Action; Too High Or Medium High? Options

[sammetal92]

I know I've been posting a lot of forum topics to ask questions and get help, but please bear with me

This time, I wanted to talk about the action. I know you need to turn the pivot stud clockwise or counter-clockwise to decrease or increase the string height above the 12th fret respectively.

The thing is, whoever I've talked to told me never ever to turn the screws with the strings in tune, no matter if you have an OFR or a licensed one. The studs grind against the knife edges which is not the kind on movement they have been designed for, they're only designed to act as a pivot for the bride to tilt either up or down.

The truss rod; I doubt it needs adjustment, the neck is pretty straight. And even if it did, it mostly affects the frets below 12.

Question is: is there a "proper" way to adjust the action? Because so far, to me, the process of detuning the strings and then lowering or raising the bridge seems the only "proper" way, because taking the bridge off, and then adjusting the studs is more of a guessing game, because if you don't get it right, you need to pop it off again and get it where you want it and also keep it balanced.

So what do I need to do to get this action as good and even along the neck as possible? Also, do tell if you know of a way to not go through the hassle of balancing the spring and string tension to get the bridge straight after adjusting the action. Would blocking the bridge would work in this case? (Pictures below)









EDIT: Sorry about that, my tuning was off when I took that picture, had to adjust the fine tuners. The action is NOT uneven on the different strings as it looks in the pictures. But you get my point.

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This post has been edited by sammetal92: Jun 23 2013, 09:43 AM

[waynedcoville]

I know I've been posting a lot of forum topics to ask questions and get help, but please bear with me

This time, I wanted to talk about the action. I know you need to turn the pivot stud clockwise or counter-clockwise to decrease or increase the string height above the 12th fret respectively.

The thing is, whoever I've talked to told me never ever to turn the screws with the strings in tune, no matter if you have an OFR or a licensed one. The studs grind against the knife edges which is not the kind on movement they have been designed for, they're only designed to act as a pivot for the bride to tilt either up or down.

The truss rod; I doubt it needs adjustment, the neck is pretty straight. And even if it did, it mostly affects the frets below 12.

Question is: is there a "proper" way to adjust the action? Because so far, to me, the process of detuning the strings and then lowering or raising the bridge seems the only "proper" way, because taking the bridge off, and then adjusting the studs is more of a guessing game, because if you don't get it right, you need to pop it off again and get it where you want it and also keep it balanced.

So what do I need to do to get this action as good and even along the neck as possible? Also, do tell if you know of a way to not go through the hassle of balancing the spring and string tension to get the bridge straight after adjusting the action. Would blocking the bridge would work in this case? (Pictures below)









EDIT: Sorry about that, my tuning was off when I took that picture, had to adjust the fine tuners. The action is NOT uneven on the different strings as it looks in the pictures. But you get my point.

Well there a few factors determining string action.
The truss rod controls the necks relief. Most players refer to this as the amount of bow that is in the neck. The straightness of the neck can be limited by several factors. Relief is calculated with the instrument tuned to pitch. We can measure relief using a straightedge, or simply by using one of the strings as our straightedge. With the string touching the first and last fret on the neck when can compare the straightness of the string (or straightedge) with the curvature of the neck. Measuring the distance between the bottom of our string and the top of the 7th fret we can determine how much bow (relief) is in the neck. When too much neck relief is present tightening the truss rod will help to counteract the pull of the strings and straighten the neck. When the neck is too flat to play cleanly, or has begun to backbow, loosening the truss rod will reduce the backwards tension on the neck and enable the strings to pull the neck forward, creating more relief. The amount will vary according to the amount of adjustment needed, the necks density and the type of rod. Regardless, adjustments should always be made in very small increments, 1/4 of a turn would be allot of adjustment for many instruments. Start small! And yes seasonal changes affect your instrument, since its made form wood that reacts to temperature and moisture changes.
The height of the bridge and it's saddles greatly affect the distance between the strings and the frets. Electric guitars are equipped with several different styles of bridges and tremolos.
Often overlooked is string height at the nut. While moderately high action at the nut may be tolerable to many players it's effect on intonation should not be overlooked. Each string, from nut to saddle, most be of the correct length to produce accurate notes when playing up the neck. If the guitar's bridge (or saddle) sits too close to the nut it will cause sharp intonation. To check the height of your pickups fret the neck on the very last fret (this is as close as a string is likely to come to the pickup). Then measure from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the string on both the bass and treble side.
Pickups that are sitting too close to the strings can cause havoc with intonation. If you are having an unexplainable issue trying to intonate your guitar, lower the pickup and try again. Rule out magnetic pull before proceeding. Strong magnets such as those found on most single coil pickups generally require about 3/32" gap between string and pole. Active pickups can be set closer. I normally leave at least 1/16" so the pickup does not interfere with picking.
I play bass so I had to do some research on the Floyd Rose floating tremolo which seems to have lovers and haters. While it may the right tool for the job, it doesn't come without it's fair share of headaches. For those not using their floating tremolo, it is a simple matter to block the tremolo and essentially make it a hardtail. On the top of the bridge are 6 small thumbwheels which serve as fine tuners. Because most instruments equipped with these tremolo's also incorporate locking nuts, tuning must be done at the bridge. To the rear are allen head screws which press against a small block inside the bridge's saddle which acts as a vice for holding the end of the string securely. When replacing a string, the screw is loosened and a new string (minus it's ball end) is inserted into the space in front of the small block. The string lock down screw can then be tightened. Loosen one of these and your saddle may go flying forward, wreaking havoc on the intonation. These screws clamp down on the saddle and keep it in place. They are loosened when intonating the instrument requires the saddle's position be moved forward or backward. Most bridges have two holes in the plate beneath the saddle to permit greater flexibility of positioning. If intonating the saddle requires it be moved considerably, changing holes may be required to allow the saddle mounting screw to contact the saddle firmly.
Good luck and Hail Satan.

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