|
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Just getting an official OFC public opinion on action preferences. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | Ah!
Slightly higher for the 12 so it doesn't buz on a good strum.
1112-1 is low for fingerstyle and the 1778 is a smidge higher for all purpose. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | Mike I was looking at your tag line and noticed you have a 1778LX and a 2078LX, what are your impressions, and I'm assuming they both have OP-PRO? thanks phil |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | I do a really good Kermit the Frog and pretty fair Scooby Doo! Grover on a good day but couldn't do Donald Duck to save my life.
The 1778LX is the absolute best all purpose guitar I have ever played that has a wood top! You can pluck it, stroke it, hammer it or pick it. Soft or hard it responds in kind.
The 2078LX is an excellant 12 string as well. A very stable neck and I ordered it so it wouldn't be hard to look at. It is as good as a wood top gets. There's an Adamas II 12 string that I think would be just a little better.
Both have the OP Pro which is a very usefull tool. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | I like the action low but not so low that I can't get a grip to bend them pretty good. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | The problem with this poll is that I've always felt that the way the action comes from the factory, it's very very high. I like it a medium height... good for playing but good for sound.
On a side note, people talk about having good low action to make it easier to play. But I read recently that Chet Atkins liked the action on his guitars higher than most people so that he got the best tone out of his guitars. And he still played fast and smooth. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | all of mine are set at different heights. the matrix and academy are set high for slide. the 12 is med,adamas is med-low,folklore is low, different setups for different things...jason |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
The problem with this poll is that I've always felt that the way the action comes from the factory, it's very very high. I like it a medium height... good for playing but good for sound.
On a side note, people talk about having good low action to make it easier to play. But I read recently that Chet Atkins liked the action on his guitars higher than most people so that he got the best tone out of his guitars. And he still played fast and smooth. Well, acording the to manual, standard is 3/32 or 6/64. Thats why I mentioned it. If it comes different than they claim from the manual, then I guess they have a quality control issue to address. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | My guess would be that the action comes high from the factory on purpose. It's easy for people to lower it by removing shims. If they shipped it low and required people to add shims, then immediately you'd run into the issue that people don't have spare shims laying around. It's like a haircut - far easier to take some away than it is to add some. Dave |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Good analogy Dave, I think I'll add a toupee under my saddle on the bridge. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | "It's like a haircut - far easier to take some away than it is to add some"
Don't I know it! :rolleyes:
I usually like the action pretty close to the factory specs, but I also de-tune a half step. I've also recently switched to medium strings recently which increased the tension a bit but provides better tone and intonnation. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Super low... crazy low...
If I want or need more volume, I'll just plug in. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | My hands aren't as strong as they used to be, so I like the action as low as I can get it w/o buzzing. Even a single buzz on occasion due to low action is OK with me.
I really need it that way on the 1115. Even at that, I have chords that I'm not able to play well. So anyway...as low as I can make it.
BTW, I think that at The Factory there's a general formula for getting the specified action: 2 shims. I don't think they measure every guitar's action carefully. It IS a factory. 99% of the time the action will be right on, but sometimes not. It's not a QC issue...it's just a factory v. small shop issue. I think they do pretty well.
I got my 6778 LX used at 1 month old. To get the action I wanted I had to remove all the shims. There was almost no break angle like that and the tone was awful. I sent it to the mother ship for a neck reset. Kim gave it back to me on the '05 tour at no charge (thanks again Kim!) and this time with 2 shims the action is perfect for me and the break angle is fine.
BTW, did I mention it's for sale? John <>{ |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Factory set-up has always worked just fine for me. I want tone and volume and don't find the higher action a problem to play.
... even with all the 5 fret stretches I do |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . How do you like your action? . ."
Discreet. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I always remember the action settings being 7/64 bass and 5/64 treble (better known as 3 1/2 and 2 1/2). A nice low one would be 3&2/32. Your typical bluegrass setting is 4&3/32
I like mine at 3 and 2 1/2, the slide guitars go up to 4 and 3.
Electrics are 2 1/2 and 2. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | On my adamas, I like it high, and use this as my "learning/practice guitar", so I develop the strength and accuracy for when (or if) I play the same song on other guitars. Plus it sounds so nice.
Mixed actions hieghts on the rest, but I keep my telecopy very low: it helps me get that over edge thumb move for bo diddley and punk power chords. Like Jason said, different uses different ... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Originally posted by Tupperware:
My guess would be that the action comes high from the factory on purpose. It's easy for people to lower it by removing shims. If they shipped it low and required people to add shims, then immediately you'd run into the issue that people don't have spare shims laying around. It's like a haircut - far easier to take some away than it is to add some. Dave I have a differnt theory about this...
I think they do it to increase tone. When a newbie, such as myself goes into GC and is looking to by a new guitar, what the first thing they do? They strum a few chords and say "wow, that sounds nice". Action is an after thought. Also, if a newbie has no prior experience with different actions, then just about any guitar is "fine" with them and it all comes down to tone.
This is what the TV industry has been doing for years. TV manufacturers set the default settings at %100 contrast and 100% brightness so that their set will stand out to an uneducated buyer in the showroom. The first thing a person who actually cares about picture quality and accuracy will do is turn them down to 50-60%.
So I think its marketing. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Originally posted by Yak:
Originally posted by Tupperware:
My guess would be that the action comes high from the factory on purpose. It's easy for people to lower it by removing shims. If they shipped it low and required people to add shims, then immediately you'd run into the issue that people don't have spare shims laying around. It's like a haircut - far easier to take some away than it is to add some. Dave I have a different theory about this...
I think they do it to increase tone. When a newbie, such as myself goes into GC and is looking to by a new guitar, what the first thing they do? They strum a few chords and say "wow, that sounds nice". Action is an after thought. Also, if a newbie has no prior experience with different actions, then just about any guitar is "fine" with them and it all comes down to tone.
This is what the TV industry has been doing for years. TV manufacturers set the default settings at %100 contrast and 100% brightness so that their set will stand out to an uneducated buyer in the showroom. The first thing a person who actually cares about picture quality and accuracy will do is turn them down to 50-60%.
So I think its marketing. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| I like the action as low as I can get it and compensate with bright medium guage strings at C or D tunings. I play alot, still keep my callouses, but don't have as much hand fatigue in the process. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by cliff:
". . How do you like your action? . ."
Discreet. !!PFFFFFFFFTTT!!
Does that mean only unlighted alleys? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 150
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | We know a lot about action in Vegas. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | The measurements that are being talked about, are they taken at the 12th fret or body fret. I have heard it both ways, but I believe it is the 12th.
Thanks,
Steve |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Yep ...
Top of 12th fret to bottom of 6th string. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | Playability is the key to all my guitars, so I like the action as low as possible. When I'm practicing all by myself, sometimes, I can live with a slight buzz here and there. Playing in front of an audience, however, I may need to add a shim under the saddle to eliminate that buzzing sound. |
|
| |
How do you like your action?
