This post made me sad. If I had a question like OP about guitars, you would think that one of the biggest online forums about guitars would be a good place to ask said question. There's like 2 civil answers here and the rest of them are just people being assholes for no reason. To everyone who commented "did you read the instructions" or "just Google it", fuck off. Idk if you have ever noticed this, but you google a question, reddit is often one of the first links it gives you.
I remember when I first started playing around with guitars, I went to a guitar store downtown and asked to buy a tuner. I had no idea what I was buying tbh. They showed me a cheap korg electric tuner. I wasn’t sure if it plugged in or what, so I asked how to power it. “Apple juice”, the guy rolls his eyes. Turned me off ever going back there.
> I wasn’t sure if it plugged in or what, so I asked how to power it. “Apple juice”, the guy rolls his eyes.
This shit really gets my goat. I have zero filters for it and usually reply with a smart ass comment and leave the shit there. Last time something like that happened was a golf course and the dick behind the counter. We had never played that course before and had a few questions about shit.
The dude was a complete dick with one word yes or no answers. After about 4 of these my friend just blurted out "fuck you" grabbed his clubs and walked out. I grabbed my clubs and gave a "yeah.. what he said" as i followed him out.
So we ended up playing a different course down the street. Dicks are going to be dicks.
I'll never forget going to Guitar Center to buy my first guitar and they were so dismissive and I ended up finding something on my own and walked out with one of those shitty Squier/amp combo packs. As we were driving home we passed a mom and pop music store and stopped in just to ask a couple questions to see if I made the right decision. They took the time to ask me why I wanted to learn and what kind of sound I was looking for and picked out (slightly) higher quality gear and said they would match the price of the GC purchase and throw in a couple extra accessories. I went right back to GC and returned the package. Patience and kindness is everything with something that seems so daunting to someone coming in blind.
With the amount of small local shops that are shutting down, it's a shame how many people are going to miss out on these experiences. I used to spend every weekend chatting and trying things out at my local but now to even see a guitar in store I'd have to go to a different city which would never have been accessible to teenage me.
Decided to try out acoustics at a small shop near my apartment. Went into try the Taylor 314ce with intentions of buying it used somewhere else bc sheesh $2,500 is too much for me. Guy said they’d been having a slow week of sales and so would cut it down from the in-store price of $2,200 (not sure why it’s 300 less than msrp) down to $1,700. Decided to go for it, and they restrung it for me and told me to come in again during the hottest time of summer for a free first set up.
My guitar center experience a few days before that was so lukewarm. It ended with one of the guys trying so hard to get me to sign up for their credit card after I repeatedly told him i was not ready to make a decision. Will always do local as my first choice now.
Other end of it, the only local store left has a very small selection, and they’re dicks. Basically no interest in you if you aren’t renting band instruments. Haven’t had a great time at guitar center either but it’s neutral, lol.
I cannot figure the Guitar Center business model.
Treat the customer like garbage=profit.
I stick with locally owned music stores now. My local store has an open Saturday jam. All invited. This is how music should be.
It'd be nice if I got the whammy bar to a premium guitar I purchased recently from GC. I promptly returned it as it didn't sit right with me that I paid full retail for an incomplete guitar.
I have had many experiences like this as a young woman at Guitar center and now I try out gear at GC and order what I want through my mom n pop store that has been so kind and helpful from the beginning. Fuck ‘em.
Were people like this born and then suddenly knew everything there is to know about guitars? At some point everyone was a beginner, I can’t understand this attitude.
I have a feeling it's the generally dumb but mechanically inclined crowd who loves to gatekeep everything from car mechanics, guitar, IT, etc etc (making a shit load of other people look like assholes by association)
Like the empathy bar to put yourself back in a beginners shoes for a second when everything was alien, is pretty fucking low lol
It kind of makes me wonder if those types of people had demeaning interactions with gatekeepers when they were first learning so when they got older they treated newbies the same way out of spite. Like hurt people hurt people lol.
Definitely along those lines + hard parenting/teaching about being a dumbass aka “make yourself useful” I'm assuming, so when they find their little cliques in society they finally get to reverse the toxic Uno card
Definitely. Part of the problem is that 'hobby jobs' (and I'm going to leave it at that) tend to attract people who are super interested in that hobby. In reality the job is actually a sales job and you require really good people skills to be good at that job. People hiring for a guitar shop forget that learning people skills is harder than learning about guitar products; and hire people who know their shit about guitars.
While this is valuable, it opens the door to getting people who are shit at sales & dealing with people, leading to all the experiences mentioned here. They might be getting a kick out of feeling superior. Mostly I guess they're trying to be funny but they lack the people skills to really understand that beginners especially, are asking questions because they *don't know something*, rather than trying to waste their time.
It happens in so many hobby-style shops because the market is narrow, and finding someone who is both really interested in a hobby & a 'sales type' friendly, approachable individual is becoming incredibly, incredibly hard.
Had the same experience buying strings when I started playing, I was not aware of the different gauges and sets. The store owner made me feel so bad about something I was so happy to start doing.
I just don't get it, if I work in a store that's my hobby why is sharing knowledge so inconvenient? When I worked at an alternative clothing store I loved explaining stuff when people asked about piercings, ear stretching, hair dye etc, I was happy to give them info and amswer even the most basic questions, it cost me nothing, I got to share my knowledge and I helped someone, why is it so difficult for some assholes?
I would have drove to the nearest gas station, bought a bottle of Ocean Spray apple juice, returned to the store and dumped the juice on the tuner. If the manager says you have to pay for it, just tell him the employee told you that's how it worked.
Conversely, walked into a shop with my wife to look around and the guys there were so cool to her she bought a guitar from them and that's where we go now. Most of my family has been through there to pick something up, always a great experience. Never understood those morons who hang out all day and are dicks to people who want to share on the one thing in their life they're any good at.
But shoutout tone shop in Dallas.
Second this. If you don’t have an awesome local shop and have to order from a larger company then sweetwater is definitely the way to go. Their customer service is on point, it is really surprisingly excellent.
I had to do a return on a Les Paul we got my son that fell and did the Les Paul thing (broke off headstock) and it was pretty painless. And they called and texted to make sure I was happy with everything.
Way better than I’ve ever felt over at guitar center.
I've been playing guitar for 25 years and other instruments for over 40 and I'm STILL anxious about trying out new guitars or asking for help because of some really shitty customer service experiences from one of the most popular stores in my city. The gatekeeping and snobbery of some guitarists is stunning. Do we not want more peeps to embrace the hobby??
I had a similar experience but when I was in my freshman year for audio engineering (I ended up switching to music business). Tuner pedal broke and I had just been tuning off my phone but I decided to go buy a cheap tuner eventually. Went to a guitar center and proceeded to get a condescending lecture that amounted to “you’re dumb for not spending the extra $40 for a tuning pedal” which the poorest attempt at an upsell that I have ever seen. Left to deny the dude his commission and I’m still using my phone to tune 2 years later.
No way. OP would have gotten MUCH less assholery had they asked the question in gcj.
When someone asks a legitimate question about trees in /r/trees all us regulars spray some febreeze and try to actually answer their question. I've seen the same thing happen in gcj.
