SC_Wannabe Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I'm just wondering what string height people are running on their short scale Gibsons. I've never had a setup done on my J50, but the factory action at the nut is very low. String height at the 12th fret was a bit high, but it was very playable in the first position and up to about the 5th fret so I've kept it at the factory height since it was new. I did take the under-saddle pickup out early on, so I'm sure that lowered it a bit. So the other night I started wondering how the J50 would play/sound with a lower action. I dug out that Colosi bone saddle I never really cared for and started sanding away. I'm not sure how high the 12th fret action was to start with on the factory saddle, but by feel it's a bit lower now at 3/32" on the low E. While that's a respectable action height, there's still room to go down. I kind of hate to take the expensive bone saddle down any further just as an experiment, so I ordered a new Tusq saddle and will take it down lower. How about everyone else? What's yer action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 As low as possible without buzz using .12s. I've started using rotosound acoustic strings after reading a post here. They lower your action a tad bit more then a lot of strings. I'm loving it. When I had my J-200 set up the luthier asked me how low. I said just a tad below..low. I don't have the guts to sand my saddle though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I'm just wondering what string height people are running on their short scale Gibsons. I've never had a setup done on my J50, but the factory action at the nut is very low. String height at the 12th fret was a bit high, but it was very playable in the first position and up to about the 5th fret so I've kept it at the factory height since it was new. I did take the under-saddle pickup out early on, so I'm sure that lowered it a bit. So the other night I started wondering how the J50 would play/sound with a lower action. I dug out that Colosi bone saddle I never really cared for and started sanding away. I'm not sure how high the 12th fret action was to start with on the factory saddle, but by feel it's a bit lower now at 3/32" on the low E. While that's a respectable action height, there's still room to go down. I kind of hate to take the expensive bone saddle down any further just as an experiment, so I ordered a new Tusq saddle and will take it down lower. How about everyone else? What's yer action? I use .012 gauge strings too. I like it mine a bit lower then factory specs personally (usually 6/64 ~ 4/64 well, that's for Taylors anyway) Some where within a whisker of 5/64 low E and 3/64 high, works ok for me. you probably have the process down anyway, but.. for what it's worth.. http://www.taylorguitars.com/global/pdfs/action.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Mine is the high factory setup. I've never measured it, but it's higher than any other guitar I pick up..... I just figured the frets will last longer so I got tougher...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Mine is the high factory setup. I've never measured it, but it's higher than any other guitar I pick up..... I just figured the frets will last longer so I got tougher...... Tends to be the other way, Murph, higher action means tougher grip or the death grip, more pressure on frets, quicker indentations... low action allows for a lighter touch and less fret wear, but it's all down to the grip if ye ask me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Never measured it but I like it a bit higher than many seem to prefer (based on what most folks who have played my guitars tell me). It works well with the way I play and I am convinced pulls more sound out of the guitars as it drives the top more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainpicker Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I run mostly .12's and I'm in the 5/64ths low E, 3/64's high E camp. I play very percussively at times and I don't get any string buzz with these settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 At my age I'm not gettin...oops wrong forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Run Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Hi, I'm using Martin SP 80/20 11-52 on my SWD and lowered a tusk Graphtech saddle to 5/64 and 4/64 at the 12 th fret without getting any buzzing string even playing hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 At my age I'm not gettin...oops wrong forum Hahaha Fred I just about pissed myself!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Hahaha Fred I just about pissed myself!! That's yet another part of getting old....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 That's yet another part of getting old....... hilarious but unfortunately true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC_Wannabe Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 Sounds like I'm in the ballpark with my 6/64 low E string height. I'll take the new saddle down to 5/64 (when it gets here) and see how I like it. Thanks to all who replied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbutkus Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 There was a time when action on a guitar was not so important to me. Now a few years older, it has become the first thing that I have adjusted on any new guitar acquisition. I've been dealing with an arthritic condition in my hands for the past few years and I find it hard to play guitars with a higher action now. Light gauge strings have never been my favorite but they are now a necessity. Unfortunately I feel that the lower the action is and the lighter the strings are the more likely you are to lose tone. Also if you live in a colder climate (like Canada)your guitar's action can be a task to maintain during the dry winters. If the action is as low as it can be without buzzing it soon becomes unplayable when the humidity drops. Even with a humidifier the wood