D3R3K1600
First Lieutenant  Posts: 3 Registered: 7/17/2008 Status: Offline
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posted on 7/17/2008 at 04:14  |
What's a good method for beginning to set the action on a newly strung
guitar?
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Guitar101
Moderator   Posts: 453 Registered: 12/22/2003 Status: Offline |
posted on 7/18/2008 at 10:17, Reply 1 |
It really depends on the type of bridge/trem used.
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bobgowen
First Lieutenant  Posts: 13 Registered: 8/26/2008 Status: Offline |
posted on 8/26/2008 at 14:24, Reply 2 |
That was a nice, thorough answer, and I'm sure it helped the person asking
the question.
While it does depend on what type of bridge you have, setting action is
very simple. First, you need to make sure that the guitar is strung to
pitch. Tune it to whatever tuning the owner uses. Next is adjust the
truss rod if needed. You want a very slight amount of relief in the neck.
If the neck is perfectly straight or has backbow in it, the strings will
possibly touch the frets and cause buzz. Remember, just a slight amount of
relief. Next, retune to pitch if adjustments were made. After that, the
nut height needs to be checked. Nut height is checked by fretting each
string on the SECOND fret. There should be enough clearance between the
FIRST fret and the string to fit a sheet of paper. If you have too much
clearance, you will need to file the nut slots. This should not be done by
anyone but a professional. If you dont have proper nut slotting files and
experience, bring it to a shop, and just pay for a professional setup.
Anyway, if your nut slots are too low, you need a new nut. If the nut
slots are the right height, you can now set your action. A general
starting point for action height is 2/32 on the high E and 3/32 on the low
E. Action is measured at the 12th fret, and the measurement is from the
bottom of the string to the top of the fret. Bridges that are pre-
radiused such as Floyd's and Tune-o-matics are the easiest, all you do is
raise/lower the outside posts. Bridges with individual saddle adjustments
can be a little difficult. You not only have to adjust the action of each
string, but you must also maintain the radius as well. I hope this
helps.
Bob
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Guitar101
Moderator Posts: 453 Registered: 12/22/2003 Status: Offline |
posted on 8/27/2008 at 09:21, Reply 3 |
It also helps when the original poster replies with an answer 
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brian
Moderator  Posts: 1038 Registered: 12/22/2003 Status: Offline |
posted on 8/27/2008 at 09:24, Reply 4 |
In most cases the nut will not need any work unless it was replaced and cut
wrong.
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