After getting an electric guitar, many beginners immediately try to play something, which is understandable. However, there may be a problem due to the rattling of one or more strings. Also, the strings can be hard to pinch, making it difficult to play. All this can be caused by incorrect string heights.
Why you need to adjust the height of the strings
This question is important for both beginners and pros. However, in the case of the former, the reason is the elementary sound quality. As a rule, when purchasing a guitar, especially an inexpensive one, you need to know that initially the strings are not adjusted properly. 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 for string adjustment is dictated by the playing style. If the emphasis is on playing speed, then the strings should be slightly lower than the standard value. Also, over time, the guitarist himself chooses the most optimal for his style.game height. However, before that, a lot of time and forced adjustments of the height of the strings on the electric guitar will pass.
Standard height
Based on the already accepted parameters, it should be noted that the standard height of the strings on an electric guitar varies for each one individually. As a rule, on the very first and thinnest string, this value is 1.5 mm. Each subsequent string will be 0.1 mm higher. So, already on the sixth string, the value will be 2 mm.
What determines the height of the strings
The indicated optimal string height on an electric guitar in the paragraph described above is suitable for medium-thick strings. The mentioned increase by 0.1 mm is caused precisely by the increasing volume of the string. This is noticeable even to the naked eye. The first string, being the thinnest, allows the smallest height above the fretboard, while the sixth, with a slight deviation from the optimal value, can begin to rattle, colliding with the frets.
When choosing how high the strings should be, you should be guided by the sound and personal feelings. First you need to align the strings to the optimal values (measure the height at the last fret). Then try playing with that setting. Particular attention should be paid to the thickest string, since it is when played on it that the problem with height will be most noticeable. Even if a given string seems not very important and is rarely used during playing, the problem can show up at the most inopportune moment and disrupt the sound.
If the optimal height turned out to be unsuitable, then you should increase the height of the strings above the neck of the electric guitar. Sometimes 0.1 mm is enough to get the desired result. It is undesirable to overdo it in this process, as this will complicate the game.
Allowed values for string heights
Earlier it was mentioned that string height depends on playing style. Consider the adjustment options in more detail:
- 0.8mm. The minimum height set by lovers of high-speed play. 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 downside is the complexity of the setup. As mentioned earlier, the lower the string, the more likely it is to bounce. This will be especially noticeable on cheap guitars. To remove this defect, many grind and align the frets.
- 1.2mm. Acceptable height for many guitarists. A kind of "golden mean". It's easy enough to play, and the setup isn't as hard as the previous version.
- 1.6mm. Suitable for those who use strings with a diameter larger than the standard. At the same time, the strings themselves will be harder to press, unlike the previous options. And don't forget your fingertips, which are easier to injure when playing thick strings.
How to set up
To adjust the height of the strings on an electric guitar, you need to deal with the existing bridge. Existseveral of their varieties, each of which has its own settings. So, the most popular are Tune-o-Matic, Hardtail, Vintage Tremolo, Floyd Rose.
Other settings
The height of the strings on an electric guitar is quite important, but it is not the only setting that affects the quality of the game. In most cases, the tuning process is limited to twisting the pegs to make the string sound right. However, if the guitar is tuned correctly and the strings are new enough, there will be no need for frequent tuning.
When an electric guitar is not properly adjusted, the strings will often go out of tune, and the frequency of the sound adjustments will increase, which will affect the quality of the instrument. There are few basic settings other than string height.
Neck deflection
In the neck of an electric guitar there is a metal rod called an anchor. Its purpose is quite simple - to prevent the neck from bending under the tension of metal strings.
When adjusting the pitch of the strings on an electric guitar, there may be a situation where the adjustment cannot be made due to the fact that the pitch is very different at different frets. The problem may be in the anchor. You should adjust it before adjusting the height of the strings, because it is thanks to him that they hold.
Before you start adjusting the anchor, you should determine if there is a curvature and in which direction it isdirected. This is determined by pressing the string on the first and sixth fret. If the string is in contact with one of the frets located between the clamped ones, you need to loosen the anchor. If the height is too high, tighten it. The test is carried out on an already configured instrument.
Setting is carried out with a hex key, which rotates the anchor bolt. To loosen the anchor, turn counterclockwise. For pulling - clockwise. In this case, you should not be too zealous, a small shift is enough to bring the anchor back to normal. However, the change may not be immediately noticeable as the neck wood takes a little time to take on the new shape.
Tenzura
At this point, attention should be paid to the working length of the string. Not all guitars have this setting. 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 play the natural harmonic at the 12th fret. To do this, first touch the string, but do not pinch it, and then pluck with the finger of your free hand. Remember the sound. Then press the same string and compare the resulting sounds. They must be the same. If the harmonic is lower, decrease the string. Otherwise increase.
Pickups
In the end, pay attention to the height of the pickups. This value will determine how the electric guitar connected to the amplifier will sound. Normally, the pickup should be placed as close to the strings as possible, but they are notmust cling to it during the game. Also, the strings on the last frets should not sound worse than before the pickup was adjusted.
The process of tuning the strings on an electric guitar may seem simple enough. However, in practice, beginners are not always able to cope with the adjustment. It will be possible to learn all the intricacies of the procedure only after a while, therefore, during the very first adjustment, it would be useful to resort to the help of a professional who can accurately perform the procedure and, possibly, detect existing defects that prevent proper adjustment.
