Pro Mod action

[Lemures]

I have to say I disagree with Newc. I would say if you were to ask 9 out of 10 Charvel/Jackson /Ibanez/ESP players, they would tell you they definitely prefer low action. Personaly i think Cuitar Centers should have full time techs who set up all of these brands with nice low action so customers can get a real feel for what they can do and not have to twang on some out of tune beat up beast. but that's just my opinion.

[Matt_B]

I have to say I disagree with Newc. I would say if you were to ask 9 out of 10 Charvel/Jackson /Ibanez/ESP players, they would tell you they definitely prefer low action.

...and precisely what would you define as "low action"? What would the action be in 64ths of an inch? What about the neck relief? What would the measurement for that be? What gauge of strings would the measurements be made at?

I sold guitars for 12 yrs. and plenty of them were Charvels, Jacksons, and Ibanezes and over that time I learned that "low action" is subjective.

Personaly i think Cuitar Centers should have full time techs who set up all of these brands with nice low action so customers can get a real feel for what they can do and not have to twang on some out of tune beat up beast. but that's just my opinion.

That's a nice idea in theory but in practice, it is not cost effective.

Beyond all of that, why does a showroom guitar have to have "nice low action" for one to get a "real feel" for what it can do? Any guitar that is not defective is capable of having low action.

Achieving low action is not some mysterious process. If the frets are level and the string height at the nut is good then everything else (neck relief and bridge/saddle height) is gravy.

A good music store will offer a free set-up with the purchase of a guitar. This set-up should include all the services necessary to get the guitar playing the way you want it. Getting a guitar set-up to fit your needs after you buy it is like get a suit tailored to fit your frame.

[Grandturk]

I'll add this - never pay for a set-up that does not include a fret level and crown.

[lerxstcat]

Here's a tip: when you go to a shop, take your setup tools with you. Set the action to your liking, then see if you'll have to adjust anything else. If you've ever set up a guitar, you should have the ability to "project" what you'll need to do, and not dismiss an entire range of guitars based simply on the one you picked off the wall.

I see some problems with this idea:

1) If I'm the store owner I'm not just letting any yahoo who walks through the door take tools to my guitars and start adjusting them.
2) Even if I did, then the next guy to walk in likes a different action and the setup you just did may turn him off.
3) Seems like an awful lot of free work you're giving the store to set up every guitar you want to try. In reality I don't see anyone wanting to bother with that.

If you play it and it has a "happy medium" action in the store, and you can see there are no actual defects, then you'll save the fine setup work for when you get home with it.