Raising the action instead of going up a gauge?

[msalama]

Yo, a dumbish take here, but lemme just go out on a limb still. A man needs regularly to be put down, lest he forgets what he is!

Anyway, suppose that you didn't swap in a heavier gauge for a guitar that feels too slack, but just raised the strings some? I've found many guitars strung with e.g. 09s benefitting from this a lot. Less buzzes, more sustain, better sound, faster playability still and so forth, yet feeling roughly as stiff as my usual 10s to me because the action is higher.

Also, how about not going up a gauge on a shorter scale guitar either, as many do? A Lester with 10s will feel very much like a Tele strung alike, if you just raise the action and set 'er up again. I mean, why not play around with the perceived stiffness for a change, instead of concentrating on the raw string pull all the time?

Now, I do realize this can't be an overall substitute for going heavier, since it changes the general character and feel of the guitar a lot even if the stiffness remains about the same. But still, why not try this as an alternative just for the heck of it?

 

[msalama]

PS. I also seem to remember Steve Vai advocating something similar at one point, but am not sure of it just now. May well be a false memory for all I know.

 

[The Eggman]

I've often considered this, but for me, with light gauge strings it's the slackness of the feel against my pick that I don't like, and that doesn't change when you raise the action. I like tight strings and firm picks. Also some people think the action I use with 11-52 gauge strings is already kinda high.

 

[telemnemonics]

Higher action may feel like added tension to the fretting hand but not to the picking hand.
I would say higher action only helps sustain if the action was really too low.
If low action is high enough for the strings to all ring clear at every fret, higher will not add anything.

Due to monsoons of rain for weeks I had to raise my action tonight though I could have loosened the truss rod too.
Action height but also relief, combined with gauge and touch.
Making your hands and ears comfortable by any means at your disposal is the correct answer!

 

[msalama]

is the correct answer

Of course it is. Yet, I've found the above helps a lot with some guitars, even if it's not a proper substitute for gauging up when needed. I must dig up what Steve Vai said about it, if anything...

 

[msalama]

not to the picking hand

Well there's that obviously, but changing the string gauge always forces a slight readjust of playing technique anyway, I've found. Nothing drastic of course, but there're little things you've got to take into account still.

 

[sadfield]

I always raise my strings for tone, so won't see a difference. With Gibsons you've got the bridge/stoptail relationship to use to your advantage. My SG has 10s on it, with the stoptail raised, it feels like 9s to bend, but has a a bit of bounce(?) for riffs. Which is the opposite. Younger me would be trying to get the action as low as possible. Dickhead.

Off topic, but I do find it funny when I buy a used guitar and set it up. Often the action is low and once raised the sound blooms, I wonder if the previous owner would have sold it had they known.

This is a great demonstration of it

 

[msalama]

once raised the sound blooms

Yeah, I've found this to be true as well. Happened f.ex. with this MIM Tele I bought recently, since the previous owner had his action ultra low. Once raised it really came alive.

 

[cyclopean]

you won't get that full thick sound and they'll still buzz and go sharp. you're only going to wear out your left hand faster.

 

[Boreas]

Raising string action partly effects tone because it is essentially lowering the pickup height. Many pickups sound sweeter when lowered. But some stay with heavier gauges for the particular pickups they are using.

So yes, fiddle about as you wish, but realize there are many variables at play - particularly attack strength. We tend to automatically back off a little with lighter strings.

 

[bumnote]

What type of headstock? A Gibson style headstock can add or lessen tension due to varying break angles on the headstock. Slap 11's on one of my short scale guitars and instead of feeling like the 11's would on my Les Paul's, they feel like 12s.

 

[cousinpaul]

I'm pretty much a 10's player but have had some luck with 11's combined with a top-loader bridge. It's a bit stiffer but not too stiff for bending. Having said that, I'd probably first try less relief for a stiffer feel, keeping my action in the goldilocks zone.

 

[Holy smokes]

Only you and you alone can determine what’s right for you.

 

[msalama]

Only you and you alone can determine what’s right for you

As surprising as it may sound, I actually know this. But I can't necessarily imagine what's right for others, and hence my asking. They call it exchanging thoughts and ideas, y'know?

 

[msalama]

won't get that full thick sound and they'll still buzz and go sharp

If I put on nines and raise them higher, instead of my usual tens? Not necessarily, I've a set on one of my Teles and it feels very much like another one with tens on - intonates correctly, strong full sound, no buzzing, similar tactile feedback, and even the PUs still had plenty of travel for readjustment. YMMV of course, but this is what I found.

 

[KATT]

It would be worse for both hands for me. An action that feels too high for my left hand and a slackness in the strings which will force me to play with a softness I don't like with my right.

I don't always pound away at the strings with my right hand, but when I do, I don't want that horrid out of tune twangy noise when I do!

I don't think I have my action too low anyhow, so perhaps it doesn't apply to me and I tend to stick to gauge 10 for standard Tele/Strat scale length and 11 for standard Gibson scale length.

 

[Thebluesman]

Yo, a dumbish take here, but lemme just go out on a limb still. A man needs regularly to be put down, lest he forgets what he is!

Anyway, suppose that you didn't swap in a heavier gauge for a guitar that feels too slack, but just raised the strings some? I've found many guitars strung with e.g. 09s benefitting from this a lot. Less buzzes, more sustain, better sound, faster playability still and so forth, yet feeling roughly as stiff as my usual 10s to me because the action is higher.

Also, how about not going up a gauge on a shorter scale guitar either, as many do? A Lester with 10s will feel very much like a Tele strung alike, if you just raise the action and set 'er up again. I mean, why not play around with the perceived stiffness for a change, instead of concentrating on the raw string pull all the time?

Now, I do realize this can't be an overall substitute for going heavier, since it changes the general character and feel of the guitar a lot even if the stiffness remains about the same. But still, why not try this as an alternative just for the heck of it?

Raising the Action=The strings tension at pitch does NOT change ,,,,only the ''The distance between the underside of the string to the fret top(s) does! It is that difference the fret fingers will feel when fretting a string etc..-To change the feel//the specific ''strings Tension''...Opt for a heavier gauge !

 

[msalama]

Opt for a heavier gauge

You misunderstood. This wasn't about string tension and I didn't even mention it in my original post.

 

[Thebluesman]

You misunoerstood. This wasn't about string tension and I didn't even mention it in my original post.

1)No you didn't mention String Tension specifically but it DOES relate to it !
2) Action>String height...is what the fret fingers ''Feel'' Raise or lower it ..Affects the overall resulting Feel=a chain reaction in the set up...which is too personal taste etc.
3) Fret finger strength ,which is ''Instinctively '' applied also steers the choice for 1 & 2 & 3 the Relief that thus suits also.
Change 1 or 2 or 3...or all has an effect...upon a desired set up that suits etc.

 

[msalama]

upon a desired set up that suits etc

Yes, I know the basics you so kindly listed there, per se, and also do know that changing one's action doesn't change the physical string tension one bit. But you're still not getting it, because I was explicitly after a change in playing FEEL without altering the string pull. Call it an alternative method if you like, because it's an interesting approach for increasing dexterosity without affecting things like string bendability too much, and Paul Gilbert f.ex. has experimented with it and reputedly likes it a lot.

I hope this clarifies it some? Because if not, I'll just have to stop answering since we're talking past each other here.