String action poll

[Gress]

Here goes for your convenience


Let's do it for Low E at 12-th fret.

I know the answer depends on the guitar / strings used / playing styles /etc. but nonetheless let see some statistics on how we setup our guitars.

[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.

[rstaight]

I didn't answer the poll because I am not certain where my guitars are at. I believe they are all different.

I like the action low but not buzzing. Not buzzing is my only criteria This can be effected by the design of the neck and the gauge of strings used.

[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.

[JayBee1404]

My guitars are strung with 12s, and are all set up at 3/32” (~2.4mm) bass and 2/32” (~1.6mm) treble, with ~0.007” neck-relief. That gives me the balance between ease of playing and freedom from buzzing that I like. Those numbers do vary a little over the course of a year due to humidity fluctuations in my part of England - high humidity during the summer, low humidity during the winter (especially with our wet-system CH running).

I haven’t voted because there is no option for precisely 3/32” in the poll.

And I agree with SM - failure to reduce fractions is an offence for which detention, flogging, or both would have resulted back in my school-days!

[brancher]

I like 2mm at teh 12th fret and under 2mm (about 1.75mm if I am sanding well that day...) at the high 'e'. I have found that this gives me plenty of height for my strumming and flat picking style while easily accommodating my fingerstyle.


As usual, ymmv.

[BlueBowman]

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.

For sure. Every guitar is different. Under the low E: can be from 0.110 down to 0.90. I prefer things on the higher side for the most part.

[EZYPIKINS]

I'm a low rider. Play mostly my own brand of fingerstyle. I play for hours on end, through a PA most of the time. So my guitars have to be able to be played without allot of resistance.

My action on all my acoustics, are right at .052-.053 on the 6th string at the 12th fret.

Takes an extremely light touch. Basically the way I attack an acoustic is much like the way one would attack an electric.

Before acoustic guitars had good electronics in them, I played all me acoustic parts on my electrics.

My first stage acoustic, like most, was an Ovation.

Today my acoustics are Gibson and Martin.

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by Gress

Here goes for your convenience


Let's do it for Low E at 12-th fret.

I know the answer depends on the guitar / strings used / playing styles /etc. but nonetheless let see some statistics on how we setup our guitars.

While polls on vBulletin are almost always going to be flawed, I think this poll is very useful. Perhaps you could create a separate poll for the high E string, so that you can get a better sense of the typical spread between low and high E strings.

[mike o]

I wouldn’t know. Just got both my guitars back from the repair shop for much needed maintenance. They were stating to buzz a little from fret wear. One guitar needed a new bone nut and saddle. Amazing the difference after set up, fret leveling and such by good luthiers. I have no idea what the measurements were. We discussed low action. Best money you will ever spend on your gear!!!

[warfrat73]

I wasn't sure exactly what to pick... I think in decimals and usually settle a little on either side of .090, but prefer a bit more than a bit less because I have a pretty heavy hand. I chose 5/64-6/64, but maybe should have chosen 6/64-7/64 because I probably have a few that are .095. I guess I shoot for 6/64.

[abn556]

The key to low action is not nut or saddle, but to start with your neck relief first and level frets secondly. Then move to adjusting your nut and saddle. If your neck is adjusted with just a touch of relief you can get your action down low and it won’t buzz - assuming your frets are all level.

The older I get the more important a good setup is.

[TheGITM]

It all relative to the guitar.

[rmp]

For me the numbers are a ball park/starting point.

but if I'm forced to give it...

it's 5/64s B side 4/64s T side

[rollypolly]

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