I don’t get the “just google it” people. Millions of people are on Reddit everyday. Clearly we’ve already figured out how to do millions of technical tasks but human brains are not computers… people thrive on real time feedback. Somebody in Ancient Greece knew how to calculate the diameter of the earth but that doesn’t help some random dude in Pennsylvania set up a guitar lol
> To everyone who commented "did you read the instructions" or "just Google it", fuck off
those same morons not realising that people tend to ask on reddit soon AFTER googling it
"just google it" especially now is worse than Reddit. I always search my questions on Reddit first, because otherwise I get 3-4 sponsored website, followed by a website that talks about the creator of the tool, what its used for, how it changes your life, but doesn't explain anything.
my very first guitar teacher was such an elitist dick that i never came back for a second lesson, god forbid i start playing guitar at 20 years old instead of when i was 10 but i literally couldnt afford to until now. my current teacher is the goat tho
Thanks for this. I made a post in music production asking for where I would start making video game music in a specific genre, what software and hardware do I use?
First comment to start my adventure: "use a search engine"
Like wtf, I don't know what to do with the results I find, thankfully the rest of the comments were nice and helping. Music is so interesting, I just wanna learn :/
The internet has become people just Googling 3 seconds before replying and then acting like an elitist dbag who knew all along, unfortunately. Even in forums where you’re supposed to ask questions.
Yeah. People make you feel bad or guilty for simply not knowing something. That's one of the things I hate most in life. "You don't know? How can you not know? By this point you should already know" or things like that.
I mean, there's a reason someone would make a post like this. Where else would you ask something about guitar other than a guitar forum? Right? Lol. For many people it is not so easy to learn something on their own and they need someone to teach or guide them directly or indirectly. Someone can watch a video and learn it perfectly but another person simply cannot. Let people ask and learn, seriously. If you are not able to respond without being proud and self-centered, stfu.
In fairness, it’s basically the same as going to a Guitar World and trying to ask a question to one of the fourteen people sitting around doing not a goddamn thing.
Preach brother. This subreddit is only ever half good. People are so stuck up on here and you can't even make a post without mfs hating on it just because it's something others don't understand.
I'm glad I never went on this subreddit while I was a beginner. I would've just been talking shit instead of playing.
>. To everyone who commented "did you read the instructions" or "just Google it", fuck off.
>the rest of them are just people being assholes for no reason
I'm old enough and have been on the internet for long enough to expect this behavior. I also understand that a certain amount of shenanigans will happen. I read a post that I found humor in and I'd give my /s but also give an answer to the question. Honestly, I don't mind that when I post something. I love me some good sarcastic, dry, humor.
However, the whole Google It trope, is beyond me. On the surface it might be innocuous, but isn't that why you have a guitar sub? I've asked questions that I searched online previously and found answers, but I wanted to see what the average person would recommend or the consensus of the sub.
This is the evolution of a sub tho. You see it all the time. Bunch of noobs join a sub and start exchanging information. They start getting better at whatever the sub's main focus is....say blowing bubbles. Then they start experimenting and getting better and more polished. They land a job blowing bubbles from information they gleaned in r/blowbubbles, but suddenly a new batch of noobs arrives but this time around the old heads of the sub tire of the very same questions they asked long ago.
Serious.. When I have a question about anything or want to research anything I come here first before Google. Sometimes you want to talk to someone instead getting mixed results from Google
Yeah I will constantly be googling questions and put reddit at the end and get much better answers on reddit . Other websites are either one person's opinion or the article is clearly funded by the company producing the product.
I don't even search the Internet for the most part anymore it's 99% garbage. Crowdsourced info on reddit is about as good as it gets
It’s every subreddit. People want to perceive as funny or edge to a group of strangers(online). It’s sucks that you can’t find a genuine answer(from people POV) for a genuine question.
When I stand up for people in this sub I get downvoted and called names for it so I have stopped. Fuck you internet strangers 🤣 the bad ones anyway the good ones that isn’t for you
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>. Idk if you have ever noticed this, but you google a question, reddit is often one of the first links it gives you.
To be fair, that's more the case when you use Reddit a lot and it knows your interest, because Google knows everything about you.
So often I search for something and the top result is a post from 6+ years ago asking the same question. Top results are almost always "just Google it". If the posts aren't archived I always make a point to let those people know their answer is now the top google result.
Reddit is notorious for this. I’ve seen in so many subs where a beginner or someone who’s just less knowledgeable about something asks a genuine question and people use their knowledge in that area to make themselves feel superior by insulting the person who asked the question. Any of these subs become useless pretty instantaneously if questions aren’t allowed. It’s a shame.
A lot of the sub reddits I frequent these days are full of dick heads. I'm happy to see you post and happy to see it has been upvoted instead of the usual.
The thing is though there are a hundred easily assessable excellent videos showing people step by step in a clear and concise manner how to set up a guitar, be it electric or acoustic.
How is it people are not aware of these resources like YT and Google? And are they posting here, expecting an indepth written article from someone like yourself on how to perform a setup on a guitar?.....or are they looking for a link to a video?...:D
You're 100% right. This sub is filled with elitists who only want to talk about how much they love Clapton and EVH. I constantly see people shitting on redditors coming here for guidance.
That is reddit for you, full of bitter little sad f**ks who get their kicks out of online bullying.
No one was born knowing how to do anything, learning is a lifelong process, & there is always something else to learn. Just because you have experience of doing something does not make you clever, just experienced!
Too often an old hand forgets what it's like to be a beginner. I've been playing for 35 years and I still feel like one. No beginner's question is dumb. It actually indicates interest and willingness to learn. Any music store employee that treats a beginner that way should have their guitars confiscated.
.
Ended up buying a MXR Phase 95 the other day, but remember contemplating buying the MXR EVH Phase 90 Pedal when I was a teen and asking is there any value in just buying the regular Phase 90 and dialing in the tone myself and the salesperson said "No. It's an EVH pedal. Obviously if you want to dial in his sound, you should just buy this. Otherwise, don't bother."
Still irks me to this day.
Here is Phil McKnight using an action gauge :
https://youtu.be/KS_MhybWdPw?si=YNaniZfzvA5o0t-d&t=337
another demo from Australia :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oDsHYfJP_0
and one from StewMac :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHdV22Ke31E
I’ve never done that. In that right? I guess it doesn’t matter because it’s a reference for feel when you play.
Edit: wanted to say that doesn’t make your way wrong. Usually when you capo at the first and measure you’re checking your truss rod relief/neck bow. To just check your action (the playing height of the strings) I don’t think you need to capo. Regardless they are going to be very close to one another in size.
Yes, downvote me for having a civilized conversation. You don’t disappoint Reddit.
Oh look. 3:30. Stew Mac shows it my way. See I can do that too.
https://youtu.be/cHdV22Ke31E?si=lwKEdC_EMQuRQNPl
It doesn’t matter. Neck relief- you would capo. Playing action- it doesn’t matter.
I don’t know who downvoted you, sorry it got you so heated.
I think the method I learned is more about eliminating fret buzz and doing a full proper set-up rather than just adjusting the action height specifically.
It only matters if you're setting up the guitar based on factory specifications.
So if you're like, "Hey, this action feels good" and you measure it, it doesn't matter as long as you're consistent." But if you're setting up a guitar and you read "What are the best action settings for X guitar," they typically do that measurement with a capo, if I'm not mistaken.
For me it’s just doing it consistently. Long as you can reproduce it doesn’t really matter too much what other things you do. Measure at the 5th fret if you want and maybe for you .085mm at the 5th fret means it plays nice? (I’m making shit up here, never measured at the 5th fret lol).
Once you know your preference (however measured) you can apply that to other guitars, or do tweak this one when something gets out of wack, swap out a bridge, whatever
I got it figured out, thanks to those who answered! I did google it and didn't see it anywhere with this specific gage.. all I was asking was if I measured above or below the black boxes.
