OT: Setting guitar action

[John Egerton]

Hey guys... Kinda off topic but still guitar related...

I own a high end ibanez similar to the JEM model and want a really low action in the style of satriani... I'd like a level action throughout the guitar for tapping purposes (don't want different string heights as I want to apply equal amounts of pressure to the strings.)

Can someone talk me through how I'd set the action this low? I'm quite farmiliar with truss rod and bridge adjusting however whenever I try to do this I just get an insane amount of buzzing and choking...

Thanks

John

[aaronkessman]

first off, it depends on the guitar. if it's high end, it should be good for it, but thats not always a guarantee. also, your frets may need to be filed or shaped differently/better for you to get the minimum possible action. and your nut may have to be redone/replaced. frets and nut are two things i leave to the pros, though.

[petemoore]

Buy Dan Erlewines 'Guitar Repair Method' book, worth every penny. Very Easy to follow with diagrams 'n pictures, the main thing you probably don't have is the crowning file, I recommend a diamond one for beginners and experts [about 90$], the 13$ one works, but if you get slightly misaligned during a cutting stroke, you get Gouges on your frets :x .
 After doing my fret redressing, my guitars play like the best guitar I ever played.
 Don't super tighten the truss rod, other than that...mess with it, and keep in mind what the neck does...it may take up to two weeks for the adjustment to 'settle', and some fine tune 'targetting' to find the optimum setting, this is one reason why I do all my own guitar setups....Because "I Know what the neck is doing and not doing, what I want it to do, etc.
 A high fret is N/P, can be filed down across the neck, a low fret....all the others need filed [don't try my patented fret raising trick...it works too good, saving alot of filed fretting].
 If the truss is super tight, instead of stripping the nut, loosen the strings and pull the back of the neck 'up' the nut should turn very easily with all the pressure off of it.
 Since it's an Ibanez, the truss adjust should probably get the thing PD Straight, fret wear is another matter.
 "New' type guitars [under say 1000$] may vary, but generally the frets are pressed in and the guitar is shipped....'Old' style, like new Gibsons, they get out the various fret files, straight edges, neck jig, nut files, and spend 'labor intensive time' doing a fret dressing and proper set up.
 Those way up high on the neck frets have a tendancy to get 'in the way after a while, and must be honed down. The frets at the bottom of the neck [where you play open chords and bends all the time] just get low, and all the others must sacrifice height [get filed down] to accomodate  :roll: .
 You should choose strings size before doing final truss rod adjustments.
 Abstract concepts, and 'blind faith' [if you can't really see what the truss does, you may have to feel or hear it or measure it with straight edges etc.], reading Dan's book shed light on the whole process for me.
 Basically you have to 'upload' information about neck sighting, fret function, truss rod activity, neck feel, then get the strings off, put 6-12lbs pressure on the neck [or have a neck jig] and use the straight edges...it's all in the physical structures, stresses and counterstresses, and in your mind too, before the file touches the fret.