Guitar action
I am truely a beginer and new to TG as well. I just bought a Takamine G544 accoustic. I am a little concerned on the action at the high end of the neck. Should the action be equal across the neck? and what is the proper or average distance from fret to string, say at the 14th fret? I thought the guitar should have come "Tuned" maybe it is but it seems the string to fret distance at the high end of neck is significant, at least 5/16ths, maybe more. Any advice? Thanks, love the site so far.
WOW! Big welcome to the program from Oregon! We're really glad to have you with us. I hope you will go over to the Please INtroduce Yourself thread and tell us a little about yourself; your real name, where you live, what your musical aspirations are and what you hope to get out of the TARGET program. Don't worry, it's painless and we've all done it! We're a very close knit community and we really enjoy getting to know each other!
You question is a big one but a good one at the same time. First, there is no ideal or correct height for the action on your guitar. I would say the correct height is as low as you can get it without causing a buzz anywhere on the fretbaord, including barre chords and all capo positions and with any and all playing styles you employ.
If you are a hard strummer (banger) and you play without amplification you may need a higher action. If you are a delicate fingerstylist you may get away with a very low action. This is totally a trial and error thing and you will be very lucky if you get it right on the first try,
The height of the strings over the frets increases very slightly starting at the nut (the peghead end) and going the length of the fretboard. If it didn't, the strings would buzz when you depressed a string anywhere on the fretboard. The straighter your neck, the smaller this increase can be. It's just geometry.
Guitars never come from the factory with good actions. This is because the neck constantly moves, especailly when new, and if they set the guitar with a low action it will buzz. And that's not a good marketing ploy since who will buy an instrument that buzzes?
I have written this so many times I can't tell you but take your new guitar to a competent luthier or repair tech and have them set it up properly by adjusting the neck for straightness and set the action using the criteria I mentioned above. This will cost you $35 to $75 and it is the best money you will ever spend. I have my guitars set up usually once every year or two and it's like getting a new guitar back. Well worth the investment!!
Finally, the guage of the strings you use will have a major impact on the action. You simple CAN'T change guages once your guitar is setup because it will change your action. Lighter strings will sit lower in the nut slots reducing the action and heavy guage will ride higher and thus further away from the frets.
I recommend you use .012" guage strings. The larger the gauge, the better the sound but the harder they are to play. .012 (usually called lights or sometimes medium-lights) seem to be the best compromise. I use .013 on my fingerstyle guitar, .012 on my main, everyday "working" guitar and .010 on my 12 string. Others may feel differently but if we took a poll (there's an idea!) I'll bet we'd find that .012 is the most common choice.
Anyway, let me know if you have more questions and I'll try to answer them for you.
Again welcome, enjoy this wonderful program and happy playin!
Cheers! :cheer:
You question is a big one but a good one at the same time. First, there is no ideal or correct height for the action on your guitar. I would say the correct height is as low as you can get it without causing a buzz anywhere on the fretbaord, including barre chords and all capo positions and with any and all playing styles you employ.
If you are a hard strummer (banger) and you play without amplification you may need a higher action. If you are a delicate fingerstylist you may get away with a very low action. This is totally a trial and error thing and you will be very lucky if you get it right on the first try,
The height of the strings over the frets increases very slightly starting at the nut (the peghead end) and going the length of the fretboard. If it didn't, the strings would buzz when you depressed a string anywhere on the fretboard. The straighter your neck, the smaller this increase can be. It's just geometry.
Guitars never come from the factory with good actions. This is because the neck constantly moves, especailly when new, and if they set the guitar with a low action it will buzz. And that's not a good marketing ploy since who will buy an instrument that buzzes?
I have written this so many times I can't tell you but take your new guitar to a competent luthier or repair tech and have them set it up properly by adjusting the neck for straightness and set the action using the criteria I mentioned above. This will cost you $35 to $75 and it is the best money you will ever spend. I have my guitars set up usually once every year or two and it's like getting a new guitar back. Well worth the investment!!
Finally, the guage of the strings you use will have a major impact on the action. You simple CAN'T change guages once your guitar is setup because it will change your action. Lighter strings will sit lower in the nut slots reducing the action and heavy guage will ride higher and thus further away from the frets.
I recommend you use .012" guage strings. The larger the gauge, the better the sound but the harder they are to play. .012 (usually called lights or sometimes medium-lights) seem to be the best compromise. I use .013 on my fingerstyle guitar, .012 on my main, everyday "working" guitar and .010 on my 12 string. Others may feel differently but if we took a poll (there's an idea!) I'll bet we'd find that .012 is the most common choice.
Anyway, let me know if you have more questions and I'll try to answer them for you.
Again welcome, enjoy this wonderful program and happy playin!
Cheers! :cheer:
Welcome, olddog51, from Texas. Bear's right, the action has many variables. I use 12s mostly on my acoustics. There are videos (YouTube?) that will give you an idea of proper action within acceptable ranges.
Check with your local guitar shop or other players nad find out who does good setup work in your area.
I have a 1981 Ovation that is my main guitar and the action is set rather low because I fingerpick a lot. When I strum really hard (occasionally) with a pick I'll get a buzz now and then, but I like the lower action so it's no big deal.
Welcome again to the site.
Jerry
Check with your local guitar shop or other players nad find out who does good setup work in your area.
I have a 1981 Ovation that is my main guitar and the action is set rather low because I fingerpick a lot. When I strum really hard (occasionally) with a pick I'll get a buzz now and then, but I like the lower action so it's no big deal.
Welcome again to the site.
Jerry
Takamine generally builds their guitars to use size 12s. Not always, but you really want to use what they have designed it for. Smaller and you won't have enough stress on the neck to keep it in place and too much, it will bend in and could really damage your guitar over time. A good Luthier will know what your guitar is supposed to have on it and will adjust it accordingly.
Welcome OLDDOG51 from another 'old dog'. Glad to have you with us. BigBear and Songman are right on the money, take that new Takamine to a good luthier and have a setup done. Show the luthier your playing style and ask for his suggestions for string gauge and manufacturer. The second best money you will ever spend since joining the TARGET program. If you need any more help, just ask.
Bill
Bill
olddog51 wrote:
You can find a lot more on this stuff at frets.com and other sites.
No, the height should not be same across the neck. Lower strings need additional height because the distance they travel while vibrating is greater. The additional height prevents fret buzz by providing additional clearance. Rule of thumb says the action height of the high e string should be 2/64" less than the low E string. Action height is usually measured at the 12th fret, and usually expressed for the low E string. Heights can, and should, be set for specific purposes, but 6/64" is a general purpose figure with good playability. Also check the nut, as I find this has an even greater effect on playability and the versatility of the guitar. With the low E string fretted between 2 and 3, measure the clearance between the bottom of the string and the top of the 1st fret. The target measurement should be about .010". Repeat for the high e string, and look for a target of .006".Should the action be equal across the neck? and what is the proper or average distance from fret to string, say at the 14th fret?
You can find a lot more on this stuff at frets.com and other sites.
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6stringbostic
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the reason i started playing guitar is because i thought i would get more "action"
maybe my improvements from tg will finally help me achieve my goal...
maybe my improvements from tg will finally help me achieve my goal...