"How To Set The Action On A Guitar -- Drastically Improve Your Guitar Playing, Instantaneously Boost Your Speed!"
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Learning how to set the action on a guitar gives you maximum speed and fluidity on your guitar! Unknowingly, too many guitarists have poorly set guitar action -- don't make that mistake! Work wonders on your guitar playing now by tweaking and perfecting your guitar string height!
If your action is too high, your fingers will bleed from the stress of simply bending a string. Cool effect, but not worth the high cost in physical pain!
If your guitar string height is too low, it will be a breeze to fly up and down scales effortlessly, but certain frets will buzz and be annoying!
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Each electric guitar has its own perfect setup that it likes the most. When you have the perfect guitar action, you will:
- Play longer -- Guitar Drills Built For Endurance!
- Play faster -- Shred Guitar Lessons for Speed!
- Have more fun using special Guitar Soloing Techniques!
So let's go ahead and learn how to set the action on your guitar using some simple guitar action adjustment tips...
Determine Your Guitar's Current Action Level
There are various methods of checking your guitar's action. Some are unnecessarily complicated!
The SIMPLE way is to play some low notes, some mid-range notes, and some high notes, and see how it FEELS and SOUNDS to your own fingers and ears.
Make sure you try EACH string by itself! Certain frets don't really matter TOO much, like fret 24 on the sixth string. Who uses that? Unless it's specifically for a special effect, but it's up to you how important the clarity of these unused frets are.
In case you were wondering, the COMPLICATED for how to set the action on a guitar is to press into the first fret on a string with the index finger of your left hand. Then, simultaneously press with the pinky of your right hand into the last fret on the same string while tapping on and off of the twelfth fret with the remaining index finger of your right hand.
If this is too much of a stretch you could always enlist the help of a buddy or girlfriend. Way to impress her, huh? "Hey babe, look, this is how you set the action on a guitar. Watch while I simultaneously fret two notes at once. See?"
Generally, you can tell how STRAIGHT the neck is and how HIGH your action is using this complicated method. The more of a gap there is under the twelfth fret, the HIGHER your action is. This could also be an indication that you need to adjust your truss rod.
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How to set the action on a guitar: Making the adjustments
Your guitar's body style will determine the method with which you adjust your guitar's action. We will look at two of the most common body styles: Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul.
Stratocaster Style Setup:
Stratocaster style bodies have individual string saddles that you have to adjust separately. It takes a special key called a hex key or Allen wrench to do it. Make sure you choose the right size so it's a snug fit and you don't strip out the saddle!
There will be a convex curve in the saddles to match the convex radius of the frets on the neck. When turning the saddle screws for guitar string height, keep them consistent with the rounded formation of the frets. You can check the amount of radial curve by looking down your guitar longways.
Les Paul Style Setup:
The Les Paul style body has two poles that you turn on either end of the bridge for action adjustment. BUT, you have to turn them while the strings are loose or the tension will prevent you from doing so.
Tune Your Guitar, Repeat Guitar Action Adjustment Steps
After getting your guitar action in a place that is comfortable, you will have to retune your axe and try jamming through some guitar solos. Use this checklist to see if your action is set correctly:
- Your fingers don't bleed from between your fingernails! Gross
- Bending notes doesn't cause it to "fret out" or sound "fuzzy"
- Fretted notes up and down the neck are free of buzz
- Playing guitar solos feels free and fluid, without resistance
Go back to the beginning and recheck your action after your guitar is perfectly tuned. Learning how to set the action on a guitar is one of the most important mechanics of electric guitar setup you can master. Now you can focus on playing flashy guitar solos without the all too familiar frustration of high fretboard action!
Feeling good about your action level? Move on to learning how to set your intonation -- How To Set The Intonation On A Guitar: Tips To Getting The Perfect Guitar Set Up For Your Guitar!
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Up to Electric Guitar Setup for more tips on guitar adjustment and setup.
Back to Effective Lead Guitar Home from How to set the Action on a Guitar
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