Topmusicanswers
There are two ways to tell if the action on your guitar is too high: intonation and feel. If your guitar's intonation is out or the guitar feels awkward to play compared to other guitars, the action may be too high. ... If the neck has too much relief, it will cause high action.
- What is considered high action on a guitar?
- Does high action on a guitar make it harder to play?
- Do cheap guitars have high action?
- How much action should a guitar have?
What is considered high action on a guitar?
String Height at the 12th Fret
| Low Action | Medium Action | High Action |
|---|---|---|
| Low E: 2.0mm (0.079”) High E: 1.5mm (0.059”) | Low E: 2.5mm (0.098”) High E: 1.8mm (0.071”) | Low E: 3.8mm+ (0.149”) High E: 3.2mm+ (0.126”) |
Does high action on a guitar make it harder to play?
The higher your action, the harder it's going to be to press the string down… because the string has further to go before it finally makes contact with the metal fret. The lower the action, the easier it's going to be to press the string down, because it's already closer to the fret and has less distance to travel.
Do cheap guitars have high action?
As a whole, one of the ways manufacturers cut corners is by setting up a cheap guitar with high action. This is because to lower the action requires skill and time to cut the nut and adjust the neck and bridge. ... Still, these minor fluctuations in the guitar's neck and body shape can affect the instrument.
How much action should a guitar have?
Measuring at the 12th fret (as in the photo), the action height should be 2.6 mm for Steel String Acoustic guitar, 1.8 for electric, 2.0mm for bass and 3mm for a Classical.
