Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Why oh why did someone not tell me to lower my action. I can't believe I've been trying to learn fast lead guitar with strings higher than 4mm I can actually play at a decent speed now This should be the first thing taught in any lead guitar lesson. Never thought it would increase speed and tapping ability so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members warriorxtman Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 you should have known better...as low as possible without fret buzz is the goal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members angus_old Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 try a half inch high action sometime - that's what i learned on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BootRoots Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 low action is not the goal for everyone. its a personal preference thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by BootRoots low action is not the goal for everyone. its a personal preference thing. That's like saying "being beautiful is not the goal for everyone. it's a personal preference thing.":D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georges Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by BootRoots low action is not the goal for everyone. its a personal preference thing. I like mine a 1/2 to 3/4 turn on a tune-o-matic above lowest with a little buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldFenderGuy Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 I've had the actions on my guitars set about the same for the past 25+ years, 4/64th straight across...I think that's about 2mm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 why oh why did it take you 1,598 posts to figure this out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aaron Cheney Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by guitarslinger213 That's like saying "being beautiful is not the goal for everyone. it's a personal preference thing.":D Not at all. Not even close. For speed picking/ shredding a low action may be great, but there is a whole world of other playing styles out there for which that is not the case. Problems with low action:Poor tone.Increased buzzing.Bending becomes increasingly difficult.No "feel" to the strings. I personally like to feel a little resistance from my strings with a medium action. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andy6789 Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 and lets not forget those slide players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted September 7, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by k4df4l why oh why did it take you 1,598 posts to figure this out? I had a low action plenty of times, kept switching and experimenting, just it's only in the past month or so I've really concentrated on improving my lead guitar.I had mixed messages form peopleSome guy told me to learn lead on an acoustic and/or high action - he reckoned this would really test my ability Anyway I though I'd cheat the learning curve and lower the action. It was too tempting.It's very common from what I know for guitarists to make life more difficult when LEARNING a technique, so you almost double your effort. Makes sense I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mel Cooley Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Well, look at it this way: It's like swinging a bat with weights on it or swimming with flippers on. When you get rid of the weights or flippers everything gets easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members go cat go Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Aaron Cheney Not at all. Not even close.For speed picking/ shredding a low action may be great, but there is a whole world of other playing styles out there for which that is not the case.Problems with low action:Poor tone.Increased buzzing.Bending becomes increasingly difficult.No "feel" to the strings.I personally like to feel a little resistance from my strings with a medium action.A Couldn't have said it better myself. Gary Moore plays with a high action and he's pretty damn fast. However, action or speed should not be the goal, above all else communicating through music should be the goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Mel Cooley Well, look at it this way: It's like...swimming with flippers on. When you get rid of the...flippers everything gets easier. Do much swimming? Fins make swimming, especially distances, much easier and much, much faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Code-001 Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Exploder Couldn't have said it better myself. Gary Moore plays with a high action and he's pretty damn fast. However, action or speed should not be the goal, above all else communicating through music should be the goal. Don't forget, Malmsteen has REALLY high action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted September 7, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Exploder However, action or speed should not be the goal, above all else communicating through music should be the goal. amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members numbthumb Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Some high action notables: SRV, Mike Bloomfield I like a medium action for most of my electrics. I have one that's set low, and yes I can get around faster on it. One thing I have found but haven't read anywhere, I prefer a relatively low action on an acoustic in order to get better sustain for hammer-ons/pull-offs. A high action means you are damping the string for a longer period when you're doing these. With acoustics, I really notice the difference. As for shredding, who cares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted September 7, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by numbthumb As for shredding, who cares? Why is there so much of an anti-shredding movement happening at the moment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pink freud Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 actually, you went about it on the right way. LEARN on a high action, PLAY on a low action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Midnight 260 Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 i play my olp mm1 at a decent rate (actually pretty fast) with about 5 - 6 mm action if i meausred it at tehe 12th fret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted September 7, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Midnight 260 i play my olp mm1 at a decent rate (actually pretty fast) with about 5 - 6 mm action if i meausred it at tehe 12th fret 6mm?! Doesn't that screw with the intonation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aaron Cheney Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld Why is there so much of an anti-shredding movement happening at the moment? Try the last 15 years. Shred officially went out of vogue when Nirvana hit the scene. I get the sense it's actually about to have a revival.A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members crazy horse Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 I definitely find it more difficult to do bends with lower action than higher action; especially since I use 11's. Plus, there's a lot less fatigue on my fretting hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yaz75 Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by Aaron Cheney Try the last 15 years. Shred officially went out of vogue when Nirvana hit the scene. I get the sense it's actually about to have a revival. A God I hope not. And damn you for even SUGGESTING that it make a comeback! Haven't we heard that useless wanking enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted September 7, 2005 Members Share Posted September 7, 2005 Originally posted by yaz75 Haven't we heard that useless wanking enough? no:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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