Low action: pros and cons

killthepixelnow

killthepixelnow

Do it right or dont do it
Hi there, I own a Jackson RR3. I'm lead guitar in a death metal band so I must able to shred and solo and some chord progressions. A month ago I was surfing on a particular guitar board threat about low action strings. Lot of people were saying that it was perfect for speed playing and accurate sweep picking. Well, my playing is good enough so I tried it.

Now my guitar has low action and its great. Now, the problem is that is difficult to make some bendings, especially in the first two high strings. Maybe thats the price I have to paid to have a low action guitar. I forgot, I use 0.10 gauge D'addario strings.

Does anybody here have a personal story, advices or recommendations about low action or high string action?

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I thought this had to do with the guitar, not the strings :confused:

I change the action constantly and keep playing until my forearm is in utter pain and agony. This is probably why every problem I've had I've also overcome...so far. I have 6 guitars and switch constantly so as not to get too used to one individual neck. My main axe for shredding is a Jackson Soloist 2. However, since an acoustic guitar is harder to play, I usually practice my shredding/sweeping on my 12 string Guild until it sounds perfect.

When I need a workout I'll raise the action and when I'm jamming/playin a gig I put it kind of low but not too loose, all by adjusting the height of the bridge.

If there is a will there is a way, and one thing I know is the action will barely slow me down.
 
My LP has very low, flat action and my Strat has medium action. Both guitars use standard light-gauge strings with an .010 high E.

I find the LP much more difficult to do string bends below, say, the 5th fret. On the other hand, for moving rapidly across strings and doing pulloffs, etc., and playing around at the 12th fret, it requires very little effort.

The Strat's medium action allows me to do more expressive stuff down towards the nut. It's a little slower higher up on the neck. Since I'm not much of a speed player, it's not that important to me.
 
My Taylor 810 had superlow action, and it was great for lightning runs - but that's not my style. I'm more of the chunka-chunka strumming type. Give me a Gibson/Martin/Guild with the action up to the heavens for that loud cannon tone with no fear of buzzing or thin dynamics!
 
Well, it's always a trade off. I'm not sure how you can recommend one way or the other to anybody. You can learn to overcome the low action with your bending, and you can also overcome the other difficulties that high action presents. You can also shoot somewhere in between. I like the feel of higher action because I feel more free with vibrato and bending, I like to really move the strings. I think the guitar sounds a little better too. I don't think it impedes your speed at all if you get used to it.
I'm sure some people play with super low action with no troubles at all too, it just depends on what obstacles you are more comfortable overcoming.
 
The biggest problem with super low action for me is string buzzing and the occasional dead spot that appears because of slight changes in the neck, which equals more setups, etc. Your frets may need some attention too as every minute flaw could cause problems. Other than that and the occasional 'you're losing serious tone playing 9's with that action, dude' comments, I really wouldn't play with any other setup.
 
Mine is in semilow action. I'm about to change it to superlowaction... but I have to check the frets in order to do that. I'm not doing the job, I always give my guitar to a luthier. By the time the guitar is great, the only complai, as I said, is the bending problem but I'm getting acoustomed to it. I'm a "shred as fast as you can" guy so bends are a second choice in my soloing.
 
killthepixel said:
.....I'm a "shred as fast as you can" guy so bends are a second choice in my soloing.
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That is terribly unfortunate...but that's the sort of thing you base your set up on, so there's no real reason to seek a recommendation. You've already discovered the pros and cons on your own.
 
Low action would be nice. I just don't like the trade-offs.

First, is the fact that it's especially difficult to bend strings on a low action guitar. You have to squeeze down so hard to keep it from snapping out from under your finger. With high action, it seems like the vector of the force of my hand is at an angle. Since the string is fighting to stand up, it helps hold it under my fingertip. Does that make sense?

The second trade-off is in dynamic range. You can't pick a low action guitar as hard as you can a high action guitar without it razzing out. You need clearance for the strings to vibrate. Look at an acounstic guitar. You can pluck on really hard and it can deflect 1/4", can't it? If there is no room to vibrate between the fret you are squeezing and the next one toward the bridge, it bumps up against it and sucks up some of the energy of the vibrating string.

