Height of your strings!!!

[MKibanez]

I'm curious, what is the height of your strings over the 12 fret?

 

[lespaul6]

1/16" on the low E and maybe a little less than that on the high E... that's approx. the width of a business card from the bottom of the string to the top of the fret.

 

[Code001]

Low E - 3/64''
High e - 1/32''

 

[EVHpickdust]

1.5mm on each

 

[Bloodrock]

Jesus! How do you guys do bends? Mine are around 1/8in. Likes me some high action like SRV with thick strings. Can't do 2 step bends with the strings laying on the fretboard!

 

[War Admiral]

Yeah I cant play with low action like that...good for legato but terrible for digging in for bends and whacking the strings with a heavy pick imo of course

 

[Lampshade1973]

Im at 1mm at the 12th, low but not too low I cant bend....neck with slight relief as well...

 

[Code001]

Can't do 2 step bends with the strings laying on the fretboard!

Sure I can...

 

[mniel8195]

I have had various guitars with different radius fretboards, bridges, and nuts and i always settle on 2mm on the bass side and 1.5 on the trebble no matter what! Even with perfect frets you still get buzz going under that under most playing conditions. Don't forget the relief as well!

 

[cardinal]

Wow. I never measured mine before, but on at least one of them it's 2 mm at the 1st string and 3+ on the 6th. Moderate repief in the neck. Any lower and there's serious rattling on full step bends (particularly if I pick aggressively) and on the 6th string above the 12th fret.

Guys with action lower than this: do you have compound radius boards or really flat boards? Even with immaculate fret work I can't imagine having less than what this guitar has.

 

[mniel8195]

It think guitars need a bit higher action with anything at 12" or lower radius on higher notes on the fretboard. I have a 12-16 and i have no issues with bends but i have had issues with straight 12". I think my next guitar will either have a flat 14 or 16 or have something like a 12-14. The 12-16 is nice but the difference is pretty apparent.

 

[Rich7620]

I've never actually measured mine I just set them up to what feels good to me and what's playable.

 

[Meathead]

I like a standard strat, which has a pretty rounded fretboard radius. I set the action as low as it can get it without fretting out on bends, or bottoming out when i play hard on rhythm.
I've had some guitars (Charvel's, Ibanez's, Wolfgang's...) with a flatter board radius, where you could set the action so low that I couldn't actually get into playing it, couldn't dig in with the right hand. You have to play too softly.

It's good to dig in on an old strat with fairly low action. You should play the guitar and adjust the action to your playing style...low is not always good if you have a heavy right hand.

 

[marshallmel]

5/64" with .11's No one ever wants to play my guitar.

 

[Anonymous]

5/64 on my les pauls on both sides

4/64 on my ibby's

 

[War Admiral]

5/64" with .11's No one ever wants to play my guitar.

This is about right

 

[Bob Savage]

It's not the height that matters, it's how you use it.

 

[marshallmel]

5/64" with .11's No one ever wants to play my guitar.

This is about right

My guitars give most people a hernia.

 

[War Admiral]

It's not the height that matters, it's how you use it.

you know thats bullshit eh?

 

[War Admiral]

5/64" with .11's No one ever wants to play my guitar.

This is about right

My guitars give most people a hernia.

Guys that have a millimeter at the 12th with 8 or 9s yeah of course lol