# How do adjust the action in a hipshot fixed bridge?



## vejichan (Dec 2, 2016)

Anybody like to share what they do exactly to adjust the action height? I like my action at 1/16" at the last fret. So do I measure each string to be 1/16" at the last fret?


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## vejichan (Dec 3, 2016)

Btw does anybody know how to adjust the string height on the Mayones Duvell elite? Which is a hipshot fixed bridge? Can I technically just measure each string to be 4/64th at the last fret? Or So if I like the string height to be 4/64" at the high e string ...
1st - 4/64th exactly on the line on the ruler
2nd- 4/64th slightly above the line on the ruler
3rd- between 4/64th and 5/64
4th-between 4/64th and 5/64th
5th- 5/64th
6th- above 5/64th

Would that work and conform to the radius of the fingerboard?


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 3, 2016)

Here are some great tips, as each guitar will respond uniquely.
Those measures are just starting points, as measurements will vary on each guitar, and those measurements may increase or decrease by thousandths of an inch in either direction.

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Books..._To_Make_Your_Electric_Guitar_Play_Great.html

This one is great for understanding the "why" of what I said above.
http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Books...up_Books/Electric_Guitar_and_Bass_Design.html

This takes text and puts it into visual form which is ultimately far more helpful.
http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/DVD/D...nd_Setup_for_Electric_Guitars_and_Basses.html


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## vejichan (Dec 3, 2016)

Thanks but sometimes when you are a beginner and these videos or books tell you to use your ears or do it by feel or just eyeball it is not Enuff for me to understand what needs to be done . I need some technically sound method to do this. Exact measurements and such,


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 3, 2016)

vejichan said:


> Thanks but sometimes when you are a beginner and these videos or books tell you to use your ears or do it by feel or just eyeball it is not Enuff for me to understand what needs to be done . I need some technically sound method to do this. Exact measurements and such,



I understand, but it's a start. That's all the measurements are anyway, a starting point.

Ideally, if you have a local luthier that would be willing to mentor you and let you shadow them in their shop, this experience could be priceless.

Reading is helpful, to be sure, but having someone teach you what/how to feel after making an adjustment or a tool move goes so much further.

Also, as each of us has learned, be willing to learn from failure. Buy a cheap GFS neck and/or body just for learning maintenance & repair on. This has loads of value in practical experience.


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## zeropoint (Dec 3, 2016)

Giving exact measurements doesn't work because there are variations between guitars. You can say "set the low E string at exactly XYZ thousandths of an inch from the 24th fret / fretboard" for a certain guitar... but on a different guitar there will be a different style of bridge, may or may not have one of a billion styles of trems, a different nut which may be cut differently, different angles of approach from the tuning machines / string trees to the nut, possibly a locking nut to deal with, different string spacing, a different truss rod, a difference in heights between the fretboard and the body of the guitar, different scale length, a different length between the bridge and the 24th fret (by thousandths of an inch), different fret heights and widths, in some cases different fret SHAPES (true temperment, etc.)... And that's just talking about design decisions. When you consider that these things are made by machines with tolerances (or humans with even worse ones), it becomes quite impossible to really nail down a hard set of laser exact numbers. Even your string gauge determines how much the string will deviate from it's neutral path when it's strummed (how far it can go without buzzing - a determining factor in setting action), and even that depends on how hard your pick attack is.

Not to come off as harsh, but you have to understand that it's a dynamic system and a prescriptive method will get you into the ballpark, but it won't get you 100% of the way there - and since adjusting one thing like the string gauge, truss rod tension, bridge height, shimming the neck, etc. will affect the other parameters, so there are diminishing returns to how accurate you can get a setup - it is indeed crucial to know what you're looking and listening for, and to understand that there is a degree of subjectivity to it and any person doing the setup has to know when to call it right. You can get things pretty good with a prescriptive method, but even at that, you'd be writing one up for every single major configuration on the market.

Gotta use the resources and jump in and learn by fire, a bit.


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## vejichan (Dec 3, 2016)

but regardless of the guitar and string gauge.. if i like the string height to be 4/64" that should be consistent right?

so logically.. with a ruler in hand .. if i measure where my string measurements are for each string right now.. when i change string gauge.. they should be about the same distance?


