Who likes really low action and flat relief on electric guitar?

[Colo Springs E]

I find that a quarter turn of the truss rod to flatten the relief works wonders 9 times out of 10, if an electric guitar's playability isn't working for me (ie, the action is too high).

When I flatten the relief, I find it can get most electrics set up with pretty low action, which I have to have. This of course is assuming there's no problem with the frets and/or the nut.

How do you like your electric guitar set up?

 

[Sparky2]

Right one half-smidge above string buzz, please.

And I don't care about neck radius, in case that comes up.

 

[brookdalebill]

High action, flatter radius (12 inch), heavy strings (12-54), little or no relief, por favor.

 

[radiocaster]

Relief depends on what works. Sometimes the action can't be lowered more. What is low and what is medium is an opinion.

 

[thunderbyrd]

I don't think I understand what relief is. I know I can't deal well with too low action, but it's hard to describe... at the 12 fret, I want to slide a nickel in there without touching.

 

[dlew919]

Freddie green liked to make sure he pushed them down further than the depth of the neck.

 

[NWinther]

All my guitars are set up to where they sound good, I do not mash my strings but I also do not use a low action either, necks are adjusted again to where the sound is good and the strings feels lively and firm.

I really dislike low action that makes the guitar choke when you push it, I like it with some air and freedom to it!

 

[Cyberi4n]

0.0035 neck relief, low action, 9-46 strings, on either a 9" or 12" radius neck suits me just fine.

 

[hemingway]

Action pretty low, but I'm not obsessive about it.

Pretty damn flat neck if I can.

 

[drmordo]

As low as I can get it, I don't mind a bit of buzz. I know it's too low when I start fretting out on bends.

 

[Si G X]

My necks are essentially straight, with just a tiny tiny amount of relief, literally a hair of relief that isn't really measurable but you can just about feel it when you tap on the string.

action is wherever it feels good to me, which might depend on the guitar but around the 'medium' area I would guess.

 

[Hodgo88]

Normal playing, flat relief and slammed, 9-46. Looking for about 2 or 3/64ths on the treble side.

Slide, I've been experimenting with balanced tension sets of 11s and 12s set about two to three times as high (7/64 - 1/16th treble side) with a little more relief.

 

[RomanS]

High (VERY high - around 3 mm for the low E) action, and almost no relief is my preference.

 

[11 Gauge]

I've currently got about a dozen electrics, and I pretty much deal with each of them as to whatever their particular characteristics will allow. So for like two of them, the action is pretty daggone low. One of those two has a Tele neck by an unknown vendor, and it's like somewhere between a 10" to 12" radius, and it's a thin (e.g. not deep) and wide neck. The other has an older MIM Nashville Deluxe neck, which I guess is a modern C with a 9.5" radius (although it kind of feels deeper/thicker than a modern C).

For many of my other guitars, the action/relief is higher/greater. This is especially true of my two Teles with 50's-spec necks, with their 7.25" radiuses, even though I'm using modern Gotoh 6-saddle bridges with both of them.

...I've also notice that on many of my guitars that the first string tends to have some banjo-buzz when played unfretted, but it honestly never seems to bother me enough to fix it.

Oh yeah - I now use just a standard 10-46 set on just about everything, regardless of scale length. The majority of my guitars tend to have 25.5" scale lengths though.

 

[Thebluesman]

I find that a quarter turn of the truss rod to flatten the relief works wonders 9 times out of 10, if an electric guitar's playability isn't working for me (ie, the action is too high).

When I flatten the relief, I find it can get most electrics set up with pretty low action, which I have to have. This of course is assuming there's no problem with the frets and/or the nut.

How do you like your electric guitar set up?

As low whereby a FLEA couldn't limbo dance beneath the strings suits ME!

 

[Colo Springs E]

As low whereby a FLEA couldn't limbo dance beneath the strings suits ME!

A guy who used to own a guitar shop here locally--and is a MONSTER guitarist--used to say, "if it ain't buzzin' a little, it ain't low enough" LOL, my kind of guy!

 

[schmee]

Not sure what high is. I like about .070 on the High E and .090-.100 on the low E.
.008-.010 relief. But near flat is good on the right guitar. Used to go near flat on most, but relief seems to make it resonate more.

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

Flat as possible, low as possible, all my guitars buzz a little. That's fine.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I've been playing acoustic since I started in 1975- and for the most part, that means Medium to 'low-medium' action, some relief, and (mostly) 12-53 strings.

So I feel I'm pretty similar on electrics-
moderately low action ( no buzzing), some relief on neck. Mainly 10-46 or 9.5-44's strings.

Fret size and radius doesn't seem to mean too much, as I think I've played everything- but I do like a C-shaped neck

 

[PhredE]

Right one half-smidge above string buzz, please.

And I don't care about neck radius, in case that comes up.

I find that a very tiny twist on the truss rod works wonder to eliminate buzzes that sometimes occur at changing of seasons.

I like fairly low action with almost no relief. Got all my guitars strung with medium gauge and I don't do much bending these days. Setup is for fast but clean (no buzzes).