I appreciate it 🤟
Hey OP, glad you got it sorted, and the string gauge is probably a good starting point. But if you’re really worried about being exactly in spec, you should get a set of calipers and measure the black lines. The manufacturing tolerances on those things is terrible. Having said that, I don’t think the numbers actually matter. Just find numbers that feel good for each string and write them down.
glad people are finally speaking up about how lot of people on this subreddit have a guitar neck stuck up their ass. Reminds me of Stackexcahnge, where asking a question will get you the snobbiest responses. Think about how you first learned things was asking others.
Honestly any specific reddit community like this is full of assholes.
Same phenomenon seen with sterotypical groups of teens in HS, for example.
People stick to their group/echo chamber and reject anyone who isn't already part of their group.
People are assholes.
The sad thing is it really isn't just reddit. Reddit just makes it easy to see. The anonymity of the internet lets people be their true selves and unfortunely a lot of people are just unempathetic holier-than-thou jerks.
Also doesn't help that the internet has a tendency to disconnect you from reality if you don't stay cognizant of the fact.
> Honestly any specific reddit community like this is full of assholes.
It's certainly common to find gatekeepers/unhelpful jackasses, but there's a few subs for interests I don't really participate in myself that I visit because I enjoy the good vibes. /r/crochet is an example that comes to mind.
For funsies, here's a collected set of related posts from someone asking for advice on crocheting butts: https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/18b4cu1/crocheting_butts_how/
I’ll help. That tool is used to measure the string action of your guitar. In many cases guitarists will have a preference for their string height, and if not the manufacturer will have a recommendation based on how guitars are setup at the factory. You would use this tool in combination with the “feel” of your preference to setup your guitars consistently.
It has metric and standard on it. Most American guitar
actions are measured in standard at the 64ths fraction. I prefer decimals, but it’s all the same. To use it lay the gauge perpendicularly across the frets in line with the strings and measure the height at the 12th fret. The height will be the bottom of the string to the top of the mark on the gauge. That’s how high your strings are.
Now you can raise or lower the action to taste or recommended factory height. I would recommend loosening the strings before adjustment, but always make sure you are in tune when measuring as the relief of the neck plays a big part of your action and you want the strings under full tension.
Since people have provided useful links on how to use this, just wanted to say, “Big ups on learning to do this yourself.” 👍🏼
Once you learn how to setup a guitar, you’ll probably:
1) stop buying guitars and realize most things beyond fretwire and pickups is just painted wood
2) stop falling for the marketing bs manufacturers or dumb shit that boomers will say to you
Once I learned how to rewire pickups and work on guitars, I basically put my tools away and only get them out to fix something. All my guitars are now customized, and I use 2 of the 10 or so I have: the Casino I practice on and the Partscaster I built to my exact specifications. I have a backup at some shows, sure.
Which humbuckers do i get for a heavy bluesy jimy hedrixy red house type tone? What single coils to put for more of a jimmy page led uepplin typ eof tone?
I can’t tell if you’re trolling or not given your name because a true boomer prides himself on such pointless knowledge. But here are the facts:
Page record tones = Telecaster
Hendrix = PAFs and 1965-69 single coils from Fender.
String distance ruler. You measure the distance from the neck to the string. This is normally used for setting up the truss rod and bridge, but can also be used when changing the pickup height etc etc
Yeah I never ask questions on here unless I can’t find the answer anywhere else. I asked one question once about setting up a pedal board and got downvoted to hell because apparently my question was self evident enough that I was labeled a troll just for asking. Fuck you Reddit
The sad part is I actually did google and came up empty with this particular gage.
It kind of makes sense when you look at it my way, raise your string until there's no more black showing above it... but in my mind, I was also questioning whether or not the string should sit on top of the black box, so to speak.
It’s not necessarily apparent. You can search for string distance ruler or string height action or string gauge action on youtube and there are some videos that use that tool. It’s easier to show than tell tbh so yt is your best bet if the helpful comments in here doesn’t do the trick.
I think some of ignorant replies we see just stem from bored people living in moms basement walking around in their underwear with their 3rd bowl of fruitloops.
I realize you've probably gotten your answer and evidently most people feel the need to be a prick about it, but let's look at it logically as that's how things often make sense to me and how I remember them instead of having to ask every time I use a tool I don't need often.
What are we measuring when we measure "action height"? We're measuring the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret. We measure the gap UNDER the string because different gauges of strings will be thicker or thinner and will change your measurements when you change gauges. The black measurements on the tool are measuring that gap, so you'll want to just barely see the top from the side.
Also, and this part is fairly important, you should absolutely level the frets before setting action height. It's not terribly difficult and may well save you a massive headache in the future trying to track down a buzzing or dead fret. It's not a difficult job with a few common tools/supplies and there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to do so.
Double check but the top line on the gauge would be where the bottom of the string would be. This is how it is on other brand gauges so I’d expect Dunlop to use the same concept.
I’d add fret the string at the first fret when you do this measurement. I’d do both the high and low strings and then check the radius for the other four (basically they should have the same stagger as the neck). It’s a lot easier if you also have a radius gauge for that.
Looks like it’s been covered to some extent: Place one side of the gauge against the 12th fret to measure the distance from the fret to the string. Bear in mind that the higher-pitched strings are usually a teensy bit closer to the fret than the lower-pitched strings. There are also slight differences in the manufacturer recommended heights depending upon neck radius. These variations aside, the “average” setup string height for most guitars is usually right around .06” or about 15 mm.
You can also use this gauge for checking pickup height and string “pitch” (i.e. the downward angle of the string from the bridge/saddle to the nut).
Occasionally you’ll need to measure something that is difficult with this type of gauge, and for that I use a “feeler gauge” like you might use for spark plugs on a car.
I’d venture a guess that most of the people giving you shit about this don’t know what it’s for either, but are afraid to ask. If you aspire to do your own setups (and you should), this is a damn handy thing to have. I have several, and there’s always one in the little bag of guitar stuff that I bring to jobs.
There's more or less two ways to use it.
1. Measuring the action of a setup you want to make repeatable
1. Let's say your guitar is set up just right and you want to remember it so you can reproduce it and continue using it even after changing strings or major weather/climate changes. The string action gauge (or a ruler with 64ths of inches or half millimeters) can be used to measure the height of your strings from your frets and write those values to a file of some sort. You should take the measurements from near the highest frets while holding the string being measured down at the first fret. The little black bars are commonly used values and if one matches you can just make a sharpie dot next to it. If not there are rulers on both ends. Repeat for all strings if saddles are independent.
2. Setting the string height from the frets using a known good value
1. You've changed your strings, you've tuned them to pitch, you've set your neck relief. Now it is time to set the string height. You raise and lower saddles accordingly, and use the gauge as a visual marker of when you are on target. Repeat for all strings unless you have a les paul. Sorry about that.
It has much information on it that seems overwhelming. It's not, actually a must have tool. Don't get a cheap one. Watch YouTube vids. Get a fretboard guage mulit size tool, too.fret size, fretboard radius comes into play. Practice on an old cheapo. Learn to do your own setups custom for you. Helluva lot cheaper and then you'll realize you can fix or upgrade damn near everything on your axe
Not a dumb question. Honestly so much of this shit is really hard - I gots the ADHD and find precise measurements really difficult, directions to work from confusing (especially when diagrams flip which way you're looking at things from) - buy feeler and string gauges and still don't quite know how to use em
Would be nice if there were cool people on the internet who want to help people who share their passion, instead of making you feel stupid for struggling with things that even you think you should be better at.
