Action height: what's the optimal action height

[sashapak]

My new guitar Cole Clark Angel 2 has got higher action compared to my other guitar Eastman E10SS.

Combined with harder coating on the strings I'm finding it hard to press down the strings well enough. Sometimes I end up having some buzzing because I don't apply enough pressure on the strings.

Now, I had the Cole Clark played by two of my friends who play guitar professionally and both of them liked it and said no action adjustment was necessary. One of them plays classical nylon string, another plays steel string finger style.

The finger style player actually said he's trying to increase the action on his guitar cause that makes hammer-ons easier.

Before I spoke to them, I was intending to get the Cole Clark serviced and action lowered. Now I am thinking if I should persevere with the current setup and just learn how to switch between the lower action on my Eastman to the higher action on the Cole Clark.

My question is: what is the optimal action for a guitar? Is it a personal choice and preference? How much of it depends on the style of playing? In my case I primarily strum, do some arpeggios/fingerpicking + taking some inroads into basic lead playing.

Thanks in advance!
Sasha

[redir]

It is a personal choice but there is an acceptable range too. Most of the playability issues I have found are more due to an improperly tuned up nut so you may want to have that checked out. A well tuned up nut makes a huge difference in playability.

After that I generally go for 3/32nd inch on the Low E and 2/32nd or 1/16th on the high e measured from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the strings respectively. That is what I consider optimal action. Some will want lower then that but they have to have a very light touch or be willing to accept a buzz. Others will want higher but typically no higher then 1/8th on the Low E and 3/32nd on the high.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by sashapak

My new guitar Cole Clark Angel 2 has got higher action compared to my other guitar Eastman E10SS.

Combined with harder coating on the strings I'm finding it hard to press down the strings well enough. Sometimes I end up having some buzzing because I don't apply enough pressure on the strings.

Now, I had the Cole Clark played by two of my friends who play guitar professionally and both of them liked it and said no action adjustment was necessary. One of them plays classical nylon string, another plays steel string finger style.

The finger style player actually said he's trying to increase the action on his guitar cause that makes hammer-ons easier.

Before I spoke to them, I was intending to get the Cole Clark serviced and action lowered. Now I am thinking if I should persevere with the current setup and just learn how to switch between the lower action on my Eastman to the higher action on the Cole Clark.

My question is: what is the optimal action for a guitar? Is it a personal choice and preference? How much of it depends on the style of playing? In my case I primarily strum, do some arpeggios/fingerpicking + taking some inroads into basic lead playing.

Thanks in advance!
Sasha

The short answer is surely that it is a personal thing!

The slightly longer answer is that I am sure your friends are right in what works for them and that it might in time be better for your style as well.

Playability of an acoustic guitar depends on many factors, not least the shape and dimensions of the neck as well as string gauge and height plus neck relief. Lowering the action is a case of adjusting the bridge saddle (sanding off the bottom in very small but even amounts) and then adjusting the relief if necessary. If it doesn’t work out then make sure you have a new saddle on standby!

I find hammer-ons easier with a low action myself so your friend’s preference for a higher action is a bit puzzling - but that said I don’t do tapping or exotic styles on my acoustics and only do “normal” hammer-one when soloing.

[Jamolay]

May be drop a gauge in strings or tune down a half step. Play it for a while and then move back up?

[rmp]

I think with this topic, everyone is looking for something slightly different...

Around 5/64s L.E. 4/64s H.E. seems to be a defacto that works the best for all my 6 strings acoustics, I use 12s.

I've played a few of my friend's 6 string acoustics w/11s & real low action. My ears tell me that they loose quite a bit of volume and power when setup that way. They play great though, so there is a compromise to be made.

[Mirosh]

One suggestion is to keep the original saddle as is. Shim it if you want to try a higher action. You can always go back, and you can have a new, taller saddle made any time - or just play on with the shimmed saddle.

[Mandobart]

I've found 2.0 mm (~5/64") at the 12th fret on the low E string (I'm an outlier - when I say low I mean the lowest pitch/frequency, not the string closest to the floor when playing) to work the best for me on all my steel string guitars.

[Silly Moustache]

The most published action height is 3/32" (.09375") bass and 2/32" -1/16" (.0625") - That's 2.38 & 1.59 m/m resp.
I prefer mine to be more like .100 bass and.080" treble.

However, one needs to consider relief. I know that Collings recommend a relief of .005" but they make strait , accurate necks which, frankly, you really see on high volume producers.

I hope that a tech or two will advise about how to set relief before setting action.

[mirwa]

The other thing to take into consideration, cole clarkes are not like most other guitars built by main stream manufcaturers these days.

A neck reset is near on impossible to do on them as they have an integrated neck to top, this means all action adjustments are done with the saddle or bridge thickness

[Brucebubs]

In many ways you've answered your own question - your Cole Clark should be as easy to play as your Eastman.

In fact if you decide to have your CC set up then take your Eastman in with you and ask to have the CC set up to match.

I did that many years ago with a new Martin 12-string and my older Guild 12-string - I asked to have the Martin set up to match the Guild and the results were fantastic.

[sashapak]

Originally Posted by Mirosh

One suggestion is to keep the original saddle as is. Shim it if you want to try a higher action. You can always go back, and you can have a new, taller saddle made any time - or just play on with the shimmed saddle.

I find the action a bit too high actually for my liking. Looked up "shimming the saddle" - it looks interesting, may use this technique in the future once I feel more confident with DIY

[sashapak]

Originally Posted by redir

It is a personal choice but there is an acceptable range too. Most of the playability issues I have found are more due to an improperly tuned up nut so you may want to have that checked out. A well tuned up nut makes a huge difference in playability.

After that I generally go for 3/32nd inch on the Low E and 2/32nd or 1/16th on the high e measured from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the strings respectively. That is what I consider optimal action. Some will want lower then that but they have to have a very light touch or be willing to accept a buzz. Others will want higher but typically no higher then 1/8th on the Low E and 3/32nd on the high.

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

[sashapak]

Originally Posted by Jamolay

May be drop a gauge in strings or tune down a half step. Play it for a while and then move back up?

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?

[sashapak]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

The most published action height is 3/32" (.09375") bass and 2/32" -1/16" (.0625") - That's 2.38 & 1.59 m/m resp.
I prefer mine to be more like .100 bass and.080" treble.

However, one needs to consider relief. I know that Collings recommend a relief of .005" but they make strait , accurate necks which, frankly, you really see on high volume producers.

I hope that a tech or two will advise about how to set relief before setting action.

Would neck relief still be applicable for the Cole Clark - they make a "Spanish heel" type neck where the neck is integrated into the top (or something like that)?

By the way, I've binged on quite a few of your Eastman reviews

[sashapak]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

In many ways you've answered your own question - your Cole Clark should be as easy to play as your Eastman.

In fact if you decide to have your CC set up then take your Eastman in with you and ask to have the CC set up to match.

I did that many years ago with a new Martin 12-string and my older Guild 12-string - I asked to have the Martin set up to match the Guild and the results were fantastic.

Yeah, I'm just challenging myself in case, I got too comfortable on Eastman.

It's a different shape guitar (bigger body and short scale) + I installed Martin Retro Monel's strings on it which feel easier on fingers.

Cole Clark is a different guitar and it has Elixirs (or something like that) on it - and I'm finding I need to get used to the actual strings as well as the higher action on the Cole Clark.