String height adjustment

[webhead]

Any help would be appreciated... I never really dove into "tinkering" with my guitars. I always had someone assist me. I have a new 360 and I need to lower the action. Am I able to do this without adjusting the truss rods? I remember years ago some guy at GC told me that if I adjusted string height, I had to adjust the neck.

[kcole4001]

If you adjust the neck, you pretty much have to adjust the height of the bridge, but not the other way 'round.
Adjusting the 4 allen screws at each corner of the bridge should get you where you want to go.
Of course, you may want to flatten the neck first if it's not already flat.

[jingle_jangle]

This is covered in some detail in the owner's manual. You need an Allen wrench of the proper size and a 1/4" longhandled ambihelical nutrunner to do the job properly on a new Rick.

Kevin's right--the neck should have NO relief. Then you can adjust the bridge height. If your guitar is new, the bridge should be right about at the middle of its vertical travel. If it's not, you need a truss rod adjustment, too. I'd also check that it's running the correct strings. If it's not, the extra tension could bow the neck and increase the string-to-fret distance.

The whole neck/truss rod/bridge construction on a Rick is beautifully designed to respond to very small adjustments, unlike baseball-bat Fenders and Les Pauls.

[firstbassman]

I was also told to loosen the strings a little before adjusting bridge height. And, of course, re-tune when done.

And speaking of string height, as a very amateur guitarist I have not a pet peeve but perhaps a peculiar perspective on this.
I have found the action on every single guitar I’ve owned (except one) to be too low. I know that really good guitar players, especially fast lead players, like the action to be very low. So I guess the instrument manufacturers are appeasing them. But with the action so low I get fret buzz on the low strings at many, many frets. And I always have to raise the action up. ( I guess maybe when playing at 115 decibels, fret buzz doesn’t really matter.)
One time, as mentioned in another thread, my guitar tech took about five attempts before he fixed the action on my acoustic.
We’re talking about hundredths of a millimeter here. I can’t believe real guitarists can’t play with a higher action. But I guess not.

The one exception to my action problem was my first 360/12. It was perfect right out of the box! But my second (the one Paul signed) is again a little low. But what do you think Kantner said the second he picked it up? “It needs to have the action lowered.” [!]

[webhead]

Thanks for the info guys!

[doctorwho]

Action is strictly one of those personal-preference things; it's also dependent on how hard one plays and how one strikes the strings.

Mark, I agree that there should be no string buzzing at any fret and if there is, the action is too low.

[tony_carey]

If you bend strings, then the action HAS to be a little higher, to allow your bending finger to slip under the next string. As a rule of thumb, a blusey style player will have a higher action & a speed player, a lower one. If I have to adjust mine at all, it is always up.

This rule of thumb doesn't apply to the likes of Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanon etc.....

[jingle_jangle]

Tony, with all due respect, I've never bent strings like that. You must be getting about a fifth bending that far!

When I bend, I end up bending adjacent strings, too, as my finger moves that far. Since I'm only picking one (generally) you can't hear the ones that are along for the ride.

But I've never gotten my finger under a string...

[tony_carey]

You took me a little literaly Paul. You're complete finger doesn't slide under, but a very small part of the tip does. If the action is too low, bending is difficult without this extra clearance. With the correct action, the adjacent string is muted, as your bend finger is pressing firmly against it. Using the tension of the adjacent string also helps in pitching acurately when you are bending 'wildly' (unless you are performing double stop bends).

Bending strings is a major part of my playing....

[ozover50]

Hmmmmm.... Sometimes I've thought about calling the fire brigade or Emergency Services to get my finger out from under the adjacents! I often get a 'twang' from them when I bend or release - nails and callouses catching (even though my nails are cut really short).

I'm working on muting those little buggers next door! I've also discovered that it's often better to bend 'down' rather than 'up' depending on the string and location on the fretboard. Bending 'down' pretty much mutes the adjacent on the downstroke.

I have a lot to learn and a lot of practice to do, methinks....

[tony_carey]

Howard, if your finger is slipping under the adjacent strings too much, then your action is probably a little high. Stopping the little noises from other strings is sometimes as much right hand technique, as left.

[ozover50]

Abosulutely, Tony! The right palm and the outside of the pinky get regular gigs!

I think my technique has a lot to do with it, Tony. I probably force the adjacent string up rather than slip under it. My preference is for a low action because I play mostly chords and find the transition easier. I tend to use the ends of the finger when I bend rather than the fleshy pad on the underside. Watching somebody like Dave Gilmour makes me wonder.........

On a side issue, are we still OK for the weekend in October?

[tony_carey]

We certainly are Howard...got a date yet?

[ozover50]

Yes indeed! I'll email you with the details.

H

[ken_j]

Fret board radius also plays a part in string height adjustment when string bending techniques are used. For example look at an older Fender that has a 5" or 7" radius. If you were to have low action and bend a the B string to the center of the fret board it may very well ground out on the next higher fret than your finger is at due to the fact that the fret is already higher than the string even when played open. I think playing styles have influenced guitar design over the last few decades. Hence the more common radius of 10", 12" and even 15" used today.