One person commented that my guitars action was to low. When he said he played slide I understood. I also realize that my playing style is very light with the pick and finger picking. A lot of my runs are just hammered on and pulled off. Therefore I can afford ultra low action. This is just a cool thread.
- Thread starter tommyindelaware
- Start date
Colin
Well-known member
You need that height to avoid hitting the frets with the slide. With playing slide you need to be above the fret as opposed to behind the fret when playing normally.Junior said:
fbecir
Well-known member
Hello again
My MM Steve Morse has a "regular" action, so when I play slide I use a plexi slide. It is light so the slide doesn't "choke" against the fret. I have another guitar setup for slide (high action + heavy gauge). In this case I can use a brass slide. The sound is better than with the plexi slide. But with the high action, don't try to play your favourite Petrucci licks ... it will kill your fingers.
Bonne soirée
My MM Steve Morse has a "regular" action, so when I play slide I use a plexi slide. It is light so the slide doesn't "choke" against the fret. I have another guitar setup for slide (high action + heavy gauge). In this case I can use a brass slide. The sound is better than with the plexi slide. But with the high action, don't try to play your favourite Petrucci licks ... it will kill your fingers.
Bonne soirée
jchalas
Well-known member
The buzz discussion reminds me of the time I watched Thom (a.k.a. Tommy to y'all) fix Steve Morse's guitar just before the Dregs opened for Dream Theater in Baltimore. Steve had used a cardboard shim to keep the strings from buzzing due to excessive nut wear. He was using the guitar so often, there wasn't time to send it off for a much needed refret. Steve's guitar tech watching intently (with an incredulous look on his face), LaRue, Morgenstein and the rest all warming up in the dressing room 30 minutes prior to show time. What a classic moment! 
LOL
Janice
LOLJanice
Big Dainjerus
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2004
- Messages
- 74
tommy is hands down the master of action fixing. He used black magic to fix mine up. It was kind of intense but it worked.
tommyindelaware
Well-known member
Big Dainjerus said:
HEY JOE !!!!!!!!!
big d !!!!
bout time u re-surfaced !!!!!!how ya doin ????? email me .....lets catch up......
[email protected]
Colin
Well-known member
Why? The fans get a great night either way. BTW what does NHF mean?Junior said:
SteveB
Well-known member
jchalas said:
I once used a business card to shim the nut on one of my (non-EBMM) guitars.. I was in a recording studio in the middle of a session. Had to use what limited resources were available! I sold that guitar, but I think the biz card shim is still in it!
Random Hero
Well-known member
Colin said:
No Hard Feelings?
JDouglee
Well-known member
I usually raise the action up from factory spec. I move it until I hear the clear
clean tone ring out. I'm not a super hard player, but sometimes I stab it
for dynamics. Tone comes first. If legato playing is too diffecult I back it down
a hair...
clean tone ring out. I'm not a super hard player, but sometimes I stab it
for dynamics. Tone comes first. If legato playing is too diffecult I back it down
a hair...
It's funny because playing softer with low action should be a logical conclusion, but in all honesty I've never really thought too much about it. I like my action quite low, and yes, I have a little buzzing acoustically. Now that I've thought about it I realize, I do play too hard, usually, for action that low.
I've experimented with a softer attack and I find it sounds much cleaner, and I can play a little more smoothly. It is hard for me to do it consistently though, especially when I start getting into it, and fall back into the habit. I don't like to think too much when I'm playing I guess. To me that's what practice is for. Performance I try to let go of thoughts about technique and what comes next, etc...
Good post Tommy.
I've experimented with a softer attack and I find it sounds much cleaner, and I can play a little more smoothly. It is hard for me to do it consistently though, especially when I start getting into it, and fall back into the habit. I don't like to think too much when I'm playing I guess. To me that's what practice is for. Performance I try to let go of thoughts about technique and what comes next, etc...
Good post Tommy.
Colin
Well-known member
Cheers for that, it's hard keeping up with all that computer talk or what I call "nerd words"Random Hero said:
Colin
Spudmurphy
Well-known member
Nice thread Tommy.Junior said:
Junior
Slide playing will require a slightly higher action especially if you want to play some Sonny Landreth stuff (do a search on his song Native Stepson or the acoustic version "Son of Native Stepson" and you will hear some of the cool tricks he does).
He has a technique of playing behind the slide. It's so difficult to explain but it requires that you wear the slide on your little finger and ALSO fret strings behind the slide.
With regard to this low action debate I can understand that the shredders will require a super low action but your "Kossoffs" of this world will want it raised a "tad" to get some stick into the bend and vibrato.
My Les Paul is too low and I don't play it at the moment, - I guess I could raise it !!!
Spud
Colin
Well-known member
I've thought about this thread and it's subjective to a lot of variables, which means everybody is right. If you play blues or slide and you have to low an action you will have a harder time playing clean and getting a good tone. If you play shred (for want of a better word) have a higher action this may result in losing some speed and a lighter touch. Too low an action may result in the limiting of tone cause you can't whack those strings. For example a low action requires a lighter touch, maybe even leaning towards a more legato style. If you can add more dynamics to your playing (ie: playing from a light to heavy touch) you may not be as limited in your playing and what you can offer as a musician. As an illustration to my point, think of a drummer that could only play lightly all the time?
Colin
Colin
Pundix
Well-known member
NorM said:
One of the guitar players I work with a lot picked up my silo sp to use and just looked at me sideways. "Those strings are almost on the fretboard" is all he said.
Tim O'Sullivan
Well-known member
I like a higher than normal action 2mm at the 12th, or even more. It just feels right like that to me, and bends are so smooth like this. Just my personal preference!
