Anyone else have high action or huge/super tight strings?

[Sam Laming]

I heard about higher action improving tone through a post by Nile's Karl Sanders on their forum ages ago, having tried and liked the result I've had a friend machine me a 1mm riser for my nut so the action isn't just high at the bridge but even:

and oh my, the difference is amazing, the resonance in the body is crazy, I can feel it so much more. Add this to my recent found love for huge strings (65-11 at the moment soon to be a 75-11 on a 27 inch scale length) and the tone change is huge.

Any fans?

 

[guitar_god123456]

my action is fairly high for a shredder axe. 9-50 strings in standard.

 

[70strathead]

Im a fan. I can't go back to low action guitars anymore, for me, the strings breathe more and the whole guitar just resonates better and i have more control over string bending and vibrato. this is the highest I'll go though. I use a hybrid string set though light on the top and heavy bottom.

 

[Jordon]

I think my action is super low...but all of my buddies say it's like playing on telephone wires and fretting them is a pain in the ass due to the action. My shredder buddy told me that trying to sweep on my PRS was impossible, but I have no problem doing it

I play 12 to 60 in drop B at the moment. I'll get some pics and measurements. I dunno, I guess I have strong hands combined with the fact I like to dig in and work for it. I actually like playing amps that I have to fight to get to sustain right and shit like that...call me weird.

 

[Greazygeo]

Only as high as it needs to be before it buzzes. 9-46 tuned standard for me. I tried heavier but not really any benefit to me. I like the thinner strings on top.

 

[mrp5150]

I've never liked low action like most guys do, but I don't like it high either. I like a nice medium.

 

[Draelyc]

my action is fairly high for a shredder axe. 9-50 strings in standard.

What brand of strings are you using, & what are the individual gauges? I currently use 9-46s, but I'd like to go a bit heavier on the bass side...

Thanx!
Chris

 

[johnnyjellybean]

Average action with 6105 frets and 11 to 50 with standard tuning for me. That's since the last 2 years and if I tune a semi lower , they feel like elastics!

 

[rsm]

I don't like 'em too high or too low Not sure on the measurement (where would you measure, BTW?), but I have one guitar that feels too high that I'm going to have a tech look at (hopefully soon).

I'm using 10-46 on one (Epiphone Casino), and 10-42 on the others (Rickenbackers). The Casino is low compared to the Rics, which always seem to run higher than other brands in general. These are the stock gauges, and work well (for me) on the respective instruments.

I'm playing-challenged as it is, high action (or too low) would just be another barrier

 

[mrbobo]

Yes. My tastes have went from low to medium to medium high...When my '73 Les Paul custom frets became just so wore out that I couldn't take it anymore, I thought about what frets to use, keeping in my my trend towards higher action, and ended up using Dunlop 6105's (those are the tall and somewhat narrow). I had the Luther cut the bone nut tall, tune it standard and 10-46 strings. Those frets felt a little weird at first, because when your are sliding or changing positions on the neck, you can feel them under your fingers, instead of smoother - like regular jumbo frets.

Moral of the story: that guitar is positively beefier because of that setup. It kinda encourages me to really be more physical and try and extract more from each note. I'm not hella fast, and at this stage of the game (late) it's just not gonna happen....And maybe I'm just clumsy, but when I bend allot, I'm pushing over top of neighbor strings, when I'd rather just push straight into them.

I don't always prefer it for everything, because *gasp* I like buzzier or cutting/sharp sounds too. On my flying V, I run 9's and a medium action.

 

[Anonymous]

Right before my semi-retirement I was using .13-.56's tuned to drop C. Fuckin log chains. I have a right hand like a cinder block.

 

[Shark Diver]

I am using 13-56s wound third as well. (D'addario Jazz) Action is low. And no matter what anyone says, it makes a huge tone difference. I have 2 Suhr Moderns about as identical build/tone wise as possibly. I have 13s one one and set one up with 10-46s. Night and day tone wise. The heavier gauge just flat out kills. I actually like the 13s better than 12-56 because they feel more even gauge wise to one another. Not that big a deal, if you play acoustic as well these are not heavy strings.

 

[noseminer]

i find thinner strings sound better for metal

 

[guitar_god123456]

my action is fairly high for a shredder axe. 9-50 strings in standard.

What brand of strings are you using, & what are the individual gauges? I currently use 9-46s, but I'd like to go a bit heavier on the bass side...

Thanx!
Chris

they're DR strings dimebag signature set, great strings! 9,11,16,28,38,50.

 

[stephen sawall]

My main guitar ~ 10-52.... Lt top~ heavy bottom.
High action
Bends and vibrato is where it's at.

It just sounds more like a acoustic this way.

 

[Shark Diver]

i find thinner strings sound better for metal

I guess it depends what Metal is to you. I find lower gain, heavier strings, great lower output pick-ups work best for Metal. But we all have different likes/dislikes.

 

[TnX]

I play 12 to 60 in drop B at the moment.

Hehe, I think I have a guitar here with the same gauge strings and in drop C. I love it. Though, I think it would be better with 56's. When I received the guitar, it was set up for studio use and really heavy powerchords or smth like that. So it had a really fcking high action and it really hurt to play...

Going back to my guitar which has 10-52 in drop C is like trying to play soft noodles and even powerchords are bitch to play cos they go out of tune really easy with sliding and fretting harder after a few weeks with really thick gauges.

 

[Szar]

I've never liked low action like most guys do, but I don't like it high either. I like a nice medium.

+1. I find that it reduces string noise as well. I also swear by Ernie Ball Light Top/Heavy Bottom strings. Not too thick, but they get a great chunk going.

 

[Sam Laming]

(where would you measure, BTW?)

Well mine for example = about 2mm between the fingerboard and the strings. I forgot to mention, my 65-11, soon to be 75-11 on my 27" scale 7 string is standard B

 

[EvilBatman]

I just made the switch to DR Black Beauties in .11-.50 on both my guitars. One is tuned to Eb and the other to E. I love the way they feel and their tone is great. Especially when paired with humbuckers that focus more on mids and treble.

I'm planning on trying higher action than what I have now which is what I'd describe as low but not super low.