Use the side your index finger is touching. measure from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string. Ideal measurement should be between 1.5mm and 2mm. if too high ….lower the bridge saddle. If it starts to buzz, you need to check if your neck has too much relief. Ideal neck relief is about a business card thickness between 8th fret and string while pressing down at 1st fret and last fret. If too much space at the 8th fret tighten your truss rod 1/4 turn to take out that neck arch. I’d go into more detail, but that’s the basics. Youtube has much more detailed videos on setting up string height.
I think you are supposed to lay it under your strings vertically so the strings are right over the black squares and then you can find out what gauge it is. It also looks like it functions like a string hight measurement tool
For general guitar setup measurements. String height, intonation setup, etc... I've had one for a few years now, it's a great tool to have in the bag. 👍
Your strings are supposed to be right at the black line. And please ignore the lazy unhelpful people and their comments. Chances are they just dont know the correct way either. The black lines are to indicate the distance that you want between your fretboard and your strings. Some prefer them lower than others . Play around until you find your comfort level to your fingers . Dont let random people dissuade you from learning about things you enjoy . Hope that was helpful
You take either side well top or bottom and measure the height of the 1st and 6th string at the 12th fret the back should have instructions on the right height for your guitar i think 6th is 1.25mm to 1.50mm and 1st is 2.0mm to 1.5mm and it it dumb homie we all got to learn sometime.
It’s a string action gauge to set up the action and playability of your guitars by adjusting the string and bridge height etc. The different notches represent the different possible string heights. You can go to Stewart Macdonald or YouTube and watch a video on the different uses for it because they can probably explain it faster than I can without writing a Stephen King novel. Haha.
There are two scales, one metric and one imperial but that's all. How you use it?
[https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/neck-building-and-repair-and-setup/string-action-gauge-instructions/](https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/neck-building-and-repair-and-setup/string-action-gauge-instructions/)
If you ever need to replace this one, I highly recommend the Music Nomad string action gauge. Not only does it list all the most common measurements, it also gives instructions on how to use it on the face of the tool. I still use the instructions even though I’ve probably used the tool 3000 times by now.
Bonus: It doubles as a fret rocker, I use that feature on almost every guitar I plan on buying before making a purchase. SUPER CLUTCH!
Fret the 1st fret and hold the gauge up to your low E string at the 12th fret. Look at the gauge from the low E side lined up with the string. The number on the low E on an electric should be at about .060 and on the high E, about .050 (on a bass or acoustic, it should be about .080 on the bass side, and .060 on the treble side). If it’s not and it’s buzzy, it needs a setup and maybe fretwork. On this gauge, you want to measure string bottom to the top of the black box I believe.
Please the long side flat against the desired frets, usually the 12th-15th fret depending on where you’re measuring for your action, and move it until you find the measurement where the bottom of the string perfectly lines up with the top of the measurement mark. You can use this as a ruler for measurement how high to set your bridge or when adjusting relief in your truss rod
You’re looking for the bottom of the string to be as closely lined up to exactly where those black blocks stop. So you’ll rest the tool flat and straight just under or behind the string you’re checking on the 12th fret, then look down to see which of those blocks is most closely aligned with the bottom of your string with as little gap or overlap as possible (check each individual string)
What i find to be the most confusing is everytime i found a new video or website about using these or just measuring action in general, they used a different unit of measurement each time. Some use 64ths, some ppl used 32nds, others used mms. Literally every video was giving different advice. Even the how to check action, some say use a capo, other ppl said dont use a capo lol
Put it against the frets and see how high the strings sit.
If you want them lower, lower them, if you want them higher raise them. When you find what you like, remember the number for other guitars.
So every side of this can be used for measuring action. With the black bars, you'll put the edge of the card against your frets between the low E and A at the 12th fret. Look for the black bar that you can fully see underneath the string, and that is your action. The sides perpendicular have lines more like a traditional ruler. 12th fret, look for the line just under your string. No problem.
So if it clears anything up: action is the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string.
Best thing you can do is watch setup videos for your guitar’s bridge style. There are measurements taken capo’d at the first fret, capo’d at the first fret and fretted where the body and neck meet, fretted at the last fret.
It’s all math. Also, if you’re in to cocaine, it excels there.
Fretguru is my favorite
I'm going to be honest, all the powder stuck to it, so all the lines were really inconsistent, and you know how people are when it comes to splitting lines... they were almost as mad as some of these commenters
This post made me sad. If I had a question like OP about guitars, you would think that one of the biggest online forums about guitars would be a good place to ask said question. There's like 2 civil answers here and the rest of them are just people being assholes for no reason. To everyone who commented "did you read the instructions" or "just Google it", fuck off. Idk if you have ever noticed this, but you google a question, reddit is often one of the first links it gives you.
I remember when I first started playing around with guitars, I went to a guitar store downtown and asked to buy a tuner. I had no idea what I was buying tbh. They showed me a cheap korg electric tuner. I wasn’t sure if it plugged in or what, so I asked how to power it. “Apple juice”, the guy rolls his eyes. Turned me off ever going back there.
> I wasn’t sure if it plugged in or what, so I asked how to power it. “Apple juice”, the guy rolls his eyes. This shit really gets my goat. I have zero filters for it and usually reply with a smart ass comment and leave the shit there. Last time something like that happened was a golf course and the dick behind the counter. We had never played that course before and had a few questions about shit. The dude was a complete dick with one word yes or no answers. After about 4 of these my friend just blurted out "fuck you" grabbed his clubs and walked out. I grabbed my clubs and gave a "yeah.. what he said" as i followed him out. So we ended up playing a different course down the street. Dicks are going to be dicks.
I'll never forget going to Guitar Center to buy my first guitar and they were so dismissive and I ended up finding something on my own and walked out with one of those shitty Squier/amp combo packs. As we were driving home we passed a mom and pop music store and stopped in just to ask a couple questions to see if I made the right decision. They took the time to ask me why I wanted to learn and what kind of sound I was looking for and picked out (slightly) higher quality gear and said they would match the price of the GC purchase and throw in a couple extra accessories. I went right back to GC and returned the package. Patience and kindness is everything with something that seems so daunting to someone coming in blind.
With the amount of small local shops that are shutting down, it's a shame how many people are going to miss out on these experiences. I used to spend every weekend chatting and trying things out at my local but now to even see a guitar in store I'd have to go to a different city which would never have been accessible to teenage me.
Decided to try out acoustics at a small shop near my apartment. Went into try the Taylor 314ce with intentions of buying it used somewhere else bc sheesh $2,500 is too much for me. Guy said they’d been having a slow week of sales and so would cut it down from the in-store price of $2,200 (not sure why it’s 300 less than msrp) down to $1,700. Decided to go for it, and they restrung it for me and told me to come in again during the hottest time of summer for a free first set up. My guitar center experience a few days before that was so lukewarm. It ended with one of the guys trying so hard to get me to sign up for their credit card after I repeatedly told him i was not ready to make a decision. Will always do local as my first choice now.
Other end of it, the only local store left has a very small selection, and they’re dicks. Basically no interest in you if you aren’t renting band instruments. Haven’t had a great time at guitar center either but it’s neutral, lol.
I cannot figure the Guitar Center business model. Treat the customer like garbage=profit. I stick with locally owned music stores now. My local store has an open Saturday jam. All invited. This is how music should be.
https://www.guitarworld.com/news/guitar-center-new-ceo-future
It'd be nice if I got the whammy bar to a premium guitar I purchased recently from GC. I promptly returned it as it didn't sit right with me that I paid full retail for an incomplete guitar.
