When is your action too low?

[wheelgunner]

I like a really low action. But when you really "twang" the wound strings, is any buzz acceptable?

[Thundergod]

It deppends on what you like... I think its low enough when it starts to buzz... then you highen it a little... but there are guys that dont mind a little buzz... I guess if you want to play faster than the wind, you can compromise sustain attack and a buzz free guitar.

[callen3615]

When the strings sit on the frets. LOL. I get all of mine as low as they'll go before they buzz through the amp.

[wheelgunner]

It deppends on what you like... I think its low enough when it starts to buzz...

 

I like it low enough to where there's a little "buzz," but that's just me. I like potted meat, too.

[phil325]

i guess i'm not much for extremely low action since any buzz annoys the heck outta me. i redid action and intonation because i couldn't play a C chord without hearing buzz. i went crazy on it and it's now a breeze to play. preference, my friend. preference

[Flight959]

+1 on what Thundergod said..

 

Flight959

[LPDEN]

I prefer a low (fast) action, but at the same time I have little tolerance for any buzzing up and down the neck. SO intonation for me is best achieved by having my set-up allow for the lowest action possible and then going up from there to eliminate any Buzz (much as T-Bird said). Going between lead riffs, barre chording and open chording up and down the neck can make one fanatical about a good set-up. I know it does for me.

[matiac]

I like a really low action. But when you really "twang" the wound strings' date=' is [i']any[/i] buzz acceptable?

 

Personally, MY action starts getting low when 300 pound women start looking attractive...just kidding, different people will tell you different things, some will tell you NO buzz is acceptable, others will say a littles ok because you don't hear it amplified. But yes hitting the string harder than normal will cause it to strike the fret causing the buzz you hear.

[RichCI]

I go for comfortable but not super low action as tend to play pretty hard. I can live a little buzzing but when I do get some that usually means that it's time to take a look at the truss rod.

[Thundergod]

 

Personally' date=' MY action starts getting low when 300 pound women start looking attractive...[/quote']

 

OMG

[L5Larry]

When lowering your action, the first signs of minor buzzing that you hear acoustically will not be heard when plugged in and amplified. Technically speaking, I think any audible buzzing when amplified is unexceptable

 

After adjusting the action to the lowest possible "clear" position, it is then a matter of raising (or not) the string height for personal preference due to playing style, feel, etc. I've found if my action is too low the string will slip out from under my finger during string bending. If it's too high it's makes chording harder, and extreme cases can affect intonation.

 

Since the style music I play uses a lot of "inside" chords and "melody" chords (very few barre chords, or first position open chords), I need to be able to "feel" the strings. Same thing with leads. The optimum string height for my playing style is what most people would call medium to high medium. Someone who chunks out mostly barre chords would probably want their action much lower.

 

In a nutshell what I'm trying to say is that many personal factors figure into to what is the best string height and action for each individual player and their style. The LOWEST possible action is NOT always best.

[callen3615]

 

Personally' date=' MY action starts getting low when 300 pound women start looking attractive...[/quote']

 

 

Haha!

[LPguitarman]

I like my action as low as it can go WITHOUT BUZZ.

 

I heard Jimmy Page has his set so low it is nothing but buzz. To each his own.

[DuaLeaD]

LOL callen3615....I LOVE YOUR SIGNATURE!!

 

Damn 16-year-old kids doing squealies!!

 

Learn from the master's master...Randy Rhoads!!

[Duende]

LOL callen3615....I LOVE YOUR SIGNATURE!!

 

Damn 16-year-old kids doing squealies!!

 

Learn from the master's master...Randy Rhoads!!

 

My favourite rock guitarist :)

 

I post at www.ultimaterhoads.com

 

Matt

[elessar820]

I like it fairly low. I always had a little bit of buzz, but I started to pick and strum a bit lighter and the buzzing was gone. It took some getting used to, but it works for me.

[retrosurfer1959]

No buzz at standard playing a little buzz is fine when you dig in but buzz is not acceptable to me at all in normal play

[cookieman15061]

I draw the line a midget wrestling.