Action height: what's the optimal action height

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by sashapak

Thank you, will try that - actually never tried any alternative tuning yet, so it'll be the first time.

Is the idea to lower the action and make the strings closer to the frets by using a dropped tuning?

Dropped tuning will lower the string tension and thus make the playing feel easier.

The only way to fix action is to lower the bridge saddle height (sanding the underside in small amounts as I mentioned earlier), maybe deepen the slots at the nut and then if necessary adjust the relief to keep notes clear all the way up and down the neck.

[Mirosh]

"I find the action a bit too high..."

My apologies - I lost sight of that when I suggested a shim. Still, I'd see about getting a new saddle and sanding it to be less tall, keeping the original as is. Can the maker send you a new saddle identical to the original? Then you can keep one intact and modify the other.

A great variety of saddles can be found on line. I have bought several via Amazon over the couple of years I have been doing guitar DIY.

[redir]

Originally Posted by sashapak

Thank you, is there a special measurement tool for things like that? Also, I come from a metric system country, so imperial confuse the hell out of me unless it's something simple )

It's like Celcius and Fahrenheit

Yeah metric makes so much more sense and is so much easier to use. Since I am vested in the tools I am stuck on English but still use Metric for a lot of things.

A simple dece3nt quality steel ruler is the perfect tool for measuring the action. Stewart Macdonald also makes a action measuring tool which looks pretty nice but I have not used one.

And if you follow this link they explain how to use it, it would be the same with a regular ruler.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...-action-gauge/

[Mirosh]

Drill bits can be used to measure string heights. Their diameters are labeled. Measure from the 12th fret up to the bottom of the string.

I found among my tools a miniature screwdriver and measured it with my calipers. Its shaft is 2.5 mm in diameter where it slides into the handle and 2.0 mm below that. Sans handle, it's a very handy action gauge. 2.5 mm at the low E and 2.0 at the high e is about right for me.

[Brucebubs]

I use a ruler with measurements that start at the very end - stand it straight up on the 12th fret.

We use metric here - I read this as just above 2.0 mm but I can't see the 0.5 marker between 2.0 and 3.0 - so I'd say it's about 2.25 at the 12th fret on 6E string.

[sashapak]

Thank you for your inputs and advice guys!

I've decided to keep Cole Clark intact for now. Planning to potentially spend some money on the Bose L1 Pro8 + spent already on getting Grace Alix as well which does make my Eastman sound very like its acoustic sound.

Dropped the tuning on the Cole Clark by semitone and will see how I fare with that dropped tuning. Further down the line will either go about adjusting the bridge myself or just save up and take the guitar to a professional tech. Most likely the latter as it hadn't been played for 6 years before I bought it, so probably needs some TLC.