[Rudy4]

The .014" relief recommendation is based on a maximum amount for players who focus a lot of physical energy into their playing style.

When you're looking to eliminate relief when chasing down mystery buzz then a larger amount of relief is an excellent diagnostic tool.

Relief can go much lower based on your playing style and string choice, obviously. I've known players who prefer a straight board, but the majority of players would probably shoot for something in the .007" to .010" range.

When you look at the entire range of playing styles you have to consider players who use a very physical style and don't leave the cowboy chord area as well as the melodic up the board player. The need to compromise is the nature of the beast, but sometimes extremes are necessary for certain playing styles.

Note: Anyone interested in setting up their acoustic guitar should download and study Charles Tauber's excellent "Basic Guitar Setup" pdf guide. The relief listed as "typical" is .010" in the guide.