Lastly, you really have to dick around all the time with a guitar to keep the action low. Maybe not some of the set neck ones. But bolt-on guitars have to be constantly massaged to keep the right amount of bow in it. I like to leave some degree of margin for error in my guitar so these little fluxuations don't bother me. Maybe don't even break my threshhold of perception.

I know I don't play death metal. Something makes me think in 25 years, you won't be either. Knock your self out with the treated guitar now while it insterests you, but eventually, you will crave the tone of the guitar more than the notes. or maybe I'm full of shit.
 
What,specifically, is it about the lower action that's making it more difficult to bend the strings? What is the fret guage on the neck...are the frets high? I've been playing the same V for over 25 years and it's had low action/high frets since I bought it. It may be a matter of just getting use to it. If you're inntonation is good and the guitar stays in tune, the bending will take care of itself.


J.P.
 
sweetpeee said:
What,specifically, is it about the lower action that's making it more difficult to bend the strings?
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As cephus mentioned, it may have something to do with the angle of the string as it is deflected. Maybe it's a force vector thingy, or maybe it's just that with a low action you cannot get as much of the meat on your finger pads on the string since the string isn't angled as much.

But there definitely is a difference.

I'm sure there's a doctoral student in physics somewhere who's written a dissertation on the subject. When I find it I'll be sure to post it. :D
 
For me, bends on a guitar with really low action are mostly hindered by the surrounding strings. Yeah, you have to really press on the string hard to keep your grip on it, but as soon as you push it into the string above it, if the action is too low it will just push the original string out from under your finger. You can't get it in front of your finger tip....if that makes any sense.

Sure, you could develop more finger strength to counter this, but it just doesn't feel natural.
I am of course talking about a set up with REALLY low action. You can get your action reasonably low without running into that.
 
i set my action as low as possible for my playing style (hardcore/thrash), bends dont seem to be a problem, neither is sustain or anything else.

recommend: set it yourself to your style of playing...

i dropped mine a little too low, then play chords and note runs all over the neck with my usual picking/strumming style, if theres a buzz, or some trouble, just move the individual strings up.. in the end they should have a relatively good arch (like your fretboard) to them...

gl
 
metalhead28 said:
For me, bends on a guitar with really low action are mostly hindered by the surrounding strings. ....if that makes any sense.
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Yeah, that makes sense. When the action is a bit higher you don't just run into the adjacent string - your fingertip goes a bit under it.

Funny, I've taken this for granted for years without having given it much thought. I'm going to have to get the two guitars out of the cases tonight and do a careful, thoughtful, academic analysis. Right after I crack the first cold beer, that is. :D
 
you really just need to set everything where your comfortable playing it and can acheive what you need to.... It'll take you awhile to find the right spot, but you've got to mess with it.
 
Low action is easier to play, and intonation issues improve (you are not pushing the strings as far, so the string goes less sharp - this is not an issue if your guitar doesn't suck, but it is there).

HOWEVER, as the action gets higher you get a whole lot of other issues improving. The tone gets better, you get less buzzing, and you can bend farther before the curve of the fingerboard becomes a problem (fretting out).

If you are having problems with fretting out as you bend, then you action is likely too low. What happens is that, as you bend, you go "over the hill" of the fingerboards curviture, and you so the fret you are on is lower (along the length of the string) than the next fret.


There are other issues, buy that covers the biggest ones.




Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
killthepixel said:
Hi there, I own a Jackson RR3. I'm lead guitar in a death metal band so I must able to shred and solo and some chord progressions. A month ago I was surfing on a particular guitar board threat about low action strings. Lot of people were saying that it was perfect for speed playing and accurate sweep picking. Well, my playing is good enough so I tried it.

Now my guitar has low action and its great. Now, the problem is that is difficult to make some bendings, especially in the first two high strings. Maybe thats the price I have to paid to have a low action guitar. I forgot, I use 0.10 gauge D'addario strings.

Does anybody here have a personal story, advices or recommendations about low action or high string action?

...
Click to expand...

Mine is as low as it gets without fretbuzz. I also use Ernie Ball 8's on Drop D (Yes....Yes I know...)
I had a similar problem with the first two high strings as well. I fixed it by loosening the action screw on the high strings a little bit. It made a little difference in intonation but play around with a tuner and you should get it.
Hopefully it helps.
 
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