action

[TelePaul]

hey anybody know off hand a general string clearance for an acoustic? How does 2 mm at the 12th fret sound?

[muttley600]

Depends on string length, String gauge, neck relief.

What guitar? What strings? 2mm at the 12 fret is OK but on the low side. Where are you measuring the action, high E Low E?

[TelePaul]

Martin D 15, 12 guage thomastiks, low E at 12th fret. Thanks for this man.

[Dani Pace]

If it dosen't buzz, 2 mm at the 12th is good, better than most in fact. Around 4 mm at the 12th is probably clocer to average on acoustic, I consider 2 mm good on electric.

[TelePaul]

Originally Posted by Dani Pace

If it dosen't buzz, 2 mm at the 12th is good, better than most in fact. Around 4 mm at the 12th is probably clocer to average on acoustic, I consider 2 mm good on electric.

Im measuring from the actual fret to the underside of string...thats correct yes?

[Dani Pace]

Yes, we are discussing the actual space between the string and the fret.

[TelePaul]

great im pretty please so...is there a trick where you fret the first and 12th, go to the 6th fret and try pass a lectrum under the low E?

[Dani Pace]

I check neck relief by pressing a string (low E is easiest) at the 1st and about 15th fret, then check the space between the string and fret around the 7th fret. I look for about enough space to pass a medium pic between the string and fret. If the frets are good this is usualy enough to eliminate the buzz or fret rattle.

[Light]

Spec action for a Taylor is 2/32 on the treble side, and 3/32 on the bass side. That would be about as low as you can go and still have your guitar be playable. Martin spec is a little higher at about 2.5/32 and 3.5/32. That would be about the middle of the road, and where I think most people should start out. It gives you a reasonably easy feel, but also gives you enough of a dynamic range without buzzing that you can make real music. Martin spec USED to be 3/32 on the treble and 4/32 on the bass. That is high normal. If you play loud and hard all the time (if you play bluegrass, for example), then that is where you will probably need to end up.

I'm not real good at metric conversions, but 2mm seems really low, if I remember right.

Oh, and measure all of these from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the string.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[muttley600]

With a string gauge of 12's your gonna need a real good neck setup if you want to dig in and not get choking or buzzing. Lights specs for Taylor and Martin are about what I understood them to be. A rough conversion would be

Taylor 2/32" = 3.1mm
Martin 5/64 = 4.2mm

A good compromise between playability and sound for 12's would be somewhere in between. If 2mm works for you tho stick with it if it plays as you want.

I set up my acoustics with 12 -53's and aim for 3.5mm and 5.5mm. As you go down the gauges to 10's or 11's you need a higher action and you lose a lot of punch from your tone as well.

Neck relief needs to be what it needs to be and I don't measure it anymore but set it for the strings the customer asks for.

[TelePaul]

well thanks alot for that guys youve been really helpful