can do some wicked things when winter comes(sound like a Stark from Winterfell there ;) ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Ditto on the lower and lighter as I get older Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 While Pasqual the repair guy at Alex's Music was going back and forth trying to lower the action on one of my guitarts,Alex blurts out..he wants the strings below the fingerboard. So true. Thats how low my action is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubee Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I honestly have not measured any of my guitar's string heights for a bunch of years. What I do know is that I like it high enough that I get no buzz flatpicking up the neck, and I pick fairly hard. I also bend strings & want clear notes when I do it up there. So my action is kinda high compared to some of my friends guitars. I've done quite a bit of my own saddle work over the years and what I finally arrived at was: get it OK for me in dry conditions & then live with it should things get humid. Nothing worse to me than playing a guitar with action too low for that guitar. I do think that most flattops can be set up to play pretty low & fast but some are more of a challenge than others. Some guitars are also far more sensitive to humidity changes than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbutkus Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 While Pasqual the repair guy at Alex's Music was going back and forth trying to lower the action on one of my guitarts,Alex blurts out..he wants the strings below the fingerboard. So true. Thats how low my action is. Gotta see if my guitar guy will do that for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Tends to be the other way, Murph, higher action means tougher grip or the death grip, more pressure on frets, quicker indentations... low action allows for a lighter touch and less fret wear, but it's all down to the grip if ye ask me.... I get the "wear" part, but my MIND says a higher action will tend to "fret out" or "buzz" later/less if the action is higher and the string doesn't touch the next fret due to the greater angle. My MIND has lied to me before on several occasions, though...... <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I get the "wear" part, but my MIND says a higher action will tend to "fret out" or "buzz" later/less if the action is higher and the string doesn't touch the next fret due to the greater angle. My MIND has lied to me before on several occasions, though...... I think the wear n tear perspective should always come second to player preference and comfort though, be it high or low, repairs and touch-ups are all part of the lifecycle of the ownership of the guitar. I must admit I don't like it too low myself, a hair or two under the factory setup is fine for me, so I'm definitely in the 'medium' region for action rather than low, the buzzin' from too low a setup gets on my wick quite quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 After playing for decades, I am still sometimes shocked at my lack of guitar knowledge. No joke. In all sincerity, I don't believe I have ever measured string height. I probably should, but I don't know what it would change for me. If I have a setup done I just tell them as low as it can go without buzzing. If I buy a guitar and the playability is perfect for me, it's likely I'll never change it. I don't know if one string is a bit higher than another, etc. So long as the guitar is easy on my fingers, I just play it. If I don't feel or hear something wrong, then I just go with it. Like what I suspect a few others do, I use light strings on my guitars now. Of course, that doesn't necessarily fix a problem. It might just hide it.......Anyway, good thread. One of the few on "string action" I think I've ever taken the time to read. It's still not likely I'll start measuring the height of my strings, but I might notice differences more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 "I probably should, but I don't know what it would change for me." other than make you now obsess about the measurements,, probably NOTHIN... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markini Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I am getting older and have some nueropathic problems in my fretting hand (herniated discs never repaired), but the lack of strength and numbness tend to go away after a good warm up. In the past I preferred the lowest action possible, but now on my Gibbys which are all dreads I prefer medium action and at least 12 guage strings minimally. I am 61 and you would think I want an easier setup, But I learned the hard way on too low an "action" especially on my Gibbys. I played the fret buzz and saddle shaving game. At too small a guage of string and a real low but playable action the guitars sound puny. I mean the fullness is gone and my ears don't like it and it detracts from the pleasure of playing. I am judicial about barre chords, but mostly I play the first 5 frets, further up the neck I fingerpick and use triads for strumming. I don't care for capos either, unless its a song my vocalist needs for a certain key. I like open tunings but pretty much for slide guitar. When the old back and left hand start acting up, I switch over to my GS mini or an electric guitar. Just my view point. My main health problem with playing guitar is summoning up the physical energy. I still try to play one hour a day on acoustic and one hour on electric guitar. For what its worth Dylan's "Dont think twice" sounds very decent and singable in the key of G and you use all open chords. (10 chords in that song) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 there just ain't ten chords in that song no way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 there just ain't ten chords in that song no way Certainly not the way I play it......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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