Dead basic action question...

[RhytmEarl]

How low is low?

What is too high?

I'm asking because I'm having a small problem with my Telecaster. Now, for me comfortable action is what I'm guessing is fairly low. I like 1 to 1.5 mm of clearance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret at the 12th fret.

The reason I'm using metric is not cuz I'm Canadian but because my "feeler gauges" are guitar picks, the ones sized by thickness in metric. Yes they're not scientific instruments but for what we're measuring, they're handy and good enuff for me.

Back to the Tele. I have to set it at 1.5 mm on the high E string because there's one note that frets out on a bend, the D note on the B string at the 15th fret. I'm thinking of asking my local luthier to do a light fret dress to alleviate the problem but another side of me is wondering if I just want it "too low". I don't really think so, cuz all my other electrics are set to that level or lower and play just fine, even the other 7 1/4" radius necks.

Oh and one other thing, I adjust my truss rod so that the neck is as close as possible to dead straight making sure I err on the side of concave rather than convex. After decades of fooling with necks trying to get the best action I've found that dead straight is the best. Dan Erlewine thinks so too according to an article of his I read long after I had come to the conclusion myself.

So anyhow, you luthiers and player/tinkerers out there....how low is low enuff for you?

[Nick Fanis]

I also believe that a dead straight neck w/ heavy strings and LOW action is the ticket to great tone and playability (I have read the same D.ERLEWINE article).All my guitars have a low action and a very staright neck.I use 011-048 strings and they play like butter.

[bluesy]

For a 7 1/4" radius fretboard, try placing a capo at the 1st fret then setting the low E at 6/64" at the 17th fret and the high E at 5/64" at the 17th fret for starters. You can go to the link below to print a radius guage, use this to "blend" the rest of the strings into the the proper radius to match the fretboard.
According to Mr Gearhead, a vintage radius requires more relief than a modern radius, .006"-.010" measured at the 8th fret is a good starting point in my opinion.
One thing I strongly suggest you do is purchase a 6" ruler (graduated in 64th") a set of automotive feeler guages and a cheap capo......this will make setups ALOT easier!

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguardian/

[Dacious]

I think you need slightly higher action and more relief for big bends on a vintage radius. Too low an action on a dead straight neck will limit your dynamics, because heavier picking or plucking will rattle or buzz the strings. Then it actually gets harder to play, because you have to be 'tight', focussed and controlled all the time.

People IMO confuse easy to play with low action. If the nut regulation and neck relief is right, playing should be easy anywhere on the neck even with a few more mills under the strings. The guitar will also intonate easier.

• Fret your strings at the first fret, and check how much clearance you have at the second fret.
  
  Now unfret and check clearance at the first fret - the clearance unfretted at the first fret should be the same as the clearance at the second while fretted at the first.

Almost never will you find a guitar setup to correct nut slot heights new out of the box. It almost always means the guitar will play harder and intonate less well than it should. These and neck relief will determine how low your strings should go, and how easy and toneful the guitar is to play.

[superreverb65]

alright here my action...

high e 12th fret top of fret to bottom of string 3/64

low e 12th fret top of fret bottom of string 4/64ths

[RhytmEarl]

Originally Posted by superreverb65

alright here my action...

high e 12th fret top of fret to bottom of string 3/64

low e 12th fret top of fret bottom of string 4/64ths

That's pretty close (10%) to 1 mill on the high e, 1.5 on the low.

[Baard]

I like it the same way....pretty close to straight. As close you can get, without it actually beeing dead straight. And the action on a 7,25redius/wintage fret tele neck needs to be a bit higher than on a 9,5 ´radius medium jumbo frets neck. And 009 strings needs a bit more clearance. than 010 strings.I used to set my tele up going from 1.2 mm clearance up to 1.8 mm at 12.fret, when capo-ing at the 1st. fret. Lately I´ve discovered that i need a bit more. It depends on how straight and level the frets are in the first place. I also think that tuning and intonation is improved by raising the strings a bit.(with a flat neck.) If you have too much relief then it will be harder to get consistant in tune action all over the neck.







Baard