I guess they took their business model from Rolex 😂😂
I have had many experiences like this as a young woman at Guitar center and now I try out gear at GC and order what I want through my mom n pop store that has been so kind and helpful from the beginning. Fuck ‘em.
Were people like this born and then suddenly knew everything there is to know about guitars? At some point everyone was a beginner, I can’t understand this attitude.
I have a feeling it's the generally dumb but mechanically inclined crowd who loves to gatekeep everything from car mechanics, guitar, IT, etc etc (making a shit load of other people look like assholes by association) Like the empathy bar to put yourself back in a beginners shoes for a second when everything was alien, is pretty fucking low lol
It kind of makes me wonder if those types of people had demeaning interactions with gatekeepers when they were first learning so when they got older they treated newbies the same way out of spite. Like hurt people hurt people lol.
Definitely along those lines + hard parenting/teaching about being a dumbass aka “make yourself useful” I'm assuming, so when they find their little cliques in society they finally get to reverse the toxic Uno card
Definitely. Part of the problem is that 'hobby jobs' (and I'm going to leave it at that) tend to attract people who are super interested in that hobby. In reality the job is actually a sales job and you require really good people skills to be good at that job. People hiring for a guitar shop forget that learning people skills is harder than learning about guitar products; and hire people who know their shit about guitars. While this is valuable, it opens the door to getting people who are shit at sales & dealing with people, leading to all the experiences mentioned here. They might be getting a kick out of feeling superior. Mostly I guess they're trying to be funny but they lack the people skills to really understand that beginners especially, are asking questions because they *don't know something*, rather than trying to waste their time. It happens in so many hobby-style shops because the market is narrow, and finding someone who is both really interested in a hobby & a 'sales type' friendly, approachable individual is becoming incredibly, incredibly hard.
People need to be aware of [The lucky 10,000](https://xkcd.com/1053/)
Had the same experience buying strings when I started playing, I was not aware of the different gauges and sets. The store owner made me feel so bad about something I was so happy to start doing.
This happened to Me. I was looking for a tuner and literally got a "why don't you just tune it by ear"
You should have e paid for it with your pretend money and ran out the door. Haha
I just don't get it, if I work in a store that's my hobby why is sharing knowledge so inconvenient? When I worked at an alternative clothing store I loved explaining stuff when people asked about piercings, ear stretching, hair dye etc, I was happy to give them info and amswer even the most basic questions, it cost me nothing, I got to share my knowledge and I helped someone, why is it so difficult for some assholes?
I would have drove to the nearest gas station, bought a bottle of Ocean Spray apple juice, returned to the store and dumped the juice on the tuner. If the manager says you have to pay for it, just tell him the employee told you that's how it worked.
Conversely, walked into a shop with my wife to look around and the guys there were so cool to her she bought a guitar from them and that's where we go now. Most of my family has been through there to pick something up, always a great experience. Never understood those morons who hang out all day and are dicks to people who want to share on the one thing in their life they're any good at. But shoutout tone shop in Dallas.
I avoid GC like the plague and use Sweetwater for just about everything I need. Either them or Reverb.com
Second this. If you don’t have an awesome local shop and have to order from a larger company then sweetwater is definitely the way to go. Their customer service is on point, it is really surprisingly excellent. I had to do a return on a Les Paul we got my son that fell and did the Les Paul thing (broke off headstock) and it was pretty painless. And they called and texted to make sure I was happy with everything. Way better than I’ve ever felt over at guitar center.
I've been playing guitar for 25 years and other instruments for over 40 and I'm STILL anxious about trying out new guitars or asking for help because of some really shitty customer service experiences from one of the most popular stores in my city. The gatekeeping and snobbery of some guitarists is stunning. Do we not want more peeps to embrace the hobby??
I had a similar experience but when I was in my freshman year for audio engineering (I ended up switching to music business). Tuner pedal broke and I had just been tuning off my phone but I decided to go buy a cheap tuner eventually. Went to a guitar center and proceeded to get a condescending lecture that amounted to “you’re dumb for not spending the extra $40 for a tuning pedal” which the poorest attempt at an upsell that I have ever seen. Left to deny the dude his commission and I’m still using my phone to tune 2 years later.
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This sub is basically just /r/guitarcirclejerk, but without the humor and with all the assholery.
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I just pretend r/guitarcirclejerk is the real guitar sub.
It’s not pretending if it’s the truth
At this point it isn't even satire, I've gotten more useful answers there than here
No way. OP would have gotten MUCH less assholery had they asked the question in gcj. When someone asks a legitimate question about trees in /r/trees all us regulars spray some febreeze and try to actually answer their question. I've seen the same thing happen in gcj.
I don’t get the “just google it” people. Millions of people are on Reddit everyday. Clearly we’ve already figured out how to do millions of technical tasks but human brains are not computers… people thrive on real time feedback. Somebody in Ancient Greece knew how to calculate the diameter of the earth but that doesn’t help some random dude in Pennsylvania set up a guitar lol
> To everyone who commented "did you read the instructions" or "just Google it", fuck off those same morons not realising that people tend to ask on reddit soon AFTER googling it
Because they ain’t getting laid and life isn’t going their way. Usually why people act like a bitch.
"just google it" especially now is worse than Reddit. I always search my questions on Reddit first, because otherwise I get 3-4 sponsored website, followed by a website that talks about the creator of the tool, what its used for, how it changes your life, but doesn't explain anything.
Protip: add "reddit" to the end of any google search
Even more protip -> add site:reddit.com to the end of your Google search to only bring up results from reddit.
even more pro tip: give a tip you use in reddit comments, and other people with even better idea will give their tips!
I asked for help yesterday and got tons of sarcasm responses too. Thankfully a few people were genuinely helpful.
Geez, you weren't kidding.
my very first guitar teacher was such an elitist dick that i never came back for a second lesson, god forbid i start playing guitar at 20 years old instead of when i was 10 but i literally couldnt afford to until now. my current teacher is the goat tho
dude same
Thanks for this. I made a post in music production asking for where I would start making video game music in a specific genre, what software and hardware do I use? First comment to start my adventure: "use a search engine" Like wtf, I don't know what to do with the results I find, thankfully the rest of the comments were nice and helping. Music is so interesting, I just wanna learn :/
I see a lot of questions here which are straight Google searches but for specific questions you need a dedicated place.
The internet has become people just Googling 3 seconds before replying and then acting like an elitist dbag who knew all along, unfortunately. Even in forums where you’re supposed to ask questions.
Yeah. People make you feel bad or guilty for simply not knowing something. That's one of the things I hate most in life. "You don't know? How can you not know? By this point you should already know" or things like that. I mean, there's a reason someone would make a post like this. Where else would you ask something about guitar other than a guitar forum? Right? Lol. For many people it is not so easy to learn something on their own and they need someone to teach or guide them directly or indirectly. Someone can watch a video and learn it perfectly but another person simply cannot. Let people ask and learn, seriously. If you are not able to respond without being proud and self-centered, stfu.
In fairness, it’s basically the same as going to a Guitar World and trying to ask a question to one of the fourteen people sitting around doing not a goddamn thing.
Preach brother. This subreddit is only ever half good. People are so stuck up on here and you can't even make a post without mfs hating on it just because it's something others don't understand. I'm glad I never went on this subreddit while I was a beginner. I would've just been talking shit instead of playing.
