Such a thing as action being too low?

[ashasha]

It depends on the guitar for me as well. I suppose that if it's got tall fretwire that I can handle lower action because I can still get a grip on the string, but if it's vintage or really flat fretwire it gets to be to hard to do bends and crap.

 

Could just be me...I'm awesome so it may be different for others.

[Slave2TheAudio]

Uh, yeah. It's called fret buzz.

[poolshark]

You guys are nuts. Low as it can go with an acceptable level of buzz/rattle given the intended playing style.

[jrockbridge]

Personally, I tend to prefer medium action. I like the notes to ring out loud and clear from the first fret to the last.

 

In general, a more pronounced curve in the fretboard radius, like that found on vintage Fender guitars, will require higher action because bending strings

with action that's low will produce a fret out. A flatter fingerboard radius, like what's found on a Gibson LP, will allow for lower action because bending notes does not tend toward fretting out as much as it does on a curved fretboard radius.

[PanaDP]

With an action that's to low, I have a problem with adjacent strings sliding under my bending finger instead of being pushed out of the way.

 

 

I get the same thing. I like my action mediumish because of that.

[normh]

Mt personal guitars are set at 3/64ths" at the 21st fret on E and 1/32 on e. That is .047 and .031.

Customers guitars I usually start at 5/64ths (.078) and let the customer tell me what they feel comfortable with. I also ask the customer to play a little when I first see the guitar so that I can judge what I think will be a good action as a starting place for them. I have only had one customer complain that the action was to low. I raised it in this case. I have never had a complaint about bending.

[Nephilim-777]

Yes, there is action that is too low for my personal tastes. I know some lead guitarists that like their action low with an acceptable amount of fret buzz. For me, there is no acceptable amount of fret buzz.

[Jkater]

My electrics are set up at 5/64th" on the low E at the 12th fret (4/64th at the high E). My acoustics are 7/64th". I do this regardless of how low they can get. I once tested my SA2200 for low action. I was able to get it a tad under 3/64th" with no buzz at all! But that low is uncomfortable for me to play and feels just weird. Gotta feel some strings under my fingers. The compound radiused fretboard of my PAC904 also allow for very low action. Here again, I like it it to be at 5/64th.

It has been my experience that we get used to just about any action (to a point) on a well set-up, good playing guitar if we play a lot. So the idea of "lower action = easier to play" isn't all that true for most styles and may be the case for occasional players who just don't build much stamina in their hands. And it may be the case for certain styles like speed shredding with lots of legato work.

Just ask a virtuoso classic piano player how he/she likes a "soft" action on a piano: They can't even play properly if the action isn't hard enough.

I used to play acoustic with 13-56 and I don't remember having problems playing those. I eventually switched to 12-53 and I was still happy with the sound so I sticked with it but I guess my hands just got used to the different tension.