using coins as feeler gauges to set action.

[flyinbryan]

does anyone do this?

 

lets say i want to be somewhere in the 4-5/64ths range.

 

according to this page: http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?flash=yes&action=coin_specifications a quarter is 1.75mm thick.

 

this equals roughly 4.4/64ths, or just about midway between 4/64th and 5/64ths.

 

anyone use odd everyday objects that anyone has just laying around for stuff like this?

[rchiav]

Actually I just spent $5 on a ruler that will do 64ths. Comes in handy, and you don't have to go buy a Snickers to check your action.

 

Edit: My mistake, .

[flyinbryan]

ya, ive actually got those around the house, i just dont have the eyes for using them anymore. with a feeler type gauge i can do it by feel, and my vision dont get its feeleings hurt, lol..

[ashasha]

I do use the nickel method to dial in new pickups quickly. 1 nickel for the treble side and two for the bass side. I usually adjust a bit either way for taste, but it's surprisingly useful.

 

And one other thing that I do is capo the first fret and then fret the string at the 17th fret with a free hand to check relief. I have no idea what the measurement is, but it lets me know where I am at before I start tweaking.

 

I stack picks together for measuring all the time because the thickness is printed right on them.

 

And lastly I have a feeler gauge that I cut a bit shorter to use as a fret rocker to check for proud frets. Works like a charm.

 

I got a lot of other silly little things that I use for working on the guitar, but one of the best investments I made was a cheap digital caliper.

[J-E-M]

And one other thing that I do is capo the first fret and then fret the string at the 17th fret with a free hand to check relief. I have no idea what the measurement is, but it lets me know where I am at before I start tweaking. I stack picks together for measuring all the time because the thickness is printed right on them.

 

I use the pick stacking method too - three 0.6mm, with the slightest raising of the 6th string as I slide them under.

When it comes to checking the relief, I tie down the strings at the first fret with a shoe lace because I don't have a capo

[Darkstorm]

I'm glad I learned to adjust action by feel and playing the instrument to get lowest action. Rather then needing measuring gauge of some kind. Havent bothered to measure individual string gaps to see whats best action for me on a given instrument. But knows this will vary slightly from instrument to instrument. So useing some stock measurement for each string wouldnt work for me. But if I had a job that required setting action of guitars and basses to some predermined heights Id use a feeler gauge of some kind. Truss rod relief has allways been by eye, feel, and playing the instrument as well. Prefers as close to dead straight as the particuliar instrument allows for with low bridge saddle heights.

[flori]

........and for our British Readers.....

 

The humble 2p coin gives you about 2.0mm at the 12th fret...which for me is a nice medium-high playable action

[jtr654]

No.

[Flatspotter]

I use this. Even my old eyes can read it.

 

[Angry Tele]

I use my ears. I have tattood mmS and 32nds marks on my ear.

 

REally the whole 2 nickels base side and 1 nickel treble its just easier to use a ruler (1 nickel=1.96mm) But mines more like 2mm/3mm

 

I got my ruler at SEARs

 

Auto parts places have feeler guages.

[Guitarzan58]

Bought a feeler gauge set, 24" straightedge and a machinists ruler (32nds & 64ths) at Harbor Freight for less than $10 bucks total.

 

Factory set up specs are a starting point. Then you use your ears.

 

Dan Erlewine's books (How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great & Guitar Player Repair Guide) are essential resources for step by step set up instructions.

[MahaloVision]

Why wouldn't you just get feeler gauges?

[mrbrown49]

Bought a feeler gauge set, 24" straightedge and a machinists ruler (32nds & 64ths) at Harbor Freight for less than $10 bucks total. Factory set up specs are a starting point. Then you use your ears. Dan Erlewine's books (How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great & Guitar Player Repair Guide) are essential resources for step by step set up instructions.

 

I got a set of feeler gauges at harbor freight too. They've been working great for years now and they were only 3 bucks.

[Oldskool Texas]

With the capo on the first fret and depressing the low E string on the last fret, you can use an old guitar string to measure the gap if you lack feeler gauges. High E and B and strings work pretty well.