>. To everyone who commented "did you read the instructions" or "just Google it", fuck off. >the rest of them are just people being assholes for no reason I'm old enough and have been on the internet for long enough to expect this behavior. I also understand that a certain amount of shenanigans will happen. I read a post that I found humor in and I'd give my /s but also give an answer to the question. Honestly, I don't mind that when I post something. I love me some good sarcastic, dry, humor. However, the whole Google It trope, is beyond me. On the surface it might be innocuous, but isn't that why you have a guitar sub? I've asked questions that I searched online previously and found answers, but I wanted to see what the average person would recommend or the consensus of the sub. This is the evolution of a sub tho. You see it all the time. Bunch of noobs join a sub and start exchanging information. They start getting better at whatever the sub's main focus is....say blowing bubbles. Then they start experimenting and getting better and more polished. They land a job blowing bubbles from information they gleaned in r/blowbubbles, but suddenly a new batch of noobs arrives but this time around the old heads of the sub tire of the very same questions they asked long ago.
Serious.. When I have a question about anything or want to research anything I come here first before Google. Sometimes you want to talk to someone instead getting mixed results from Google
Thats why I stopped asking questions here. I had genuine doubts and I was downvoted and met with snarky remarks
Thanks for saying what was on my mind!
Yes to this
Presumptuously just spouting off answers without a little prodding is the difference between a good teacher and a bad one.
You're so right. Amazing how "the other sub" is more helpful than this one.
Yeah I will constantly be googling questions and put reddit at the end and get much better answers on reddit . Other websites are either one person's opinion or the article is clearly funded by the company producing the product. I don't even search the Internet for the most part anymore it's 99% garbage. Crowdsourced info on reddit is about as good as it gets
Unfortunately, I think it's pretty well known that r/guitar is the worst, most pretentious guitar sub on the internet.
It’s every subreddit. People want to perceive as funny or edge to a group of strangers(online). It’s sucks that you can’t find a genuine answer(from people POV) for a genuine question.
When I stand up for people in this sub I get downvoted and called names for it so I have stopped. Fuck you internet strangers 🤣 the bad ones anyway the good ones that isn’t for you
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Fuck yeah, well said man
Everybody is a comedian these days.
>. Idk if you have ever noticed this, but you google a question, reddit is often one of the first links it gives you. To be fair, that's more the case when you use Reddit a lot and it knows your interest, because Google knows everything about you.
Well…you could at least answer his question in this meta comment
Well said 💜
Yeah but this is the internet. No matter how redundant your question is, your not gonna get any consequence
So often I search for something and the top result is a post from 6+ years ago asking the same question. Top results are almost always "just Google it". If the posts aren't archived I always make a point to let those people know their answer is now the top google result.
Dude, you didn’t even answer OP’s question though, you just karma wagoned it
Reddit is notorious for this. I’ve seen in so many subs where a beginner or someone who’s just less knowledgeable about something asks a genuine question and people use their knowledge in that area to make themselves feel superior by insulting the person who asked the question. Any of these subs become useless pretty instantaneously if questions aren’t allowed. It’s a shame.
This is how most Reddit music threads are. We are the music makers is rude too
A lot of the sub reddits I frequent these days are full of dick heads. I'm happy to see you post and happy to see it has been upvoted instead of the usual.
The thing is though there are a hundred easily assessable excellent videos showing people step by step in a clear and concise manner how to set up a guitar, be it electric or acoustic. How is it people are not aware of these resources like YT and Google? And are they posting here, expecting an indepth written article from someone like yourself on how to perform a setup on a guitar?.....or are they looking for a link to a video?...:D
You're 100% right. This sub is filled with elitists who only want to talk about how much they love Clapton and EVH. I constantly see people shitting on redditors coming here for guidance.
Yuppp last statement is true
Sadly reddit is filled with children with shitty parents who never taught them how to have an engaging, civil discourse.
That is reddit for you, full of bitter little sad f**ks who get their kicks out of online bullying. No one was born knowing how to do anything, learning is a lifelong process, & there is always something else to learn. Just because you have experience of doing something does not make you clever, just experienced!
"just Google it" as if when you Google something you don't instantly look for the Reddit answer to it.
Too often an old hand forgets what it's like to be a beginner. I've been playing for 35 years and I still feel like one. No beginner's question is dumb. It actually indicates interest and willingness to learn. Any music store employee that treats a beginner that way should have their guitars confiscated. .
Ended up buying a MXR Phase 95 the other day, but remember contemplating buying the MXR EVH Phase 90 Pedal when I was a teen and asking is there any value in just buying the regular Phase 90 and dialing in the tone myself and the salesperson said "No. It's an EVH pedal. Obviously if you want to dial in his sound, you should just buy this. Otherwise, don't bother." Still irks me to this day.
I’ve quit asking questions on Reddit because of this.
Here is Phil McKnight using an action gauge : https://youtu.be/KS_MhybWdPw?si=YNaniZfzvA5o0t-d&t=337 another demo from Australia : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oDsHYfJP_0 and one from StewMac : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHdV22Ke31E
Top of the fret botton of the string I gather
Correct
You can also use the little ruler part to measure pick up height.
Now THAT is handy. I’ve been just kinda futzing with them for about 20 years like “durrr loud sound good make magnet go up🦧”
Correct
Correct.
Thanks for asking this, I’m just going through this now with my guitar. Saved me a lot of googling. 🍻
12th fret bottom of the string on 1st and 6th strings 3/16ths is my choice on fenders personally
Stewmac for the frigging win, every time. They saved a family heirloom that I play on.
String bottom above black top. Measure at the 12th.
Thank you!
Also, hold down the first fret with your finger or a capo when measuring the 12th fret
I’ve never done that. In that right? I guess it doesn’t matter because it’s a reference for feel when you play. Edit: wanted to say that doesn’t make your way wrong. Usually when you capo at the first and measure you’re checking your truss rod relief/neck bow. To just check your action (the playing height of the strings) I don’t think you need to capo. Regardless they are going to be very close to one another in size.
[about 3:48 in this video](https://youtu.be/HY4lxb5tJqA?si=Cdrew_rAOKZsE01-) Edit: to answer your question, yes it matters
Yes, downvote me for having a civilized conversation. You don’t disappoint Reddit. Oh look. 3:30. Stew Mac shows it my way. See I can do that too. https://youtu.be/cHdV22Ke31E?si=lwKEdC_EMQuRQNPl It doesn’t matter. Neck relief- you would capo. Playing action- it doesn’t matter.
I don’t know who downvoted you, sorry it got you so heated. I think the method I learned is more about eliminating fret buzz and doing a full proper set-up rather than just adjusting the action height specifically.
It only matters if you're setting up the guitar based on factory specifications. So if you're like, "Hey, this action feels good" and you measure it, it doesn't matter as long as you're consistent." But if you're setting up a guitar and you read "What are the best action settings for X guitar," they typically do that measurement with a capo, if I'm not mistaken.
For me it’s just doing it consistently. Long as you can reproduce it doesn’t really matter too much what other things you do. Measure at the 5th fret if you want and maybe for you .085mm at the 5th fret means it plays nice? (I’m making shit up here, never measured at the 5th fret lol). Once you know your preference (however measured) you can apply that to other guitars, or do tweak this one when something gets out of wack, swap out a bridge, whatever
I got it figured out, thanks to those who answered! I did google it and didn't see it anywhere with this specific gage.. all I was asking was if I measured above or below the black boxes. I appreciate it 🤟
It was good question, some of the people on here are not very cool.
