Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

So where do you guys, and gals like the string height set at on your electrics for soloing? I set mine a fair bit higher than the manufacturer recommended height. If I'm stretching the plain strings up, I like to go under the other strings rather than stretch 2 or 3 at the same time, and I find the higher action facilitates this. I guess the exception is when you want to catch a bit of the next string up for one of those growling squawks.

Low as it'll go and not fret buzz.

sanshouheil wrote:Low as it'll go and not fret buzz.

Ditto, except for slide.

90 dB wrote:

sanshouheil wrote:Low as it'll go and not fret buzz.

Ditto, except for slide.

That's some wild wacky stuff guys, I don't know how to really describe it because it's a personal "feel" sort of thing, but I just like that feeling of digging in when I push the strings down to the frets. Now I'm not talking about hugely high action, I'm talking about going maybe 3/16 instead of 1/8 on the low E at the 12th

I have smallish hands but a lot of strength due to all those finger tip push ups from Gung Fu.
I don't get a lot of arch in the finger and the lower set up prevents me from dragging and unintentional muting as often.
Keep in mind though I've only been playing since 2005.

sanshouheil wrote:I have smallish hands but a lot of strength due to all those finger tip push ups from Gung Fu.
I don't get a lot of arch in the finger and the lower set up prevents me from dragging and unintentional muting as often.
Keep in mind though I've only been playing since 2005.

WOW, 2005??? How did you come about taking it up so recently? I started playing guitar in 1968, it would have been 2 or 3 years earlier, but I started on trumpet because I was going through my Tijuana Brass phase.

I use 'Crane technique'

I keep mine a bit on the high side since I also play a lot of slide, about 1/8" or so. I've been playing that way for over 30 years so now when I pick up a guitar with really low action it's hugely uncomfortable, I can barely play the thing.

I've also learned over the years to either dig under the strings for bends or grab a second string if I want some extra squealies...

Found out in a magazine article around 10 years ago that's the same string height used by Clapton, Gilmour and Jeff Beck. Clapton never uses the tremolo arm so he locks the bridge down, Beck and Gilmour use the basic factory tremolo setup, Gilmour cuts the arm a little shorter. Eddie Van Halen sets his action just high enough the strings won't get any fret buzz. Way too low for me...

sanshouheil wrote:Low as it'll go and not fret buzz.

^^ same here. Sometimes when the action is too high my guitar's higher-register frets goes too sharp (out of tune) compared to the open strings.

I guess Im just a lumberjack, I just pick em up and play em.

I did take my ole EPI Sheraton and set the action real high for slide and put some tissue paper under the string next to the nut. You can hear that slide on Tush on here. I laid this little Fender SS amp I have on the floor pointed up between my legs and put that slide down.

Funny. the more I think about it, Ive just never worried about it too much.

Preferably a bit higher than the thickness of a cigarette paper, if I could get them that low.
I can still do a bend 2&1/2 steps on the G string. But it doesn't last long before it starts cutting into my finger. So a reasonable bend is pretty easy with low action. I use 46 -10 sets.

Dajax:

I was a jock in grade school with no time for band ETC.
In the late 70s I bought a Peavy T 40 bass and played in a garage band. We had a lot of fun but were never serious ( or sober ).
When I got married and went to work for Mobil Oil we moved to west Texas and my bass just kind of took a back seat to life in general and I ended up selling it so I could buy diapers. ( not literally but you get my meaning) The rest of my life was pretty much consumed with Gung Fu ( I trained pretty much every day for years and years ) I even turned down an offer to play in a band with a friend because I could not do both and do justice to either.
Ray came to me in 05 and I accepted the challenge to play guitar.
With the shoulder injures preventing me from fighting I gave up teaching and guitar became my gung fu. (translates as, skill thorough patient accomplishment)
Hence

[i]NOISY KUNG FU !![/i]

I bet your sorry you asked. LOL

figures,, Canadian ideals.