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string height for fretless for with any without slide

Posted by Brown Water Jerry (Rice) on October 23, 2014 at 10:51am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Im looking at my 5th build. I would like to be able to play with fingers as well as slide and have notes come out more or less right for both. Any suggestions for string height and size would be a big help. THX.

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Replies

  • Skeesix October 27, 2014 at 10:37am

    This can be tricky or require some back and forth adjustments until it feels right. I make it a height that plays well for fretting, and then might add a bit more height for slide. Using slightly heavier strings might help too for slide, but then again you don't want them too heavy or it can be hard to fret.

    My current setup is the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings from a set of electric .012's. The height at the first "fret" is 2/32". The height at the 12th "fret" is 4/32". This frets well, but I feel like the strings are a little floppy. I previously had strings 3,4,and 5 from the same set on there. That worked great for slide, but was hard to fret. So eventually, I'll probably end up somewhere in between on the string thickness, but keep the same height. I think my next experiment will be strings 2, 3 and 4.

    My builds all have neck angles now, so they're not "bow shooting height" at the 12th fret. This also makes for easier fretting.

  • John Sawyer October 23, 2014 at 9:25pm

    Your title says fretless... did you mean fretted?

    The trick is in the floating bridge.  As your action/string height gets higher, you'll stretch the scale length just a bit to compensate.  

    There's always that "low enough to finger, high enough to slide" but I normally go 1 quarter high at the first fret, and 2 at the 12th or so.  Sometimes I'm a bit higher, and that's ok, too...

    I'm sure one of the experts here will have a better, more precise opinion...

  • The Phrygian Kid October 23, 2014 at 6:15pm
    It's a very subjective thing, which is why the height on commercially produced bridges is usually adjustable. You should make the guitar and expect to 'fine tune' the exact height of the bridge last of all. This might take some playing in too.
  • Eric Kasten October 23, 2014 at 12:00pm

    I fret my guitars but I also play with a slide.  String height is fairly low... just takes a little getting used to with a slide.  Too high and it's difficult to use the frets or takes them further out of tune when depressed.  Here's some examples of fretted guitars that I use the slide on.... www.kasteneric.com (go to guitar section).

  • Brown Water Jerry (Rice) October 23, 2014 at 11:08am

    Sorry for double post, techno challenged. 

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