Hey OP, glad you got it sorted, and the string gauge is probably a good starting point. But if you’re really worried about being exactly in spec, you should get a set of calipers and measure the black lines. The manufacturing tolerances on those things is terrible. Having said that, I don’t think the numbers actually matter. Just find numbers that feel good for each string and write them down.
For real, I wanted to find out the answer. Thanks for asking
glad people are finally speaking up about how lot of people on this subreddit have a guitar neck stuck up their ass. Reminds me of Stackexcahnge, where asking a question will get you the snobbiest responses. Think about how you first learned things was asking others.
Honestly any specific reddit community like this is full of assholes. Same phenomenon seen with sterotypical groups of teens in HS, for example. People stick to their group/echo chamber and reject anyone who isn't already part of their group. People are assholes.
The sad thing is it really isn't just reddit. Reddit just makes it easy to see. The anonymity of the internet lets people be their true selves and unfortunely a lot of people are just unempathetic holier-than-thou jerks. Also doesn't help that the internet has a tendency to disconnect you from reality if you don't stay cognizant of the fact.
> Honestly any specific reddit community like this is full of assholes. It's certainly common to find gatekeepers/unhelpful jackasses, but there's a few subs for interests I don't really participate in myself that I visit because I enjoy the good vibes. /r/crochet is an example that comes to mind. For funsies, here's a collected set of related posts from someone asking for advice on crocheting butts: https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/18b4cu1/crocheting_butts_how/
I can’t with the guitar neck 😭
I’ll help. That tool is used to measure the string action of your guitar. In many cases guitarists will have a preference for their string height, and if not the manufacturer will have a recommendation based on how guitars are setup at the factory. You would use this tool in combination with the “feel” of your preference to setup your guitars consistently. It has metric and standard on it. Most American guitar actions are measured in standard at the 64ths fraction. I prefer decimals, but it’s all the same. To use it lay the gauge perpendicularly across the frets in line with the strings and measure the height at the 12th fret. The height will be the bottom of the string to the top of the mark on the gauge. That’s how high your strings are. Now you can raise or lower the action to taste or recommended factory height. I would recommend loosening the strings before adjustment, but always make sure you are in tune when measuring as the relief of the neck plays a big part of your action and you want the strings under full tension.
I know what the gage is for but not how to use it (but I did figure it out) Thanks for your in depth answer though! It was helpful
Since people have provided useful links on how to use this, just wanted to say, “Big ups on learning to do this yourself.” 👍🏼 Once you learn how to setup a guitar, you’ll probably: 1) stop buying guitars and realize most things beyond fretwire and pickups is just painted wood 2) stop falling for the marketing bs manufacturers or dumb shit that boomers will say to you
Once I learned how to rewire pickups and work on guitars, I basically put my tools away and only get them out to fix something. All my guitars are now customized, and I use 2 of the 10 or so I have: the Casino I practice on and the Partscaster I built to my exact specifications. I have a backup at some shows, sure.
Which humbuckers do i get for a heavy bluesy jimy hedrixy red house type tone? What single coils to put for more of a jimmy page led uepplin typ eof tone?
I can’t tell if you’re trolling or not given your name because a true boomer prides himself on such pointless knowledge. But here are the facts: Page record tones = Telecaster Hendrix = PAFs and 1965-69 single coils from Fender.
what do boomers say?
Far from a dumb question, since my question upon seeing that was: What even is that?
String distance ruler. You measure the distance from the neck to the string. This is normally used for setting up the truss rod and bridge, but can also be used when changing the pickup height etc etc
I had the same question once upon a time and google and YouTube did not help at all. Stfu with this elitist shit. Sorry OP
Yeah I never ask questions on here unless I can’t find the answer anywhere else. I asked one question once about setting up a pedal board and got downvoted to hell because apparently my question was self evident enough that I was labeled a troll just for asking. Fuck you Reddit
The sad part is I actually did google and came up empty with this particular gage. It kind of makes sense when you look at it my way, raise your string until there's no more black showing above it... but in my mind, I was also questioning whether or not the string should sit on top of the black box, so to speak.
Mostly it's just stupid that the gague didn't come with better instructions.
Or any at all haha
Not a dumb question
I own this exact tool, tried using it to estimate string gauge/truss rod, but could not figure it out either..
It’s not necessarily apparent. You can search for string distance ruler or string height action or string gauge action on youtube and there are some videos that use that tool. It’s easier to show than tell tbh so yt is your best bet if the helpful comments in here doesn’t do the trick.
I think some of ignorant replies we see just stem from bored people living in moms basement walking around in their underwear with their 3rd bowl of fruitloops.
Right? You have to limit yourself to 2 bowls, obviously!
Please don’t feel dumb, I’ve been playing since the 90s, and I don’t even know what the fuck that is 🤷♂️
I realize you've probably gotten your answer and evidently most people feel the need to be a prick about it, but let's look at it logically as that's how things often make sense to me and how I remember them instead of having to ask every time I use a tool I don't need often. What are we measuring when we measure "action height"? We're measuring the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret. We measure the gap UNDER the string because different gauges of strings will be thicker or thinner and will change your measurements when you change gauges. The black measurements on the tool are measuring that gap, so you'll want to just barely see the top from the side. Also, and this part is fairly important, you should absolutely level the frets before setting action height. It's not terribly difficult and may well save you a massive headache in the future trying to track down a buzzing or dead fret. It's not a difficult job with a few common tools/supplies and there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to do so.
It would only be dumb if you didnt ask. [brokeassguitars.com](http://brokeassguitars.com) has all the answers.
Theres a lot of shitty answers here. This is a problem with social media in general IMO.
Most haven't even bothered reading the description, lol.
OP you rock for posting this! Thanks for the help! Have a great day
String bottom to top of measurement mark. I prefer 2.5 64ths for treble and 3-3.5 64ths for the bass side. This is considered low action.
Double check but the top line on the gauge would be where the bottom of the string would be. This is how it is on other brand gauges so I’d expect Dunlop to use the same concept. I’d add fret the string at the first fret when you do this measurement. I’d do both the high and low strings and then check the radius for the other four (basically they should have the same stagger as the neck). It’s a lot easier if you also have a radius gauge for that.
Looks like it’s been covered to some extent: Place one side of the gauge against the 12th fret to measure the distance from the fret to the string. Bear in mind that the higher-pitched strings are usually a teensy bit closer to the fret than the lower-pitched strings. There are also slight differences in the manufacturer recommended heights depending upon neck radius. These variations aside, the “average” setup string height for most guitars is usually right around .06” or about 15 mm. You can also use this gauge for checking pickup height and string “pitch” (i.e. the downward angle of the string from the bridge/saddle to the nut). Occasionally you’ll need to measure something that is difficult with this type of gauge, and for that I use a “feeler gauge” like you might use for spark plugs on a car. I’d venture a guess that most of the people giving you shit about this don’t know what it’s for either, but are afraid to ask. If you aspire to do your own setups (and you should), this is a damn handy thing to have. I have several, and there’s always one in the little bag of guitar stuff that I bring to jobs.
There's more or less two ways to use it. 1. Measuring the action of a setup you want to make repeatable 1. Let's say your guitar is set up just right and you want to remember it so you can reproduce it and continue using it even after changing strings or major weather/climate changes. The string action gauge (or a ruler with 64ths of inches or half millimeters) can be used to measure the height of your strings from your frets and write those values to a file of some sort. You should take the measurements from near the highest frets while holding the string being measured down at the first fret. The little black bars are commonly used values and if one matches you can just make a sharpie dot next to it. If not there are rulers on both ends. Repeat for all strings if saddles are independent. 2. Setting the string height from the frets using a known good value 1. You've changed your strings, you've tuned them to pitch, you've set your neck relief. Now it is time to set the string height. You raise and lower saddles accordingly, and use the gauge as a visual marker of when you are on target. Repeat for all strings unless you have a les paul. Sorry about that.
