How high do you like your action?

[64Firebird]

when I was younger, I liked my action to be really low and I was always looking for ways to get it lower without buzz. These days, I like it to be really high. This way I can mute all the unwanted strings with my fret hand and swing my pick hand like crazy. Some of you may call that sloppy, but it produces a sound that you just can't get any other way.

 

[Track Rat]

My Tele is lower than low and plays like butter and I love it but my Strat is much higher and for some unexplicable reason, I seem to be able play a bit faster on it. Go figure. All my electrics are set up for .10's. Now on acoustic I like it as low as I can go without a buzz and have all my acoustics set up that way. The Martins are low and have excellent action but the Taylor is unbelievable. It plays like my Tele but with a wider neck.

 

[Stratomaster]

Low action is for wussies! Seriously though when I setup my guitars action, I raise it enough so that there is no buzz anywhere on the neck. Thats how you get the true tone of your guitar to come through.

 

[BrettB]

your intonation and sound is the best with high action. You only have to get used to it and it is maybe not so handy for Steve Vai like shit.

But for my bluesstonerrock songs, high action is the thing to do.

 

[lesterpaul]

worm belly

...thats how low ,th strat buzzes on th high E but only when you pick hard les paul buzzes at th high E only at th 12th fret, pisses me off but i can deal with it ...a buddy told me Neil Young said "no money was ever made past th 3rd fret" .........so i guess i can get some solace from that

 

[DJL]

I'm a bassist but I mess around playing guitar. I like my strings no higher than the thickness of a matchbook cover between the fret and string at the 12th fret.

 

[Cyrokk]

I like my action pretty low on electrics, but not so low that I can only feel the fret under my fingers (if that makes sense). Tone sounds like puss when it's that low. I prefer enough height to where I can dig into the strings when I am playing slower and heavier leads.

I have two acoustic guitars. My Takamine has very high action. This creates a beautifully deep low range tone, but is an SOB to play. I have to practice like crazy before I ever record with it.

OTOH, my Guild has a noticeably lower action, and it has a much more mid-range tone, but it feels fantastic under the fingers, making the instrument a joy to play.

Cy

 

[M.Brane]

About 1.5mm at the 12th fret on my electrics. 2-2.5 on my acoustics.

 

[flash2ace]

i lower my strings till they buzz on the frets and then i lift them till the buzz is not noticable and if i can adjust the truss rod to make them lower i will i use this method on my ibanez rg 570. i just bought a new strat (mexican made) and i put 13s on it and ive got them set for tone so they arnt nearly as low as my ibanez and 13s realy give your fingers a work out but man the tone is killer, on my ibanez acoustic i run 11s dean markley alchemys , i chose these over the elixirs this time because of a sugestion from the salesperson, i wasnt to crazy about the trebly sound of the elixirs although they retain this sound forever, i keep them as low as i can get them without buzzing. and thats pretty much my story.

 

[sheppard]

Re: worm belly

...thats how low ,th strat buzzes on th high E but only when you pick hard les paul buzzes at th high E only at th 12th fret, pisses me off but i can deal with it ...a buddy told me Neil Young said "no money was ever made past th 3rd fret" .........so i guess i can get some solace from that

neil young has no business commenting on the art of guitar playing.i do dig some of his acoustic stuff but,he really should walk
away from the electric thing.

 

[tdukex]

Steel string acoustics = low
Nylon = low-medium
Electric = low-medium

 

[6gun]

as low as i can get away with minimal string buzz.

 

[bdbdbuck]

Re: Re: worm belly

neil young has no business commenting on the art of guitar playing.i do dig some of his acoustic stuff but,he really should walk
away from the electric thing.

I don't think Neil Young has ever played above the third fret, he had to have some kind of excuse.


bd

 

[moley]

On guitar - about medium I guess.

On bass - low. Fretless. Mwah.

 

[Freudian Slip]

pretty low as long as it doesn't start muting my sustain & harmonics. Some times I notice that before it gets real buzzy.



F.S.

 

[Doug H]

medium high.

 

[David]

Strat with 11's, action so high I should be shot. But I love all the meat i'm getting on my high E, I can't explain it any better sorry

 

[hixmix]

"High or low, I like my action where ever I get itl"

 

[DeadPoet]

bass player here.

Medium action I guess. I'm a strong right hand plucker so rather a bit too high than too low.
I used to tweak my instruments a lot, but since I got my Ken Smith, it was so well adjusted it needed nothing extra.
I try to keep different axes with different setups available all the time though, my work goes from jazz to fusion to salsa to punk, so I have to be ready for everything.


Herwig

 

[CDT-sHaG]

i only play acoustic..13's on my yamaha and seagull....12's on my taylor..i like them all to be around 3/16"-1/8" or so at the 12th fret (I'm estimating this with a ruler at work since I'm not home and near my guitars)...is that high or medium or what? I play percussive jazz-funk so it works well for me there...