[StratGuy22]

I just use my pick. 1.14mm dunlop. I like my action, at the 12th fret, open E string, to be less that 1.14mm. I slide the pick under the 12th fret, and the string has to lift. Then I know it's the right height.

 

 

[jerry_picker]

I use hex wrenches as feeler gauges.

[BG76]

For about 50 cents at an autoparts store you can get one of those circle shaped gagues for checking spark plugs.

 

For about $2.00 at Home Dept you can buy a machinists ruler.

[ashasha]

I've got all that stuff and use it, I thought that the point of the thread was to list 'creative' substitutes?

 

I've got like 3 machinist rulers in front of me right now (I can never locate one when I need it though ), but my happiest purchase was a matching set of t-handled allen wrenches (standard and metric). I work on a lot of other crap besides guitars and they've gotten quite a workout already.

[lowbrow]

I used to sweat the millimeters, but in the last couple years I just adjust it to where it feels good and sounds good. That's way higher than it used to be for me...I'd have to stack coins to measure it now...

[crashclc]

Feeler guages

[jonny guitar]

 

Dan Erlewine's books (How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great & Guitar Player Repair Guide) are essential resources for step by step set up instructions.

 

 

I use Dan's suggestion from this book of using various guitar strings (labeled with imperial sizes) as the actual feeler guages...works great for me and it was free.

[MrChitlins]

ya, ive actually got those around the house, i just dont have the eyes for using them anymore. with a feeler type gauge i can do it by feel, and my vision dont get its feeleings hurt, lol..

 

Get a magnification visor. I use one all the time. Makes reading those x/64ths easy, and is great for any other detail work.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bausch-Lomb-Magnifying-81-42-00-Magnification/dp/B0015IQBYA

[WRGKMC]

feeler gauges are the most accurate for setting to factory specs. I set the 1st string at the 12th to 1.19 and the 6th string to 1.98. That equals 3/64ths and 5/64ths with conversion.

 

Then for guitars with individual saddel hight bridges, I use an under string radius gauge to set the rest. Guitars with a high radius I'll use 4/64ths on the high E so the strings dont fret out bending strings above the 12th fret. I like all my bends to clear and often have to tweak the higher strings to do so.

 

Theres no way I'd be able to get them too much lower than 1.19 on the high E unless I had a radius between 12 & flat and even then i need to keep the frets in constant maintainence. I do alot of bending and regular fret wear requires me to raise the height a littel as they wear. Then I may have to do some fret buffing, crowning, or leveling say every 4~5 strings changes to get things back to where I like them.

 

I find if the strings are too low, the dynamics suffere and fret slap makes the playing sound sloppy. Its can also be difficult to bend notes with guitars using standard frets. If they're too high, then I get fatigued quickly playing barre chords. It also makes the upper frets intonation pretty critical and the notes are susseptable to string pull.

 

I often use vibrado like a violinist does pulling on the length of a string vs bending frets. If the string tension is correct the note will waivor sharp and flat like you get with a floating whammy bar. If the tension is off then it may only get the string to wavior sharper or flater.

[Pope on a Rope]

I don't use any measuring tools to set the action on my guitars. If I were to use a coin it would have be one that had been flattened by a train.

[SwallowTheTime]

I used to worry about having my action low because it seemed that's what everyone else was doing. Then I realized the massive difference in tone and sustain when you set the action a little higher, say about 6/64 on the low E 12th fret and 4-5/64 on the high e. It's really quite amazing how much better a guitar sounds and sustains when the strings aren't right on the frets.

 

To each is own I suppose. I tend to play clean most of the time, and maybe its not as noticeable when you play the majority of the time with distortion, but I notice it both clean and distorted. I can see where someone who shreds all the time would want their action real low, but experimenting with many different action heights, I've noticed that you can pretty much get used to action at any height (probably up to 7/64") after playing it that way for a few days. To me, a higher action, has way more benefits than a lower one.