Action Height

[DearstonePlayer]

What is your preferred action height at the first, fifth and twelfth frets? What is a good middle of the road height that will allow for great sound without sacrificing playability?
Thanks.

[acousticphd]

There was an action-height/relief thread about a month ago, I think. I remember being surprised at how high several people considered to be low. But I don't play much in a heavy or aggressive bluegrass style.

Whether you can achieve ideal/preferred action is dependent on the flatness and eveness of your mandolin's fingerboard (which you'll already know if you have an old Gibson or similar). I try to set the nut action so that a string fretted at the 3rd fret just barely clears the first fret. I have erred a few times at this, produced string buzz, and had to refill a nut slot or replace the nut. What feels good to me is ~6/64ths" on the base side, and ~5/64ths" on the treble side, at the 12th fret. But I only have a couple instruments where the fingerboard is even enough to achieve this setup, so have to compromise. For example, on my old A1 I cannot lower the action to where I'd like it in the middle of the FB because it will produce buzz up on the high frets. Call me a weenie, but I 'm happiest with the sound when I am most comfortable with the playability of the instrument, so I try not to sacrifice that. But I'm not sure a 64th" or two changes volume noticeably.

[DearstonePlayer]

Thanks for the information!

[mike_c]

i like 1/16 of a inch at the twelth fret..and just a smidge more under the G strings..

[Emmiemando]

What is an "Action Height"?

[Scott Cressey]

EmmieManod, action height is the distance from the strings to the fret wires. The lower the action, the easier the instrument is to fret/play. If the action is to low it can cause buzzing sounds if the strings contact the fret wires. I hope this helps.
Regards, Scotty http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Bob DeVellis]

Too high a nut seems to cause more problems than too high a bridge. Mny instruments are built with nuts that are higher than necessary as insurance against buzzing, but it makes them tougher to play and often has a deleterious effect on intonation. In addition, it seems to have fewer benefits than the increased downforce of a raised bridge. ALthough it's a bit scarier to make action adjustments at the nut than just turning the thumb wheels on a bridge, it can really make a difference in the feel of an instrument. Acousticphd, I can relate. We've all gone a little overboard on those nut slots once or twice. But with experience, I seem less likely to do that now than I used to be -- or maybe just luckier. I just got an old instrument back from having a neck reset and a new bridge carved. The action and intonation were less than ideal. The problem was at the nut, and a bit of judicious slot alteration made a world of difference. Not only does it feel much better, but the improved intonation (because fretted strings in first position aren't being stretched over a too-high nut anymore) makes double-stops sound hugely better. Moral of the story: don't only think bridge when you adjust action. Check the nut as well.

[Peter Hackman]

And, of course, leave the nut to experts.

I've never measured the action of my favorite mando.
It came with Elderly's custom setup. I played it,
it was easy to play
but the tone tended to pinch
and there was some fret buzz. So I took out a pair
of tongs
and gave the wheels of the bridge a quarter turn,
then tuned and check, and that was it.
Otherwise I would have given them another quarter turn,
and so on.

Go by feeling. We all have different styles and needs.
I don't want the action so high that my fingers bounce off
the board, as my playing style (or, rather, attitude)
requires swift position changes. A first-position
player has different needs. Some sacrifice melodic
detail in order to get Monroe's down-strokes,
etc, I want tons of it, but also a fuller and ballsier
tone than Thile etc., etc., etc.

Besides nut and bridge height, fretboard radius
may be important, but also HIGHLY individual.

[Martin Jonas]

As far as setting the action at the nut is concerned, this (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenSetup/NutAction/nutaction.html) article at frets.com answers all questions!

Martin