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Thread: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

  1. #1
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    Default General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Hey, Trying to conduct a survey here and I am curious if any of you fine pickers would be willing to to measure with feeler gauges the height between their mandolins first fret and G string, first fret and E string, fifteenth fret and G string and fifteenth fret and E string? If you could also please specify what type of music you generally play and what type of mandolin you have measured these parameters from I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    My feeler gauge technique is probably not perfect, but I am getting:
    1st fret: G .020 E .012
    15th fret: G .087 E .079

    I have an Old Wave Oval A. I play church music, old-time and Celtic. I tend to play a little hard and the action on this instrument is comfortable and completely buzz free. Also, it is loud.

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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I would recommend measuring at the 12th fret...simply because you can use it as a direct reference( that is, 1X height change at 12th = 2x height change at bridge ). This allows the technician to be very accurate and repeatable when changing the action. IMHO, should be the standard for measuring.

    Also, regarding the nut height....this is considered "zero"....while in reality it should be about .001" to .002" clearance at the first fret when fretting at the 3rd( depending on the string/tuning...larger diameters and lower pitches will be on the larger side of this margin). These are the standards I've used for years...and that allows fast, accurate repeatable changes when setting up.

    Do what you want, but developing "standards" is highly useful in communicating your needs to the tech.

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    Registered User thejamdolinplayer's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I was told .050 for the E and .060 for the G were good starting points, how do you guys feel about these?.. Lets see some more feedback on this topic I am very interested in this, I have been setting up my mando for 3 days now and just cannot find the right spot ahhaa., such a pain in the arse. I get the height I want then the intonation is off, then I set that and I play to hard for the height....

  6. #5

    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I like an easy to play instrument with minimal buzzing. String height (action) directlly relates to intonation. Raising and lowering the string height effects intonation.
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I like the string height at the first fret to be the same or slightly less as it is when i fret the first fret and look at the height between the string and the fret at the second fret.
    12th fret slightly over 1/32 on the E and 2/32 on the G. With a good fret level this seems to work well for me.
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    Registered User thejamdolinplayer's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I have realized you dont need high action to get good sound. Not only that i would rather be a little more quiet then to chew my fingers up.... 1/32 is pretty low, I will see if I can get em that low and try it out im sure with the right amount of relief that would work...

  9. #8
    Registered User Lefty Luthier's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Unless requested otherwise, I set all my mandolins at G -0.18 and E - 0.15 at the first fret and G - 0.030 and E - 0.020 at the 12th fret. Any lower on the G and buzz is likely but after a bit of use, the E could be brought down a bit though I don't recommend it.

  10. #9
    iii mandolin Geoff B's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Lefty I think you got the first and twelfth frets mixed. Also, .18 (~3/16) seems pretty high to me, you sure about that? I don't ever measure the first fret, but at the 12th fret I usually go for 4-6/64th's on the G course and 2-3/64th on the E course (depending on the player's playing style). I like my action low and I play in an acoustic/folk/indie band.

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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    First, be patient. It often takes me a week or two to get the action perfect on my mandolin.
    After the nut, relief, etc. is set up, I put the bridge action as low as I can without buzzing. Then I play the mando for a day or so.
    Sometimes I automatically adjust to the lower action and no buzzing results.
    Sometimes real life playing results in buzzing that wasn't present at set up and I need to raise the saddle just a bit and try again for a day.
    Repeat till perfect.
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  12. #11
    Mandolicious fishtownmike's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I do mine by feel and eyeballing. Never measured the distance. I like it low as possible with no buzzing anywhere.

  13. #12
    Registered User Rolfe's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    On most models of Phoenix mandolins I do the set up as follows:
    1st fret - E & A 0.010" D & G 0.012"
    12th fret - 0.050"
    on Bluegrass models
    1st fret - E & A 0.011" D & G 0.014"
    12th fret - 0.060"
    Rolfe Gerhardt

  14. #13
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Quote Originally Posted by Geoff B View Post
    Lefty I think you got the first and twelfth frets mixed. Also, .18 (~3/16) seems pretty high to me, you sure about that? I don't ever measure the first fret, but at the 12th fret I usually go for 4-6/64th's on the G course and 2-3/64th on the E course (depending on the player's playing style). I like my action low and I play in an acoustic/folk/indie band.
    I suspect he meant 0.018, not 0.18 - you could get whole fingers to disappear under that otherwise

    I forget the source, but I seem to remember some of the better manufacturers use 1.5mm (0.060") as a baseline action at #12. Personally I wouldn't go below 1mm (0.040") at #12... but then I've only fretted and set up half a douzen or so instruments, so I don't claim to be any expert! In any case a fraction under 1.5mm is really very playable IMO.

    I've never measured the action at #1, don't see the point really, it is what it is - once the nut is set correctly it's determined entirely by the bridge height - assuming you don't adjust the neck relief that is - I've never done that either as I like my fingerboards/frets dead flat.

    John.

  15. #14

    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    I am new to the mando, banjo player, my action is almost double the specs listed the neck has a noticable relief and I have set the bridge for intonation but when i try to bring the action down I get buzzing at the 12th fret. so less relief flatter board or should I try to find someone else to do it? I don't know of a shop around here that I could trust with my eastman 815. suggestions please.

  16. #15
    Boomslang
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Love this new Weber Lefty, Special Addition- Had it a month and and a guitar playing friend said the set-up is poor. I'm a beginner- Should string height be about 1/8 at 14th fret at high string?
    Boomslang

  17. #16

    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    More like half that (1/16") or a tiny bit more. Mine's around 0.066" at the 12th fret (nobody measures at that 14th, the 12th is the halfway point and a natural place to measure) so it's probably 0.070" or so at the 14th. Yours is around 0.125" which I would find unplayable on a guitar, much less a mandolin.

  18. #17
    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Quote Originally Posted by Boomslang View Post
    Love this new Weber Lefty, Special Addition- ...
    I have a Weber Special edition, it came set up a bit low for me (consignment sale). I have approximately .060" clearance above the 12th fret on both G and E, using .040 and .011 strings respectively. So you could adjust so the G string is a little more than its own thickness above the 12th fret.

    On my electric 5-string, I have almost 1/8" above the 12th fret for my C. Single strings like more clearance for a couple of reasons.
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  19. #18

    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    Quote Originally Posted by Lefty Luthier View Post
    Unless requested otherwise, I set all my mandolins at G -0.18 and E - 0.15 at the first fret and G - 0.030 and E - 0.020 at the 12th fret. Any lower on the G and buzz is likely but after a bit of use, the E could be brought down a bit though I don't recommend it.
    Is this measuring from top of fret or fingerboard? Thanks

  20. #19
    Highly Lonesome Marty Henrickson's Avatar
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    Default Re: General String Height - Action / Set up / Style Survey

    OP hasn't logged in since March.
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