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Hi All,
I have two Strats:

1) 1979 US Strat with a 7.25" maple neck and fretboard.
2) 2011 Squier 'Simon Neil' CV Strat with a 9.5" maple neck and rosewood fretboard.

I had my 79' US Strat fully professionally serviced/set-up a couple of years ago by a local first-class Luthier. As I was extremely pleased with the result, I decided a few weeks ago to take along my recently acquired Squier for the same treatment. I had it back from the Luthier last week and the result is excellent. The Luthier has set the action on the Squier to 4.5/64 (6th string) and 3.5+/64 (1st string) (my preference). This is measured from the top of the 12th fret bar to the underside of the string. The Luthier explained that this setting is slightly higher than most guitarists prefer, as they usually like faster actions. The action on my 79' US Strat is set about 1/64 higher as it has a 7.25" radius neck and 'chokes off' earlier with string bending. I still have a nagging feeling that these settings are still a touch too low for my playing action.

My question: Without any string held down, what are your action settings on your Strat (top of 12th fret to underside of 1st and 6th strings) ?

Please reply including your neck radius (if known).

Many thanks for your info. in advance.

Kind regards
Roger

Hi Roger

as low as I can get it without choking, but I always do my own setting up.

Geoff

Hi Geoff,
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate that you setup your own action, but have you any idea as to what the actual measurements are. Just so as I can compile some figures?

Kind regards
Roger

Mine are around 2mm a tad higher bass side as I like to dig in (I think that is around 6/64s in real money) I find the lower the action the thinner the sound and I like mine to sound a bit meatier so to speak. Mine is a 57 reissue 7.5inch radius. I also like a bit more bow in the neck than most ! Just my preference on this guitar.

Hi yes I set up my own guitars as follows

Burns Drifter - 2.0 mm measured on the 17th fret right across the fretboard using 10-46 ,4 Springs on the bridge

Burns Legend custom Deluxe same as above

Fender Custom Shop Relic 2.5mm 6th 2.2mm 5th 2.1mm 4th 3rd 2nd and 1st all 2.mm this is due to the vintage camber and lower frets

All guitars are set up with slight relief in the neck

All strings are Legacy 10-46 changed monthly

Cheers

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the reply and the information. 2mm is about 5/64. If this is on your 1st string, it's only 1/64 above the Fender basic starting recommendation which is nothing. I also dig deep and prefer the higher action. I recently had a go on a friends Strat with a very low action. It was very easy to play as the strings only needed a touch, but there was lots of fret clatter (which didn't seem to sound through the amplifier). My friend loved it that way.

Kind regards
Roger

Hi 51 Relic,

Thanks for all the valuable information. It's starting to look like 2mm (5/64) is what most players tend to use. I was a little surprised at the Fender Custom Shop Guitar. I can understand the action being a little higher due to the smaller radius neck (7.25") to prevent choking off, but not because of the lower frets.

Thanks again.

Kind regards
Roger

Hi
Yes on the Nocaster i use this guitar for country type playing not Shadows tunes ,having said that it does a good strat sound on the neck pickup due to the Twisted Tele neck pick up (this pickup looks like a tele neck p/u but sounds closer to a Strat unit ).
The reason for the higher action is that I tend to dig in more on this guitar and play harder and i tend to Hybrid pick ie pick and fingers ( and its already scratched and dented LOL ) .You can reduce it to 2mm across the board but you can lose clarity ,so at 2.5mm it stays

Roger

I am sure you are aware that Fender stipulate as a guide 4/64 - 5/64 on vintage style necks. I set mine up umpteen times trying to find the best sound projection from the guitar and like I said I dig in so I need it higher. Just always looking for the best sound I can get. I usually get it right for home use and it sounds fine then I go up the club in the big room there and find its thinner and that has been my main issue trying to get the best sound possible. I think Fenders guidleines are just a guide and some guitarists I have seen quoting as much as 7/64s to 8/64s ... now that would be a cheese cutter !

Neck relief on the 7.5 radius board by Fender quoted at 12 thou but I read in the Guitar handbook by Ralph Denyer and he suggest as much as 1/64 or so no more than 1/32 and that suprised me. I think relief affects the sound of the guitar a lot and the straighter it is the thinner the tone.

Good to see the 2mm being used by others as I had settled on that and 2mm on the back of the trem to body gap and 2mm to initially set up PU heights ! seems a good working number that 2mm.

Hi 51 Relic,
Thanks for the explanation.

Hi Roger,
Interesting. I agree totally that Fenders figures are a good starting point and where you end up is down to many factors. The relief on both of my two Strats by the way, is about 0.010".

Point of interest regarding pickup height:
I took one of my guitars to a Luthier recently for a professional service and set-up. Whilst I was there, he put my guitar on his bench and checked the intonations at the 12th fret. They were correct. He then said "I'll now show you something". He wound the pickups down towards the scratchplate with just about a 1/16" of the pickup cover showing. He then checked the intonation again of the 6th string at the 12th fret. it was miles out (probably more than 1/2 a note). He said that he had demonstrated this because he had noticed the bridge saddle intonation spring was wound fully in, and this usually happens when setting the intonation against the pull of the pickup magnets. He then set all the intonations, followed by raising the pickups again to the point where they just started to alter the intonation. On my guitar this was approx 8/64" from the top of the magnetic pole to the underside of the string with the last fret held down. It just goes to show, that having the pickups set too high not only alters the intonation, but also alters the tone of the string by altering it's natural ringing path.

Kind regards
Roger