Action...how high or low? - where do you like

[diek]

When I'm done building my guitars I usually set them up with pretty low action, but that depends on the guitar. My 6 strings are set up with .85 mm @ 12th fret on high E and 1.20mm @12th on low E. My 7-strings about the same. My 8 and 9 strings are set .81mm @ high G & E. I consider this pretty low, but some people don't like it that low. I like my action at around 1-1.1mm

How low do you jemsiter's like your action. And would you consider yourself a hard player, medium player, or someone with a feather touch. Also what guage strings do you use with this action. To set my guitars at super low action (.60mm) I have to be flawless in FB set-up. At that height, if a fret is even .0001mm higher than the next fret,you might get buzz. This is a focus group type question. Please answer with specific measurements (metric or standard is fine)

[ripl3y]

Well it all depends on the guitar, bridge, fretwire for me.

I have an old Charvel with pretty wide levelled frets (floyd bridge)
Now the action on that is pretty darn low, approx 1mm high E 24th fret and 1.5 low E 24th fret.

My DBK is a little higher approx 1.5mm high E and 2mm low E, I'd prefer it just slightly lower but it'll need a fret dressing first.

I use 9's on both of these.

My old (knackered) SG is setup slightly higher still, but strung with 10's and plays sweet.

I'm not a person for excessively low action, I think the Charvel is as low as I can go before it becomes unplayable (for me)

I suppose my playing style has a medium feel. I don't grapple with the neck, but I like to play quite "deliberately"

Steve

[armdias]

I have a VWH. I don't know if the action that it has is considered low or high, but it just came with that and it suits me.

I don't have any measure tool at my disposal, but since i use 2mm picks i measured my setup with that "tool"

I have about 2.1/2.2mm in the low E, 24th fret, and about 1.9/2.0mm in the high E, 24th fret.

Like i said, i don't know if this is considered a low or a high action. But i like it, it is "high" enough to allow some nice bends and whammy abuse and is "low" enough to allow easy legato runs.

But i guess it all depends on the player and the guitar.

[YngVaiTriani]

armdias - That's pretty low.

Diek - That's low. Why not have the action as low as possible as long as there is no fret buzz and the tone is still ok (which can be easily tweaked by adjusting pickup height) right?

[Devine]

I've found that action makes little to no difference if it's within a "reasonable" range, say 3/64 of an inch to 6/64 on all strings. *You get used to the strings after a few days playing.


-Devin

[johank]

I have 1.5 mm at the 12th fret on my RG.
I think that it is low enough. If I lower it more there will be less sustain and if will be more difficult to bend.

[YngVaiTriani]

Low action harder to bend? Easier I would think.
You don't lose sustain from low action unless it buzzes.

[diek]

I set it low because it's easier for a customer to raise action than it is to lower it. For example, people that are getting new Jems and are having problems lowering the action. If they got them extremely low and playable in the first place, then raising wouldn't require any major adjustment (or fret job) at all.

I rarely set it lower than .75mm because then you get into very procarious territory (buzzing,playability issues,etc). Especially in my region where the temperture and humidity can vary greatly on a daily basis. It becomes a game where my guitar laughs at me when I adjust it on a 50 degree 20% humidity day and the next is 82 degrees and 95% humidty. Plus, since Maryland is at the confluence of the gulf stream, northern mountain effect and the southern upwind, I live in one of the most radical weather enviroments in the US.

Low action is not harder tension wise...that's dependent on the string gauge. But it is more difficult to get a good dig. Which makes it more difficult to push up on for a bend. I've never had action affect my sustain unless as YngVaiTriani stated "it buzzes"

I like my personal action @ 1.1-1.2mm depending on guitar. I set low at construction so I know the fretboard is ready for anything. *On my 8 and 9 strings, some people will play these in the vain of Stanley Jordan, Charlie Parker, etc. Thus low string action is necessary. Thanks for the input, keep it coming!