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

[Musicman65]

I'm exactly the opposite. I started out young working on my own gear. Short of replacing frets, I do my own setups. Its not rocket science. Its geometry. If you never try, you'll never learn. I work on my own cars, computers, etc. I do leave matters of life and death to the pros! (Doctors, lawyers)

Feel free to adjust your action...just read a bit first, ask questions, go slowly and measure the changes. Your guitar has a nice measurement system built in....perfectly straight strings! Use 2 hands and lightly fret a single string at frets 1 and 20 at the same time. Observe the distance the string is above the fret at fret 7 (midway between 1 and 20). This is the relief. Tighten the truss rod and this decreases. When it touches the 7 fret, the neck is straight. You probably want some relief to allow the string room to vibrate without buzzing. The string osculates more at the center so relief is needed. How much depends on how hard you pick and your action preference. You can pluck the string while double fretting and listen for buzz in between frets 1 and 20. I like mine to buzz slightly then losen up the truss so it begins to ring freely. Thats my perfect relief. Find yours and you'll have an easy, no tools way to check any time.

The bridge height determines overall string height so adjust it last. Lower it until it buzzes excessively based on your preference. Recheck your neck relief if you change the bridge height much. Large changes affect the amount the neck bows forward under tension. Check relief and action on all strings. Floyds have fixed saddle heights and shims are available to adjust them. Ideally, the bridge saddles are arched the same as your neck. Retrofitted Original Floyds don't match a stock Fender neck which has more radius curve. The middle strings are always lower action due to the mismatch. Shims under strings D & G are usually enough to get low action if desired.

Don't be afraid to learn...but be cautious enough to prevent damage!

bd

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This post has been edited by Musicman65: Jun 26 2013, 01:32 AM