I used to be a stickler for low action but now I am for no fret noise

[wert]

used to be it didnt have to real low but pretty low . Now I dont care how high it is as long as it plays in tune .As an added plus you get better re-bound on pull offs ,beside no fret noise.

[Superrust]

I actually make sure and add a touch of fret buzz. There is a sound that comes from it that I like.

[Tubefox]

I like high action.

 

I like action that is so high I never understood why people complain about guitar stores not setting up their guitars. Then I discovered that my idea of what action should be like does not resemble that of others.

[Bro Blue]

I have never understood the love for super-low action. Then again, I'm not a shred player, either. Different strokes, I guess.

[wert]

 

I actually make sure and add a touch of fret buzz. There is a sound that comes from it that I like.

 

 

I understand , its a percusive thing like the wire on the bottom of a snare drum .It also serves as a sort of limiter as the string will be deadened when it flaps against the fret ,not going as loud as it would if it didnt . I used to like that a little bit but I like a clear sound of a unrestricted string now .

[wert]

 

I have never understood the love for super-low action. Then again, I'm not a shred player, either. Different strokes, I guess.

 

 

I like low better than high BUT I like the SOUND of high better than low so...

[Deadbeat Son]

Why can't you have both, low action and no fret buzz?

[metal0822]

i also am now liking higher action. i feel i have more control, more solid bends, and solid notes. a little bit slower, but much more accurate and you can be more dynamic..IMO of course.

[wert]

 

Why can't you have both, low action and no fret buzz?

 

 

I can give you high action with fret noise .

[Deadbeat Son]

 

I can give you high action with fret noise .

 

Thanks, I'll pass.

[GAS Man]

 

I actually make sure and add a touch of fret buzz. There is a sound that comes from it that I like.

 

 

I had Randy Parsons* once tell me that "a little fret buzz is fine".

 

And I agree with that. I'm pretty good at setups, but have stopped short of doing my own fret leveling.

 

But what I've found is I pretty much start off with trying to get close to Dan Erlewine's specs for low action, then on most all of my guitars I have to raise it back up since the fret leveling on most of my guitars is far from perfect.

 

Even though most of my fret buzz can't usually be heard through the amp, what my ears do pick up is that excessive fret buzz can slap the tone out of a note just making it sound kinda dead or dull. So I will gradually increase the height until sufficient chime is ringing through even if I can still hear just a bit of fret buzz.

 

Although I understand that the tone is supposed to be better with a higher action (can't say as I know that first hand, but I believe it) I like to get the action lower so I can play easier.

 

I got one guitar used that the previous owner had used a luthier to set it up with 11s, and the action was real nice and low and it made those 11s feel almost as supple as 9s. I just luvs me my low action.

 

 

 

 

*i.e. as featured in "It Might Get Loud"

[troyguitar]

I play shred with near-acoustic high action, any fret buzz at all annoys me to no end. Malmsteen himself plays with a similar setup and a scalloped fretboard, it gives you a lot of control but also leaves a lot of room for error! Definitely something that takes practice to get comfortable.

[GAS Man]

 

I play shred with near-acoustic high action, any fret buzz at all annoys me to no end. Malmsteen himself plays with a similar setup and a scalloped fretboard, it gives you a lot of control but also leaves a lot of room for error! Definitely something that takes practice to get comfortable.

 

 

I just get all tangled up and blue -

 

with high action

 

I think Bob did too.

 

 

[YOUTUBE]YwSZvHqf9qM[/YOUTUBE]

[thefallacy]

used to be it didnt have to real low but pretty low . Now I dont care how high it is as long as it plays in tune .As an added plus you get better re-bound on pull offs ,beside no fret noise.

 

yup

 

I got heavy hands to begin with. I tried for a while to get some nice low actionz, but I couldn't put enough gain to cover up horrible dead buzzing strings.

 

Guitar is not meant to sound like that.

[Dr. Scottie C]

80% of the pro's prefer high action...

 

Malmsteen

Beck

SRV

KWS

Trower

 

are all players known for high ation set ups

[thefallacy]

80% of the pro's prefer high action... Malmsteen Beck SRV KWS Trower are all players known for high ation set ups

 

the tonez comes from the overtones and harmonics found that low action and/or fret buzzing absolutely decimates. imo

[JohnnyDD]

High action sounds better, but causes intonation problems for me. And I find low action much easier to play.

[wimpy77]

i play with medium action. not to high and not to low. if you have intonation problems you need to stop monkey gripping the neck.

[JohnnyDD]

 

i play with medium action. not to high and not to low. if you have intonation problems you need to stop monkey gripping the neck.

 

 

true. but jumbo frets don't help.

[Cymro#1]

I don't know how some players can do the streches on high action for example the intro to message in a bottle, police. I would have to have low action for that. Don't think there's anything wrong with a wee bit of buzz as long as it's not carried with the signal to the amp.

[caveman]

I used to like a high action and no buzz but as my years have passed, it's gotten lower and buzzier. The only time I really notice it is when I get real heavy with pick dymamics.

[Fred Buzz]

I don't like fret buzz either