Why would someone not want the lowest action? My American Special has action too high that I need to take in and get adjusted (when I did it some of the bends aren't working now cuz too low in some spots I guess). Why would someone want higher action? it's gotta be harder to play, especially solos, right?

Depends on how hard one hits the strings, I'd imagine. I had my action lowered a couple of months ago, and even now if I start playing unplugged, I get much more buzz than previously. But yes, bends and fretting are much easier, as long as I adjust.

If you plan on doing any slide work you'll need the action high. You also want higher action if you have a neck with a small radius.

That's what she said. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Its a trade off really and how light or heavy your touch is has alot to do with it.I had one of my guitars lowered and I hated the way it played.The fret buzz near the nut was awful.Also I found it harder to do bends too.Strings slipped right out of my fingers.To me higher action is better because I hit the strings harder and really dig in for vibrato and bends.I also think the tone is better with higher action,but everyone is different.Its a matter of taste.

I play with high action because of my right hand technique... I strum across all the stings most of the time vs single string picking so I have to mute any strings that I don't want to sound with my left hand and high action makes this alot easier.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

This is good to hear. It's making me rethink this now. I should have done a poll on high or low action.

My mim can sit quite happily with 1.5mm at the 21st fret and not buzz. I prefer to set that height at the 12th fret. A bit of bounce in the strings is ideal for a good feeling guitar for me.

Always sounds better too, probably cause I can attack the strings more.

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No no and no

I like my action as low as possible and have had it like that for years.I slam the strings very hard and do heavy bends but after having my strings like that for years I have no problems with string buzz or my fingers slipping.If you set your action real low it's just a matter of adapting and getting used to it.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I like the action as low as possible, but no fret buzz.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

I used to like the action as low as you can go, but over the years I found that cranking it up a bit sounds and feels better for my music. I like to hit the strings hard, and like to wrestle with the guitar a bit too. I get more bottom end with a slightly higher action. I'm not playing railroad tracks for strings tho, like Dick Dale!

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"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."

It depends on the style of music I am playing. If I am playing blues/rock I like a medium low action where I can feel the strngs under my fingers. If I am going to play with shred techniques like sweeping or legato I go as low as I can.And that is why I have a single coil guitar set up slightly different than one with humbuckers.

If you get nothing else from the responses here the one thing you should walk away with is that it's really about personal taste more than anything else. Some folks prefer a low setup, some folks like it a bit higher. Different people have different fingers and different styles, nothing more and nothing less. Some people prefer heavier gauge strings, some folks prefer Strats over Les Pauls, some folks prefer Marshall amps, some folks like tube and some like solid state...action is just another one of those personal taste things.

Personally I have most of my guitars setup fairly low...I don't really bother to "measure" with my setups any more, I know what I like and I tend to set up my guitars by "feel" more than anything. If anything here I'm actually a bit strange in that I like my bass strings pretty low to the fretboard but I actually like my high E and B strings up just a bit...makes it easier for me to really "grab them" when doing bends. That said I do have a couple of guitars with slightly higher action and I try to keep one or two setup really high for doing slide work. In fact I'm in the (on going) process of building a Tele and that guitar is going to be setup exclusively for doing slide work so it's going to have a really high action.

Of course I also have a 1937 Kay acoustic that belonged to my grandmother and that sucker has ridiculously high action...however in that case it's because of a warped neck that was made before the invention of truss rods! LOL!!! If I could flatten that thing out, I would in a heart beat cause she's a really great sounding old guitar

Dude...there's no right or wrong here and certainly no need to do a "poll"...setup your guitar the way you like and play the crap out of that sucker...simple as that.

Peace,
Jim

Well i have been playing for 28 years now, when i was in my teens i liked it as low a possible i would say 3/64" now that i am 31 i play with high action i would say 3/32".

i love to set my action low.. to set the action low without buzz u have to take time to adjust truss rod, saddle height, and bridge height until u have the "perfect setting".. low action without buzz..

yes it takes time, i spend hours to adjust my guitar until i found that setting..

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Jingle Maker / Music Composer http://www.adryans.multiply.com