Jackson's Standard Action setting 1.5mm

[Misanthrope189]

Hey guys,
I just restrung my guitar, waxed, polished, oiled...the whole deal, and damn does she play nice. Anyway...Jackson specs on the card sent with the Soloist say the string height, measured from the bottom of the string to the top of the 12th fret, should be 1.5mm. My strings were around 4mm, and I'm having a hell-of-a-time trying to get it back down to 1.5mm. I've lowered the trem, adjusted the truss rod, and I've managed about 2mm...but what's the deal? Where's the secret?

Thanks a lot,
Nick

[metallicarocks]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

Remeasure you neck to make sure it isn't bowed still.

How about the saddles? Those where they're supposed to be?

[jcm800x]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

I don't see how 1.5 is attained either, at 2mm it frets out awful.

[Newc]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

Y'know, I never did care what anyone else said the "ideal" action was - I always set mine up for me and how I play and what I can accept as a balance between ease of playability and whatever tonal anomalies arise: strings buzzing against frets, early fades, slow grinds that induce interesting harmonic tones, etc.

And you might also want to remember that perfectly straight lines of a given length may in fact create the illusion of being not straight, so even though your neck looks straight as an arrow, it might not be. Try loosening the truss rod just a hair (not even half of a quarter turn - maybe half the distance from one string to the next at the nut) and try again.

Make sure your bridge is level with the body. You can try getting it even with the string angle, but conventional wisdom says to keep it even with the body. The strings break across the saddle more sharply when it's even with the body, and that can affect intonation slightly, since the pinch point is slightly different.

[PallarAndersVisa]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

ive been setting my action higher and higher as i get older, because for some reason I cant seem to stopg etting fret buzz when i go lower. the tone when your strings arent buzzing against anything is just great and thats how I like it

[mm2002]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

My rule of thumb is super low action/light strings for highly overdriven shredding type stuff, and higher action/larger strings for playing clean articulate playing.

[Misanthrope189]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

Well...I have D'Addario 11s on the Jackson...so perhaps 1.5mm is really unattainable with string sizes like that. Also, I always keep my trem level with the body. Another question. How loose should the truss rod feel? When turned to the right - clockwise - where my truss rod was, it feels really tight, and only goes another quarter turn before it's impossible for me to turn it any further. If I turn it back to the left - counter clockwise - after about a half turn, the truss rod feels really loose. Should the truss rod maintain a level of tension, or should it be very easy to turn?

Thanks a lot,
Nick

[Zerberus]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

[ QUOTE ]
Well...I have D'Addario 11s on the Jackson...so perhaps 1.5mm is really unattainable with string sizes like that. ....

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely not the problem, I play 12-52 in standard with 1.14mm on the High e and 1.2mm on the low E [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[dg]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

[ QUOTE ]
Well...I have D'Addario 11s on the Jackson...so perhaps 1.5mm is really unattainable with string sizes like that. Also, I always keep my trem level with the body. Another question. How loose should the truss rod feel? When turned to the right - clockwise - where my truss rod was, it feels really tight, and only goes another quarter turn before it's impossible for me to turn it any further. If I turn it back to the left - counter clockwise - after about a half turn, the truss rod feels really loose. Should the truss rod maintain a level of tension, or should it be very easy to turn?

Thanks a lot,
Nick

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you should be adjusting the truss rod under string tension, especially since you're using 11s and it sounds like it needs more than just a minor tweak. If it has a trem, you can just tilt the trem forward and prop it there with something soft while you adjust. No need to completely unstring it or anything, & you'll only have to do a little tuning to balance with the adjustment once the trem is unblocked. This is how I do mine, especially if I'm tightening the rod. Sometimes I'll loosen it under tension if only needs a tiny adjustment, but usually I'll remove the string tension even then. Everyone has their own opinions, but I'd hate to damage one of my guitars just to save a minute or 2.

[mm2002]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

[ QUOTE ]
If it has a trem, you can just tilt the trem forward and prop it there with something soft while you adjust.

[/ QUOTE ]

Those little rectangular pencil erasers work great for this!

[thetroy]

Re: Jackson\'s Standard Action setting 1.5mm

I set my guitars so that a Jazz III (1.38mm) pick just barely gets held between the 22nd fret and the E strings, so it must be even less than 1.38mm at the 12th fret