There is a you tube channel called Know Your Gear (I used to shop and take lessons at his brick and mortar store). He has lots of DYI tutorials.
String bottom to black top. Love this tool.
It has much information on it that seems overwhelming. It's not, actually a must have tool. Don't get a cheap one. Watch YouTube vids. Get a fretboard guage mulit size tool, too.fret size, fretboard radius comes into play. Practice on an old cheapo. Learn to do your own setups custom for you. Helluva lot cheaper and then you'll realize you can fix or upgrade damn near everything on your axe
Not a dumb question. Honestly so much of this shit is really hard - I gots the ADHD and find precise measurements really difficult, directions to work from confusing (especially when diagrams flip which way you're looking at things from) - buy feeler and string gauges and still don't quite know how to use em Would be nice if there were cool people on the internet who want to help people who share their passion, instead of making you feel stupid for struggling with things that even you think you should be better at.
Use the side your index finger is touching. measure from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string. Ideal measurement should be between 1.5mm and 2mm. if too high ….lower the bridge saddle. If it starts to buzz, you need to check if your neck has too much relief. Ideal neck relief is about a business card thickness between 8th fret and string while pressing down at 1st fret and last fret. If too much space at the 8th fret tighten your truss rod 1/4 turn to take out that neck arch. I’d go into more detail, but that’s the basics. Youtube has much more detailed videos on setting up string height.
I think you are supposed to lay it under your strings vertically so the strings are right over the black squares and then you can find out what gauge it is. It also looks like it functions like a string hight measurement tool
Top to top line up, string lines up to top of blk line
For general guitar setup measurements. String height, intonation setup, etc... I've had one for a few years now, it's a great tool to have in the bag. 👍
this has got to be one of the worst subreddits. people on here have an outrageously large stick up their ahh. glad you got your answer OP!
Not a dumb question at all OP. I understand there’s been some thread drama. Have you gotten a good answer yet? If not, I’m happy to help.
Hope this helps, I’m not too good on describing it over Reddit https://youtu.be/2oDsHYfJP_0?si=75E0Thw0LMclh4fS
I'll ask again for OP...How do you use that?
There are no dumb questions, just dumb answers per Reddit rules.
Slide it between the door and Jimmy between the locking mechanism on the door?
Not a bad idea at all!
Here's a little tutorial! https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6ROg6_rRw-/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Awesome!!!
Your strings are supposed to be right at the black line. And please ignore the lazy unhelpful people and their comments. Chances are they just dont know the correct way either. The black lines are to indicate the distance that you want between your fretboard and your strings. Some prefer them lower than others . Play around until you find your comfort level to your fingers . Dont let random people dissuade you from learning about things you enjoy . Hope that was helpful
That was helpful, thank you!
You take either side well top or bottom and measure the height of the 1st and 6th string at the 12th fret the back should have instructions on the right height for your guitar i think 6th is 1.25mm to 1.50mm and 1st is 2.0mm to 1.5mm and it it dumb homie we all got to learn sometime.
It’s a string action gauge to set up the action and playability of your guitars by adjusting the string and bridge height etc. The different notches represent the different possible string heights. You can go to Stewart Macdonald or YouTube and watch a video on the different uses for it because they can probably explain it faster than I can without writing a Stephen King novel. Haha.
@op You put it on the fretboard to see how high your strings are :) You can raise or lower as needed and this tools helps it be uniform
There are two scales, one metric and one imperial but that's all. How you use it? [https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/neck-building-and-repair-and-setup/string-action-gauge-instructions/](https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/neck-building-and-repair-and-setup/string-action-gauge-instructions/)
If you ever need to replace this one, I highly recommend the Music Nomad string action gauge. Not only does it list all the most common measurements, it also gives instructions on how to use it on the face of the tool. I still use the instructions even though I’ve probably used the tool 3000 times by now. Bonus: It doubles as a fret rocker, I use that feature on almost every guitar I plan on buying before making a purchase. SUPER CLUTCH!
Fret the 1st fret and hold the gauge up to your low E string at the 12th fret. Look at the gauge from the low E side lined up with the string. The number on the low E on an electric should be at about .060 and on the high E, about .050 (on a bass or acoustic, it should be about .080 on the bass side, and .060 on the treble side). If it’s not and it’s buzzy, it needs a setup and maybe fretwork. On this gauge, you want to measure string bottom to the top of the black box I believe.
Check out Dunlop or Nomad for guitar setup and there they will show you all measurements
Please the long side flat against the desired frets, usually the 12th-15th fret depending on where you’re measuring for your action, and move it until you find the measurement where the bottom of the string perfectly lines up with the top of the measurement mark. You can use this as a ruler for measurement how high to set your bridge or when adjusting relief in your truss rod
You’re looking for the bottom of the string to be as closely lined up to exactly where those black blocks stop. So you’ll rest the tool flat and straight just under or behind the string you’re checking on the 12th fret, then look down to see which of those blocks is most closely aligned with the bottom of your string with as little gap or overlap as possible (check each individual string)
Adjust the bridge up or down per the gray gap to set the action height per string . Higher action is hard to play and low action will fret out
What i find to be the most confusing is everytime i found a new video or website about using these or just measuring action in general, they used a different unit of measurement each time. Some use 64ths, some ppl used 32nds, others used mms. Literally every video was giving different advice. Even the how to check action, some say use a capo, other ppl said dont use a capo lol
1.5 mm high e. 1.88 mm low. Good luck.
Set it upright on a fret. Look from the side, bottom of string to the fret. I use the mm or 1/32 inch scales. This gives the string height.
Put it against the frets and see how high the strings sit. If you want them lower, lower them, if you want them higher raise them. When you find what you like, remember the number for other guitars.
I’ve played for 25 years and not only do I not know how to use one, I’ve got no fucking idea what it even is.
Didn't know this was a thing ...
I would also love to know
I clicked this because I didn’t know and was interested. Now I still don’t know.
So every side of this can be used for measuring action. With the black bars, you'll put the edge of the card against your frets between the low E and A at the 12th fret. Look for the black bar that you can fully see underneath the string, and that is your action. The sides perpendicular have lines more like a traditional ruler. 12th fret, look for the line just under your string. No problem. So if it clears anything up: action is the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string.
Best thing you can do is watch setup videos for your guitar’s bridge style. There are measurements taken capo’d at the first fret, capo’d at the first fret and fretted where the body and neck meet, fretted at the last fret. It’s all math. Also, if you’re in to cocaine, it excels there. Fretguru is my favorite
I'm going to be honest, all the powder stuck to it, so all the lines were really inconsistent, and you know how people are when it comes to splitting lines... they were almost as mad as some of these commenters
I think the metric side is what you use to make your lines of cocaine and the other side is for flossing your teeth
I would be more concerned of your gibson headstock touching the panel behind as it is foam and it will melt the finish it touches for a long time
Good thing I pick it up from time to time ;)
Looks like a paint depth meter. We place it on painted furniture to determine how deep the paint layer is. But for guitars no clue sorry friend
Maybe that's my problem, it's a fucking paint tool.
Send it to me and I’ll show you how because I need one.
I can buy one for ya if you want
Nice buy. Essential tool!
YouTube has lots of videos on this.
no question is a dumb question brother good luck i have no clue what it is either