low action

[robertb87]

Hey guys, hows it going?
I have a few questions for the tech guys around here. I have a two month old soloist that I
love, but the problem is I cannot not achieve a low action with it. When I recieved this
guitar it played like a dream and the action was really low but over a few days the humidity changed my truss rod and my truss rod needed adjustments. After taking it to two professional they corrected the problem by setting this guitar up. Both of these techs set my guitar up with so much relief and such a high action It was unpretty much unplayable and sounded like shit aswell, no matter what I told them they just said they could not go any lower. I have several guitars, including two other jacksons that have really low actions and sound great. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to achieve a really low action for jacksons? it seems no matter what I do whether I tighten the truss rod and lower the action the high frets seem like they are choked out but if I do create a good action and sound in the high frets the lower frets just have way to high of a action. Im really confused . I hope this makes sense. thanks

[Nightbat]

first thing that needs to be found out: what is high for you and what is low?


I find it very hard to believe that a guitar with high action sounds like shit, nothing that a p'up raise wouldn't fix
if anything, a guitar with low action will have more artifacts from hitting the frets, choking notes and/or ringing out with a metallic character

[robertb87]

well I mean the action is so high its sounds like it detunes when u play a power chord. atleast a half inch of the fretboard. action is really high in the middle but low in high and it chokes out kinda not really a metallic sound. the odd thing is when I check the relief its doesnt seem to have alot. to be honest its really hard for me to explain it any better.

[robertb87]

I dunno though. I might just need to get used to it. Ive even thought about selling it. I just paid 3 grand for it though . thanks for the reply.

[moku]

i would get my money back from those two "techs" obviously they don't know what the hell they're doing, setting up your guitar with so much relieve. post some pics of the neck:
pictures of
1) looking down the neck from the headstock
2) profile view of upper and lower frets
3) height of the tremolo
4) any picture you think of to describe the situation

we'll get it fixed. no problem. just need visuals to diagnos what the problem is.

[Nightbat]

Half an INCH?

WTF? I can put my finger under there without even touching the strings

[DalyTek]

Seriously....worst case scenario: you have a fretboard that is uneven and you need a level, crown & polish.
If you had 2 different "techs" work on it and they both raised the action to an ungodly height and said that they could not get it any lower...you are using the wrong techs.

If you don't know what to look for, get some good pics of everything that's going on and post them up here like moku said, or take the guitar to a real tech.

[Devotee]

I don't even know how it's possible to raise the action to half an inch on a Jackson, unless you unscrewed the Floyd posts almost all the way. But like DalyTek and moku said, take some photos and post them here, then a full diagnosis will be made.

[warlok]

In the immortal words of Blazing Saddles.. Devotee Johnson is right about Dalytek Johnson and Moku Johnson being right. Need pics... Reverent!!

[Newc]

Those people masquerading as techs probably play blues or acoustics.

First, with the strings tuned to your desired tuning, adjust the trussrod so the neck is flat.
Next, lower the bridge and retune.
Let the guitar sit that way for at least 24 hours. Wood needs time to adjust and settle.

Then check the relief again and the tuning.

If the neck bends backwards, loosen the rod a small amount, say if the wrench points directly between the 3rd and 4th strings, turn it to point between the 2nd and 3rd.

Let it sit and check again.

Your action should be just high enough that full-step bends above the 12th do not grind out.

[sully]

Seriously....worst case scenario: you have a fretboard that is uneven and you need a level, crown & polish.
If you had 2 different "techs" work on it and they both raised the action to an ungodly height and said that they could not get it any lower...you are using the wrong techs.

If you don't know what to look for, get some good pics of everything that's going on and post them up here like moku said, or take the guitar to a real tech.

Well, worst case scenario is that the neck is twisted, but I won't scare the poor lad like that.

Sully

[DalyTek]

Well, worst case scenario is that the neck is twisted, but I won't scare the poor lad like that.

Sully

Well yeah, but he said it was playing good until the change in humidity and stupid techs messed with it, so in his situation I would hope that the neck is still true.

[thetruthguy]

I recently saw an RR5R. Neck was straight, relief was good, and the floyd was flat and sunk into the body where it's supposed to be. But the strings were about 1/3" off the fretboard. Played okay (he had loose strings on it, prob 9s) but the action was too high for my liking. couldn't screw down the floyd ... it was pretty low to begin with. So they do come from the factory like that sometimes. I had a DK1 once that would fret out when I pulled back on the floyd. Action was fine. Never had that happen with a recessed trem. Don't know what was wrong wth it. Sometimes there are duds.

[robertb87]

Hello guys, this is a surprising forum so many people trying to help instead of being jerks. thanks guys. Unfortunatley my camera will not take a really defined picture so I did so measurements. At the 12 fret on both treble and bass sides the action is 1/2 cm which is 5 mm with a little relief ( about 1/5 cm). I don't know if this is high or low but to me it does feel really high compared to what I am used too. Im using tens right now, thinking about trying 9s or 8s. The floyds rose action adjustments are level with the body and if I go any lower it sounds really metallica and choked out above the 12th fret.

[robertb87]

Oh yea. my floyd rose is totally straight with the body.