string action low or high?

[dennistruckdriver]

it's better to let everyone think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.....
.....ps dont bother replying, i aint listening...

Wow. I really got told!

 

[snaredrum]

Wow. I really got told!

 

[MaiL3sP4ul]

Wow. I really got told!

Vox Wah's are sooooo much better..

 

[LesPauI+SG=Win]

It seems to me it was a sarcastic question. And when you say newbie, I am not really sure that has any significance to me. Maybe it does to you as a fellow newbie with 60 posts? I certainly don't lose sleep over what random people think or don't think about me.

Tell you what, if it was a sincere question than I will list what it says in the Guitar handbook, which is one of a dozen old books I have lying around about guitars.

Raise string height for:

Increased volume and tone
Ideal for rhythm playing

Lower Action for:

Faster lead playing
Volume and tone may be slightly impaired

Wait im confused. If the action was higher, wouldnt that take away from volume because of the increased distance from the pickups? And lower acton would be louder? I think its all a bunch of BS. The only way I can see how tone would be impared is if your used to high action or low action. If your used to high action and play a guitar with low action, I can see where tone would suffer because it would be harder or "different" to play.

 

[River]

Wait im confused. If the action was higher, wouldnt that take away from volume because of the increased distance from the pickups? And lower acton would be louder? I think its all a bunch of BS. <snip>

Action's measured from the frets, not the pickups. You can always raise or lower them independently. But I agree with you that if you raise the pickups along with the action, you're not going to hear any differences.

 

[LesPauI+SG=Win]

Action's measured from the frets, not the pickups. You can always raise or lower them independently. But I agree with you that if you raise the pickups along with the action, you're not going to hear any differences.

Exactly what I was saying. I dont get "MIJ" 's argument.....

 

[MIJ]

Somehow I knew this thread would still be alive. I probably deserve it. I apologized to the poster in question on another thread if I misinterpreted his style of questioning for the 'alpha male staking out his territory'.

As far as any other debates about string action, I am not going to get involved. Every book I have read says the same thing. I am not smart enough to challenge the theories of string vibration that I read in books, and I personally can hear the difference in tone that comes from string height.

 

[River]

<snip>As far as any other debates about string action, I am not going to get involved. Every book I have read says the same thing. I am not smart enough to challenge the theories of string vibration that I read in books, and I personally can hear the difference in tone that comes from string height.

I'd welcome a link to something that says that about electric guitars and backs it up with technical data. I can always be learned up.

 

[E6type]

As far as any other debates about string action, I am not going to get involved. Every book I have read says the same thing. I am not smart enough to challenge the theories of string vibration that I read in books, and I personally can hear the difference in tone that comes from string height.

Your argument was difference in volume not tone regarding string height.

That's what you get nowadays, with your cityfied school and your fancy book learnin'.

 

[Dolebludger]

Well, if you raise the bridge on an LP guitar, you will also create a sharper string angle for the bridge to the TP. Some who like the tone and volume that results from more downward string pressure on the bridge may like this. But those who like the tone of a top wrapped TP (and resulting shallow angle from bridge to TP) may not like this change. In any event, it won't be much of a change. This is the only factor I can see whereby lowering or raising the bridge could effect the tone mechanics of a solid body guitar. And even it can be counteracted in some instances by adjusting the TP height.

 

[stevie777]

Wow. I really got told!

dennis! get of my case man....FFS

 

[Eggy]

I personally can hear the difference in tone that comes from string height.

Wait a minute.......

Is your real name Eric Johnson ?

 

[GibsonByBirth]

Wow fun way to spend Saturday night.