the mod squad
a long-time Guitarist reader has had an unfortunate playing experience and wonders if there’s one ‘action’ for all. dave burrluck considers his dilemma…
QThere is something I have spent years trying to work out, but have never been able to get right – that old dilemma,‘action height’. I know we all have different-sized hands and finger length, guitar neck profiles, and so on, but is there a perfect or universally accepted standard action height for guitars that suits nearly all of us?
The reason I mention this is because I’ve just bought a brand-new PRS 408.I took a big risk and bought it from a well-known guitar shop but online. I was told it is set up ready to play straight‘out of the box’, so I was expecting a guitar that was set up and ready to go, with an action height that would be playable by‘most people’.
My PRS arrived just before I was due to leave for a gig and so I loaded it into the car and headed off without first checking it over. I used the new guitar for the soundcheck and when it came to the first solo and a big long sustained string bend with deep vibrato at the end of it, I bent the B string up a few of notes, but the action was so high my second finger slipped under the G string and wouldn’t move!The string clamped my finger down so the vibrato never happened – just a weird noise and a few strange looks from my bandmates. I ended up having to use my other guitars for the show. If this guitar is set up to use ‘straight out of the box’, then that must mean everyone plays with a very high action and this is the‘normal’or standard action height and I’ve been getting it wrong all these years.
I have now carried out a complete setup of my new 408 for my needs and it still plays and sounds amazing. I’ve played a few shows with it (without my fingers getting trapped), so why set the action at the factory so high? Paul Price, via email
AOkay, we know loads of people do it, but our advice still remains the same – try before you buy! Having owned, played and tested a considerable number of PRS guitars over the years, I’d say that setup and playability has never been an issue. In fact, personally, it was only when I was testing an S2 Series model, back in 2015 or thereabouts, that I realised I didn’t have a truss rod wrench to fit (I’d never needed one on a core USA model). But, for whatever reason, you were unlucky. Even so, heading off to a gig with a guitar you’ve never played… enough said.
But back to the question of whether there is a perfect or universally accepted standard action height for guitars that suits nearly all of us, I think the answer is both yes and no.
‘Action’ is a catch-all phrase that brings together neck relief (typically a very slight concave bow), nut height (specifically the string grooves), saddle height and intonation, and, of course, vibrato setup. We’re assuming, too, that your frets are in good condition and properly level, and likewise, that the neck isn’t twisted. In short, we’re considering a good, new guitar.
Even so, setting a specific string height – typically measured at the 12th fret (from the top of the fret to the underside of the outer E strings) – is only one part of the conundrum and is hugely dependent on how you play and what string gauge you use, not to mention the neck relief, the nut height or, indeed, the camber of the saddles.
When PRS quotes “a string height of 2/32-inch (1.6mm) on the treble side to 5/64-inch (2mm) on the bass side” for its Stoptail bridges, such as your 408, or 2/32-inch (1.6mm) on both treble and bass sides for its vibrato, it assumes neck relief is ‘correct’ (or at least to PRS specification), and that you’re using a .010-.046-inch string gauge, as the company does on most USA solidbodies. Simply changing that string gauge might well change your ‘action’. A heavier gauge has more tension and, in theory, will increase the neck relief and perceived string height, and vice versa with a lighter gauge when the neck could become perfectly straight or even have a slightly convex bow. Readjusting the string height without a quick tweak of the truss rod could leave you with some problems. Conversely, if you adjust the truss rod correctly you might not need to touch the string height at all.
Factory-spec setup varies from maker to maker. Some argue, especially with nut height, that they’ll leave that fairly high and expect the dealer to set it up dependent on the customer’s preferred string gauge. In theory, that’s fine, but it can lead to a guitar that has an
Is there a perfect or universally accepted standard action-height for guitars that suits nearly all of us?
unnecessarily high string height in lower positions, especially if you buy online, which can also create intonation issues, too.
But the overall action or setup is also part of the character and intended style of a guitar. There are plenty of top-level guitars that are supplied with a virtually straight neck and ultra-low string height, which makes it virtually impossible to play if you have a heavier touch. Unless you’re buying a custom one-off guitar that can be dialled in just for you, you must accept that a factory setup is general, intended to suit most but certainly not all players.
As part of my review process I measure neck width (nut, 12th fret and end of the neck), neck depth ( just in front of the 1st and 12th frets), string spacing (E-to-E at the nut and bridge saddles), string height and neck relief – measured with a capo on the 1st fret and depressing the top E at the last, then slipping a feeler gauge between the top of the medium fret (typically on a 22-fret guitar, the 8th or 9th) and the underside of the string. Nut height is usually a visual check – hold the string down at the 3rd fret and check the height of each string over the 1st fret – there should be a very slight gap.
Of the guitars I’ve reviewed, evaluated or had in for repair/setup or whatever over the past year – around 50 mainly new but some older or vintage pieces – the lowest string height came on an Ibanez Premium AZ242F. It measured 0.9mm on the treble side, 1.3mm on the bass, and a perfectly straight neck. The highest was a B&G Little Sister Crossroads at 2mm on both treble and bass sides, albeit it with a neck relief of 0.279mm (0.011-inch). The former is a modern ‘virtuoso’ guitar, the latter a much more rootsy, bluesy piece – the setups on both perfectly reflect the character of the guitar.
An average? Well, if you have a neck relief of around 0.127mm (.005-inch) and a string height of around 1.6mm (treble) to 1.6mm to 1.8mm (bass), you’re in good company. But the reality is that every guitar needs to be dialled in for you, its player.
If you don’t have the skill set to do that yourself, then I recommend seeking help from a good shop or a local maker/repairer. I’d wager that a considerable percentage (the majority) of instruments, certainly in the sub£1,500, are not playing to their optimum (and perhaps never have), despite their age, simply because they have never received a proper setup.
I’ve played many a pro’s guitar, however, and wondered how the feck they can even play ’em – Stevie Ray Vaughan’s and Rory Gallagher’s among them – something that puts this whole ‘action’ malarkey into perspective. But that also brings us to your gig experience. A guitar that is set up to spec might be absolutely perfect for home use and practice. Once the adrenaline of a live performance kicks in and you really go for it, you might find you need a stiffer string gauge, more string height to avoid string buzz or complete choking, and many find a little more neck relief helps the notes to ‘sing’.
For many years I played a lot in a hardrocking band and had my stage guitars (which were virtually unplayable without that adrenaline) and those I’d use at home for practice and generally noodling with a lighter string gauge and lower string height. Everyone is different. As we get older, too, or gig less frequently, you might find dropping a string gauge helps until your left hand builds up its strength again. You might have used .011s and a sizable string height back in the day when you were gigging every night, but as the occasional weekend warrior, a couple of decades on, well, you might struggle.
So, yes, there is an average window, but that doesn’t take into account your personal preference. Don’t be bullied that this or that string height/neck relief is right or wrong – if it suits you, it’s bang on.
“I’ve played many a pro’s guitar, and wondered how the feck they can even play ’em…”