UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45
Maybe I don't want my action so low???
What's Hot
I generally like to get the action on my guitars relatively low, but here's the thing. Relating to my recent 'scalloping a fretboard' thread - I bought a cheap neck and scalloped the top 8 frets or so. I fitted it to one of my guitars for a tryout. Initially the action was sky high so I stuck an expensive shim in (Cornflakes are £2.75 these days!). The action was still - to use a technical term, mad high, but I just wanted to have a go and I couldn't be arsed with all that taking the strings off again.
Well, I liked the scallops, and the neck generally felt nice to play. Enjoyably so! After a day or two I stuck another shim in to get the action lower, but weirdly it just didn't play as nicely. It was no longer playing like butter, more like treacle, or maybe porridge that doesn't have enough milk in, but I digress ...
So a day later I changed it again back to the original setup. Woah! the magic is back! This was actually unsurprising from a logical point of view but I'm just trying to enhance a rather dull story.
Well, having had a little fun with the mistress, I went back to my good lady and number one guitar. That kind of fails as my guitar is most definitely not female, it's just wood and bits, but having started the sex analogy I kind of felt obliged to run with it. Note to self - avoid dubious analogies. So yeah, picked up no 1 strat and it just felt a little weird, a little low on the action front (Own up - who was that at the back saying just like your sex life???). It just seemed a tad 'dead' to play in comparison.
So the next logical step is to raise the action on my strat and see what I think. I'll probably have a go later today and report back.
Strat action is probably about 1.2mm at the 12th fret
Scalloped neck about 2.5mm at the 12th fret
The higher action just feels better for bends and vibrato*, also the notes are ringing out quite nicely. I will be interested to see if it 'improves' the strat in my eyes, or better still, in my hands.
*It should be noted that my vibrato on bent notes is bloody awful, but it really does feel easier.
Any comments on action in general feel free to toss em in!
2 LOL 0 Wow! 1 Wisdom · Share on Twitter
Comments
Actually, I hate low action on a guitar. It neuters the tone and kills sustain, plus I hate how it feels!
Low action is great for legato and such but doesn't do much for dynamic playing IMHO. But each to their own, of course.
If it feels right, and you enjoy playing it, then it's right.
But no-one ever reads the manual.
That lady/sex/mistress stuff makes me do a little vom in my mouth.
I wonder if Rodin referred to his chisels as his sexy bitches.
Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
I recommend this approach to everyone.
I'd say 1.2 mm is ridiculously low.
LOL at the "expensive shims" comment (that's what your LOL is for, not that it's a stupid thread or anything like that!)
My band, Red For Dissent
I don’t normally set them to those measurements - I set them to how the guitar plays, feels and sounds - but that’s what I then find if I check.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson
I don't like it too low, but I also don't like high actions. I'm happy to trade some fret buzz when banging out riffs for a lowish setup. But I hate it being so low high up the fretboard that it's hard to get under the strings to bend them.
That said, this obsession did get me to finally fix and shim the neck on my Ibanez.