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 3, 2016)

vejichan said:


> but regardless of the guitar and string gauge.. if i like the string height to be 4/64" that should be consistent right?
> 
> so logically.. with a ruler in hand .. if i measure where my string measurements are for each string right now.. when i change string gauge.. they should be about the same distance?



Again, that's a reference point, final results may teter totter on either side of that measurement ever so slightly.

String vibrate differently according to make & gauge, and the players picking style and intensity.

Every last bit of it is subjective eventually.


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## MetalHead40 (Dec 3, 2016)

Dude, not to sound like a douche, but your REALLY over-complicating it. 

I hear what your saying in regard to needing to understand it from a technical perspective, but really its all about how the strings feel under your fingers and preference.

The most important aspect is probably getting a saddle height that allows for the least fret buzz but still offers a low enough action as to make playing comfortable.

Its really that easy


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## vejichan (Dec 3, 2016)

Sorry. I'm careful because my guitars are expensive suhrs and mayones. It's my first time doing it. Wanna make 100% sure


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## Lasik124 (Dec 3, 2016)

Your definitely over thinking it as someone previously posted.

In my opinion its more preference then anything. How do YOU like your action? I've played quite a few guitars where the action is to low for my personal tastes.

If you want to learn, use one of your less expensive guitars first.

Even if not, its not like your going to break one of your guitars adjusting the truss rod or saddles.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 3, 2016)

vejichan said:


> Sorry. I'm careful because my guitars are expensive suhrs and mayones. It's my first time doing it. Wanna make 100% sure



There's no such thing as 100% sure by blindly making a pre-determined measurement. Much of it is by feel of the individual player.

I make adjustments for customers all the time based on subjectivitey.

I make adjustments, and make adjustments on my own instruments. Sometimes I have to adjust a tad more, sometimes I have to adjust a tad less realizing that my previous adjustment was fine enough.

That's how you learn.

It's not the Rotisserie Grill of Luthiery. You never just set it & forget it, ever.

I fully understand wanting to protect your expensive instrument, but since you're addressing things that are non-invasive like intonation, action, and truss rod adjustments, any mistake you make is reversible and correctable, and part of the learning curve. There is no adverting the learning curve, ever. If anything, that's often where you learn some of your most valuable lessons.

So, a $100 investment into a GFS body/Neck to learn your craft is a reasonable investment in order to learn how to properly care for and set up your $3,000 investments.


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## angl2k (Dec 3, 2016)

One good advice I can give you:

just write down whatever adjustments you've made to your guitar setup. For example if you're adjusting the action with the saddle screw just write down how many turns on the screw you made. That way you can always go back to where it was before. For me this was especially useful when adjusting the truss rod.

On a side note did your guitar ship with a manual? I find the ESP and Ibanez manuals pretty helpful to set up the guitar. It's a great guideline on action + truss rod adjustments.

For bolt on Ibanez use these guidelines: put a capo on first fret and manually fret where the neck joins the body. Then measure the gap on the 8th fret. Should be 0.3--0.5 mm.

Then check action. Ibanez recommends 1.5-1.7mm at 14th fret for the first string and 2.0-2.2mm for 6th string low E.

Take this as a starting point and adjust to taste


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## vejichan (Dec 3, 2016)

Thanks . Anybody have time for skype setup lessons?


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## vick1000 (Dec 4, 2016)

vejichan said:


> Sorry. I'm careful because my guitars are expensive suhrs and mayones. It's my first time doing it. Wanna make 100% sure



Then take them to a tech for setup.


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## Petar Bogdanov (Dec 4, 2016)

Get a set of radius gauges and a feeler gauge. 

Set the action to your preference at the outer strings, with the feeler gauge, and then raise/lower each middle string until they all rub equally, on the radius gauge. This is one of the "proper" ways to do it.


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## BubbleWrap (Dec 5, 2016)

Holy sh!t. Not trying to be too disrespectful, but if you can't grasp the concept of adjusting action on one of the most simplistically designed bridges, you shouldn't be anywhere near a mayones or suhr. Put the guitars down and read a [email protected] book on guitar setup and repair, watch some YouTube videos, or just let a competent person employed as a tech make the adjustments for you.


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