After acquiring an electric guitar, many beginners immediately try to play something, which is understandable. However, a problem may arise due to the rattling of one or more strings. Also, the strings can be hard to clamp, which complicates the game. All of this can be caused by incorrect string heights.
Why is it necessary to adjust the height of the strings
This question is important for both a beginner and a pro. However, in the case of the first reason, elementary sound quality serves. As a rule, when acquiring a guitar, which is especially inexpensive, you need to know that initially the strings are not properly adjusted. Because of this, a characteristic bounce appears during the game, especially noticeable on the thickest sixth string. This greatly spoils the experience of the game.
For an already experienced guitarist, the need to adjust the strings is determined by the style of the game. If the emphasis is on the speed of the game, then the strings should be slightly below the standard value. Also, the guitarist himself over time chooses the most optimal height for his playing style. However, before it will take a lot of time and forced adjustments to the strings on the electric guitar.
Standard height
Focusing on the already adopted parameters, it should be noted that the standard height of the strings on the electric guitar varies for each individually. As a rule, on the very first and thinnest string, this value is 1.5 mm. Each subsequent string will be higher by 0.1 mm. So, already on the sixth string, the value will be 2 mm.
What determines the height of the strings
The indicated optimal height of strings on an electric guitar in the paragraph described above is suitable for medium-thick strings. The named increase of 0.1 mm is caused precisely by the increasing volume of the string. This is noticeable even with the naked eye. The first string, as the thinnest, allows the smallest height above the neck, while the sixth string, with a slight deviation from the optimal value, can begin to rattle when it hits the frets.
Choosing at what height the strings should be, one should focus on sound and personal sensations. First you need to align the strings to the optimal values (the height is measured on the last fret). Then try playing with this setting. Particular attention should be paid to the thickest string, since it is when playing on it that the height problem will be more noticeable. Even if during the game this string does not seem particularly important and is rarely used, the problem can show itself at the most inopportune moment and disrupt the sound.
If the optimal height turned out to be inappropriate, then you should increase the height of the strings above the fretboard of the electric guitar. Sometimes 0.1 mm is enough to get the desired result. To overdo it in this process is undesirable, as this will complicate the game.
Allowed values for string height
Earlier it was mentioned about the dependence of the string height on the style of play. It is necessary to consider in more detail the adjustment options:
- 0.8 mm. The minimum height set by fans of high-speed games. The advantage is the ease of pressing the strings, which is especially important when you want to play as many notes as possible in a short period of time. The disadvantage is the complexity of the settings. As mentioned earlier, the lower the string, the higher the likelihood of bounce. This will be especially noticeable on cheap guitars. To remove this defect, many polish and align frets.
- 1.2 mm. Acceptable for many guitarists height. A kind of "golden mean". It’s quite simple to play, and the setting is not so heavy as in the previous version.
- 1.6 mm. Suitable for those who put strings with a diameter larger than the standard. In this case, the strings themselves will be harder to press, unlike the previous options. And do not forget about the fingertips, which are easier to injure when playing on thick strings.
How to configure
To adjust the height of the strings on an electric guitar, you need to deal with the existing bridge. There are several varieties of them, each of which has its own configuration features. So, the most popular are Tune-o-Matic, Hardtail, Vintage Tremolo, Floyd Rose.
Other settings
The height of the strings on the electric guitar is quite important, but this is not the only setting on which the quality of the game depends. In most cases, the tuning process is limited to twisting the pegs so that the string sounds correctly. At the same time, if the guitar is tuned correctly, and the strings are quite new, there will be no need for frequent tuning.
When the electric guitar is not properly adjusted, the strings will often lose their tuning and the frequency of sound adjustments will increase, which affects the quality of the instrument. There are several basic settings besides string height.
Neck deflection
In the neck of an electric guitar is a metal rod called an anchor. Its purpose is quite simple - to prevent the neck from bending under the tension of metal strings.
In the process of adjusting the height of the strings on the electric guitar, a situation may arise when it is not possible to adjust due to the fact that the height is very different at different frets. The problem may lie in the anchor. It should be adjusted before adjusting the height of the strings, because it is thanks to him that they hold.
Before you begin to adjust the anchor, you should determine whether the curvature exists and in which direction it is directed. This is determined by pressing the strings in the first and sixth frets. If the string is in contact with one of the frets located between the clamped, you need to loosen the anchor. If the height is too large - tighten. Testing is carried out on an already configured instrument.
The adjustment is carried out with a hex wrench, which rotates the anchor bolt. To loosen the anchor, turn counterclockwise. For pulling up - clockwise. In this case, do not be too zealous, a small shift is enough to bring the anchor back to normal. In this case, the change may not be immediately noticeable, since the neck tree needs a little time to take a new shape.
Mensura
In this paragraph, attention should be paid to the working length of the string. Not on every guitar this setting is possible. However, electric guitars with a tremolo system allow this procedure. The tuning itself is carried out on each string, starting with the first. You should remove the natural flagollet on the 12th fret. To do this, first touch the string, but do not pinch it, and then pinch with the finger of your free hand. Remember the sound. Then press the same string and compare the sounds received. They must be the same. If the flag is lower, reduce the string. Otherwise, increase.
Pickups
In the end, attention should be paid to the height of the pickups. From this value it will depend on how the electric guitar connected to the amplifier will sound. Typically, the pickup should be located as close to the strings as possible, but they should not cling to it during the game. Also, the strings in the last frets should not sound worse than before adjusting the pickup.
The process of adjusting the height of the strings on an electric guitar may seem quite simple. However, in practice, beginners are not always able to cope with the adjustment. It will be possible to learn all the subtleties of the procedure only after a while, therefore, during the very first setup, it will be useful to resort to the help of a professional who can accurately perform the procedure and, possibly, detect any defects that impede proper setup.