... like tenfold.
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Old 12-22-2017, 04:15 PM
Athens Athens is offline
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I have one of these and think it's a great tool to have.




http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools...SABEgLf3fD_BwE
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Last edited by Athens; 12-22-2017 at 04:21 PM.
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Old 12-22-2017, 04:30 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
(preferably imperial ... we don't need no steenking metric gauges) ....
So none of your 'high quality precision set-up tools for professionals' are metric?
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Last edited by Brucebubs; 12-22-2017 at 04:40 PM.
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Old 12-22-2017, 04:36 PM
Pitar Pitar is offline
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8 bizness cards high on the treble side at the 12th fret, 6 on the bass. One biz card is approximately .015". Adjust to suit.

0.015 X 8 = 0.12, X 32 = 3.84 32nds (Treble)
0.015 X 6 = 0.09, X 32 = 2.88 32nds (Bass)

This, of course, is common core bizness math.
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Old 12-22-2017, 05:26 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
So none of your 'high quality precision set-up tools for professionals' are metric?
The tools I sell, by themselves, are neither metric., nor imperial, Bruce.

Basically, I supply highly accurate straight edges in varying conformations.
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Old 12-22-2017, 05:39 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
The tools I sell, by themselves, are neither metric., nor imperial, Bruce.

Basically, I supply highly accurate straight edges in varying conformations.
OK, but why alienate those of us who use the metric system with that comment?

BTW, I'm 61 and started my school life with Imperial measurements and pounds, shillings and pence.
That all changed to metric in the mid 1960's, so I've lived with both.
I won't tell you which one is easier to use.
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Old 12-22-2017, 05:42 PM
Shortfinger Shortfinger is offline
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I was told upon joining this forum, there’d be no math.
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Old 12-22-2017, 05:44 PM
leew3 leew3 is offline
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and you kids get off my lawn! Lighten up folks.
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Old 12-22-2017, 06:02 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Sorry, it's a great thread and very valid.
I just don't see why the OP needed to include his comment against the metric system. I don't find it 'steenking'.
I'll butt out - have a safe and happy Christmas everyone.
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Old 12-22-2017, 06:09 PM
stringjunky stringjunky is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
OK, but why alienate those of us who use the metric system with that comment?

BTW, I'm 61 and started my school life with Imperial measurements and pounds, shillings and pence.
That all changed to metric in the mid 1960's, so I've lived with both.
I won't tell you which one is easier to use.
I'm metric/imperial too. Any measurement less than an inch is is done by me in metric... can't be doing with the fractions.
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  #11  
Old 12-22-2017, 06:27 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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I'm so old that I started off playing lute, and studied engineering in Imperial because we still had an Empire , but my guitar tech is a generation younger than me so he works in millipedes.

Whilst he's still old enough to know about Imperial and can convert very quickly, I ask him for my set ups in millimeters just to be helpful.

My Stewmac gauge shows imps only but there is a conversion table on the back, but my "Baroque" brand gauge shows both.

My preferred 12 fret height on all my guitars is .105" bass and .080" treble with a relief of .006-.008".

I also see people talking about fractions like 4/64" or 8/64" without reducing them - which would have been a caning at my school.

I recommend that all guitarists get their own action gauge and feeler gauges and learn what suits you. It can make things must easier when asking your tech to do stuff for you.
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Last edited by Silly Moustache; 12-22-2017 at 06:37 PM.
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Old 12-22-2017, 06:34 PM
Athens Athens is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
So none of your 'high quality precision set-up tools for professionals' are metric?
Hi Bricebubs. There are metric versions available. Do a web search on string gauge metric and you'll find them.

But you'll still have to deal with us pesky Americans asking you to convert your posts to inches.
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Old 12-22-2017, 06:41 PM
ahorsewithnonam ahorsewithnonam is offline
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Don’t have any measuring tools at age 62 and not about to go buy any. So, low, medium, and high for me.
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  #14  
Old 12-22-2017, 06:47 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
...I also see people talking about fractions like 4/64" or 8/64" without reducing them - which would have been a caning at my school.....
Funny you say that. I was schooled in us version of imperial units. We had two schools in engineering and drafting: Decimal for engineers and fractions for architects.

I live in the decimal world but my machinist's gauge is a nice 64th scale - super convenient. Funny though - I measure relief in thou's but action in 64ths.
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  #15  
Old 12-22-2017, 06:54 PM
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'polite' in one sentence and 'no stinking[sp] metric' in the next?
get ye to open mic.
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