Just a favor.

[ohdamnitsdevin]

Can someone please take a photo of their action. I would like to compare it to my own. Being a new guitar player I don't really know what low action would look like(or what is considered low). Also, can someone please explain the pros and cons of low action and vice versa? Please and thank you

Also, how do you get decent at setting up your own guitar when you don't want to risk damaging your 3k guitar? haha

 

[ohdamnitsdevin]

Don't everyone go helping at once now!

 

[Astrofreq]

I'll be happy to take a picture tomorrow. I'm in bed now.

 

[ScoobySteve]

A picture should be used as a reference only IMO. Angles, photo depth, lens distortion, etc. can make tasks which require small adjustments (such as action height) reasonably unreliable.

It'd be a good time to nab a mechanist's ruler (or a comparable measuring device that can measure at 1/64) and adjust your action according to your personal taste, another player's settings, or back to the manufacturer's stock specs. Many other players also use a thin piece of material (often times a coin or a plectrum) as a point of reference for action height.

I know it can be quite daunting at first, but there's tons of guides out there, and it's relatively low risk work, granted you follow procedure and common sense. Adjusting your own truss rod and action (at the very least) is something any guitar player should know how to do anyways.

If the thought of it is still bothersome, you can always take it to a tech and have him set it to your preferences or a particular set.

As for PROs and CONs of action height.....

I personally wouldn't categorize it in PRO/CON (even though there are some, but we won't get into that too much now) I would set it via personal preference and by playing style.

Naturally, lower action lessens the distance your fingers need to travel from open position to a fully fretted position. For most players that means an increase of speed playability. An even action (which helps keep your string level and straight from tuner, nut, saddle, bridge) creates better tuning stability. I have heard countless times that lower action will slightly reduce the tense feel of the strings on bends, and increase the tension of strings on high action. If that's true, I can't say, my big hands can't tell the difference to be honest.

Now, with lower action you need to gauge the style of music you play and your right hand. THe lower the action, the heavier the string gauge, the heavier the attack on the string increases the likelihood of fret buzz.

I don't mean to generalize, but if you play careful composed alternative picking styles a super lower action would suit your play style. If you wail in your thick strings a la SRV then you might wanna raise it higher.

But at the end of the day, it depends on what you like more and whats personally comfortable to you. I started playing guitar on an acoustic, so for an electric, relatively higher action is more comfortable to me. I play high action on my Silo, medium on my 25th. It just feels better to me.

 

[yellowv03]

It's quite scientific, but I usually set my action at just above the thickness of a Jazz III pick at the 12 fret on the bass side, and just slightly lower on the treble side. This equates to about 1.6mm on the bass side and about 1.4mm on the treble side. Pics really aren't gonna help you unless their pro shots.

 

[cm_17]

As yellowv03 said, use a pick as reference. I have a collection of picks for that very purpose. Slide a pick flat under the high E at the 12 and the last fret and observe if it lifts the string. On my low action axes I use an Ultex sharp 1.4 and they lift. A 1.14 doesnt but barely. Thats on guitars with flatter fretboards. Really the actual action is determined by you, and the lowest you should get so you can pull the high E up without it fretting out. YMMV.

Also, the truss rod is your friend. Dont change the bridge or saddle height before adjusting neck relief to taste, worthwhi le reading into the topic. I plan to continue my Axis setup guide soon and might add some hardcore measurement details and tricks.

 

[DrKev]

I actually advise against visual setups, the eyes can play too many tricks. When I worked as guitar tech in the warehouse of the music store I would frequently try to judge the string height by eye and then measure to see how far off I was. I was sometimes surprised that what looked quite high was often a lot lower than I had guessed, and vice versa. Measuring is great way to start and then close your eyes and adjust by FEEL.

 

[bkrumme]

I'm with Kev on this one. Visual setups can be your best friend or worst enemy. Get a good set of feeler gauges and a machinists ruler. Also, before you start messing with the bridge or saddles, make sure the neck relief is right. Check out this video of our good friend Drew Montell (Drewbixcubed) showing us how to adjust a Music Man truss rod.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I would advise against learning how to do setups on a $3k guitar.

If you want to learn how to do any Music Man guitar, pick up a used Sterling by Musicman and learn on that. If you search Guitar Center's used section, I'm sure you can find one. There are promo AX20's out there for $200-$300.

There are specs on the Music Man site in the FAQ's.....how to set up an Axis. There are also youtube vids, but I couldn't find them right now.

You will do the setup by first setting the relief, then saddle height (I don't know JP's....so don't know how to do that on a JP), then intonation and check nut height and of course lube the nut and saddles. If your setup has a high action, but you're happy with it, you don't really have to lower it. I set up my guitars based on how I feel that day. (no, really.....)

 

[ohdamnitsdevin]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. I think I'll just buy a cheap sterling jp50 and tare it apart and put it back together. I'm seriously super paranoid to do anything to my JPX. I won't even change the strings myself I take it in and have someone do it. Sad I know.... But I don't have the money to replace my guitar if I were to do something to it and it's my BABY!

 

[dhalif]

u know whats the best part? with musicman easy access trus rod adjument, its a BREEEZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE