Think your action is high?

Yeah, I saw other fotos with that action.
Wonder what this did to his intonation.

Keep in mind he mostly played 2 or max. 3 strings at the same time.

 

From freddiegreen.Org

As the years passed, Freddie Green kept raising the action on his guitar and eventually it was at least 10 millimeters at the 12th fret

 

He must have really hated fret buzz. I mean really hated it.

 

We've got it good these days. Most guitars back then didn't have a truss rod. Or a guitar tech at the click of a button. They played though. .....If your in a situation where you have a crap guitar and nothing else and need to play? An artist/ musician will pick that piece of crapl up and try to make the best of it. Sometimes magic happens! Keep on pickin!!!

 

That's insane. I too am wondering about his intonation.
I remember a rig rundown with J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr showing the action on his jazzmasters and it was ridiculously high, and even higher on both E strings because of the mismatch between the smaller radius and the TOM bridge he uses.

 

Pre internet, intonation problems hadn't been invented yet...

 

Looks like my first guitar, a cheap import from the 60s. Originally a 12 string but it had 6 on it when I started playing.

 

Uh, not anymore.

 

Go to 1:35 and listen for 10 or 15 seconds...and watch the vid carefully then too.

I don't think that action was doing him any favours.

 

Buddy’s low E. 1968
I’m guessing the other strings were similar.

 

Well....because most guitar "players".....are kinda wimpy and fiddly Freddie played hard and such...

 

He was playing an acoustic guitar with an 18 piece big band. They put a mic on him but I'm sure it was a constant struggle to be heard. His function was almost more percussion than anything else so I expect he figured that what he lost in intonation was worth the additional volume. Not a job for a wimp fer sure!

 

J. Mascis. Always sounds in tune and intonated when I hear him play. Easily as high or higher than that above. I recall reading a story that multiple techs have offered to "fix" this for him and he refuses.

 

Ha! Beat me to it. I was going to mention J Mascis too.

 

Freddie Green didn't play " crap " guitars. His archtops were very expensive in their day. Strombergs & such did have truss rods. He was part of the rhythm section in a big band setting pre electric. His high action was just part of his style. Or, maybe he just liked it that way.

 

Freddie Greens high action is for projection and volume on an acoustic guitar. Horns are loud.

 

I would give up playing guitar. I hate high action.

 

yeah, I have that record in my car!