A polite seasonal request for all "action" discussions

[brett304]

Most feeler gauges sold today have metric and standard on them. Also but speaking as an American with extensive experience using metric, metric has every advantage except that you're not as used to it. Name any possible way in which standard could be better. I have yet to find a way.

[Shortfinger]

I measure my actions in Jacksons.

[Steadfastly]

If you need to move the strings up or down, how much do you charge per 64th of an inch? And how much per mm?

[fnesnor]

Are fractions easier than decimals?

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by brett304

Most feeler gauges sold today have metric and standard on them. Also but speaking as an American with extensive experience using metric, metric has every advantage except that you're not as used to it. Name any possible way in which standard could be better. I have yet to find a way.

Imperial has charm. Metric is cold, impersonal and characterless.

Rod, pole or perch? Furlongs per fortnight, anyone?

I rest my case.

[docwatsonfan]

Originally Posted by Shortfinger

I measure my actions in Jacksons.

well actually I use Jeffersons, or FDR's !

for my playing two dimes (FDR) is bluegrass action ( approx. one hundred and two thousandths)
one nickel (Jefferson) is fingerstyle low action ( approx. seventy three thousandths )

[skitoolong]

Originally Posted by Athens

I have one of these and think it's a great tool to have.




http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools...SABEgLf3fD_BwE

I love mine. Takes the guesswork out. I've learned to get close by feel but if I need to be sure, this does the trick.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by skitoolong

I love mine. Takes the guesswork out. I've learned to get close by feel but if I need to be sure, this does the trick.

If the action doesn't feel right to you, how does measuring it make it better?

[Brucebubs]

Ok, I can't help myself.
World population; 7,660,000,000
Countries in the world: 195

Countries in the world that use Imperial measurements: 3 ... yep, just 3 ... is that 3/195ths?
Liberia, Myanmar and .... USA.

Combined population of those 3 countries; 382,700,000 (Liberia - 4.7 million, Myanmar - 53 million, USA - 325 million)

That leaves just 7,277,300,000 (that's 7 billion 227 million 300 thousand) using these;

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

...Countries in the world that use Imperial measurements:..... Liberia, Myanmar and .... USA.

Hey, at least we're in good company!

[polarred21]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

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.

So how did I do 2 years ago on my $200 guitar....does this suffice for what you are asking? Thinking back I used mm's because the guide book I was using referenced this.

[H165]

Could be.

Here's the result:

I'm stating action measurements in nautical leagues from now on.

[Steadfastly]

And, please, always give the nut width.

[Guitars+gems]

I have to laugh because I never learned the term "Imperial Measurement" in school. In 1960's New Jersey schools we learned our math and measurements in the "American System."

Nursing school was my first introduction to the "Metric System," and later I used it in jewelry making too, so I'm used to it and prefer it. (I also still tell time by the 24 hour clock). If I hear something like action gauged in millimeters, I instantly understand that length of distance. But if I hear it in fractions of an inch, I have to convert it to millimeters before I can "see" it.

[KevWind]

I just tell my guitar tech I would like it a "skosh" lower or higher ... and I'll be dang if he doesn't do just that exact amount .