How To Adjust the Action on Your Electric Guitar

[@gibsonguitar]

▶ Get all the tools you need to adjust the action on your guitar HERE: bit.ly/3HzCOE0 ▶ Grab Your NEW Gibson Les Paul HERE: bit.ly/3u9jvyk ▶ Shop Your Gibson Guitars HERE: bit.ly/3UiuCzv

[@oleo4925]

The banging you hear in the background at 6:55 is someone trying to tune a guitar with a Floyd Rose.

[@DimKAt21]

Gibson techs don't know what a floyd rose is; it is known...

[@RayC234]

That's Funny!

[@MCOGroupNews]

I hate Floyd's lmao

[@polymorphism1966]

I cant stop laughing!

[@jimmyjimmy951]

Don’t be daft, it was clearly someone repairing a broken headstock..

[@TennisLover1967]

Action measurements at 1st and 12th fret: 1st fret - 1/64" for high E string and 2/64" for low E string from top of fret to bottom of string (use a thin pick for high E string and heavy pic for low E string) 12th fret - 3/64" for high E string and 5/64" for low E string from top of fret to bottom of string (use a dime for high E string and a nickel for low E string) Thank you Jim! You just saved me a bunch of time. I will eventually get my guitar adjusted from a professional, but for now this should work.

[@car_ventures]

Thanks! In mm: 1/64 = 0.4mm... 1st fret : high E = 0.4mm 1st fret : low E = 0.8mm 12th fret : low E = 1.2mm 12th fret: high E = 2.0 mm

[@MrBarefoot09]

@@car_ventures thanks man , why do people still insist on not using metric

[@TheErik249]

​@@MrBarefoot09 Europeans and Canadians use the metric system. They mock America for using American standard. They also pretend that the world has converted to metric and we are ignorant to that fact. BUT, metric conversion appears on anything shipped to the states. Millions of intermodal shipping containers all have the conversion painted on them. Football fields are measured in yards. All bottles of liquid have conversions on them. When a man brags about his member, does he use centimeters? NOPE. It's in inches. If you want to do business with America, you had better convert to our measurement system. Or you can't make any money.

[@wrcz]

@@MrBarefoot09 Well, Gibson is American, that's why they do it.

[@MrBarefoot09]

@@wrcz why can't America grow up and use metric ? they use it in their science , medicine , and military .. the rest of the world had this figured out 50 years ago

[@synonyx]

A year later I still look back on these. Jim is solid GOLD in these videos. Other manufacturers should take note of this as their videos are nothing compared to these! So easy to understand and easy to see everything.

[@jimyang8824]

Damn, Gibson is catching up on the KZbin game

[@mikewilkinson694]

Agreed! They're kind of owning it right now!

[@chrisruef9221]

Not sure why but I was always worried about messing up something and I don't even know what that something was?

[@tiltedtempo8747]

That's the same with me and truss rods 😭

[@DG-bb1jz]

@@tiltedtempo8747bruh same. Been playing for 20 years. I still hate messing with my truss rods

[@nickcage3703]

@@DG-bb1jz just make adjustments in very small increments and you don't have much to worry about. A little goes a long way with truss rod adjustments. Quarter turn at a time baby

[@ThomasBrandoGreenman]

Love these videos with Jim! Working on your own guitar is a joy when you know how to do it. It's like folks who work on their classic cars or bikes - it's always a pleasure to drive but maintaining it is part of the fun.

[@bluceree7312]

I haven't owned a guitar that I haven't worked on. Usually, it improved with my touches. KZbin is a god send because back in the day before the internet, it was word of mouth and guess work.

[@shazbatagatha6100]

Great to know this as guitarists, we should know how to fix our own issues

[@richardlynch5632]

Have to say my Gibson/Epiphone guitars are the most touchy instruments regarding neck relief in guitar my arsenal. Weather changes, even slight, facilitates tweaking. A labor of love👍😎❤🖖

[@Wargasm644]

Same. My Gibson’s are temperamental. More so than my other guitars. Any humidity or temperature change and they may need adjustment. Oddly, my Les Paul with the richlite fretboard is pretty solid. Same neck material, but I guess the richlite fretboard helps?

[@justnik8727]

@@Wargasm644 Try an Indonesian PRS SE Standard - neck moves 10 minutes after adjusting. Yes its not a $1500 guitar but....

[@erichfischer8064]

This guy is the real deal I would trust him with my custom 57 Les Paul original. You know this guy knows what he's talking about, and that he's passionate about what he does that's awesome

[@mouseanalyse]

For us Europeans, could you add the metric conversions, e.g. in subtitles or text balloon overlay? Or make a separate metric vs 64ths of an inch video? I’m not used to measuring in inches, so it’s difficult to understand.

[@toms781]

4/64 inch = 1.5875 mm. Metric is actually a clumsier system when it comes to lutherie.

[@YaYousef5]

@@toms781 If that were true, why does the entire world except America use it? In this case you'd just say 1.6 mm.

[@toms781]

@@YaYousef5 because 1.5875mm does not equal 1.6mm. but use what you like. I am not here to debate measurement conventions of tradition. if 1.6mm is good for you, go for it.

[@felipeavlopes]

@@toms781 The International System is based on Metric. And considering that the Imperial system is built to measure big things it would make it the not practical or the clumsier system instead. For small measurements the kind of fractions used in the Imperial System make it a greater hassle than the more even measurements used in Metrics, since they don't generally require a ton of fractioning for small stuff unlike Imperial because you're only using inches as your starting point

[@toms781]

@@felipeavlopes Fair points, but like I said it is just a weird tradition. Of course use what you like and are comfortable with. I use metric measurements for a lot of other work but my luthier tools are all graduated in imperial.

[@cl8on74]

Jim has a great history with Gibson, I’ve enjoyed every Gibson I’ve owned that he’s been a part of.

[@jacobbockover1628]

AWSOME trick with the dime I used to gave an assortment of picks I used

[@musicandmyth]

Thank you so much for this info. I have a Gretsch with a Tune-o-matic and after following your guidelines it plays beautifully again!

[@rodrossi9749]

Love this series ! Love my Les Paul's ! Keep these tutorials coming......

[@SuperJiggawhat]

I love the tips on this video. I'm not sure if I would take the needle nose pliers to the thumb wheels though. I can see one stripping the teeth off the wheel, and or scratching the finish. That's just my own observation.

[@billlynch9907]

Agreed, Music Nomad makes a great spanner wrench that not only adjusts thumbwheel easily, it also lifts control knobs off without damage as well, worth the $10!

[@SuperJiggawhat]

@@billlynch9907 Music Nomad makes some great, adorable products. Tha is for the tip brother.

[@lachrimes]

Just wrap some fine cloth around the wheel or the pliers.

[@wrcz]

It's probably fine if you're careful, but yeah, I also thought they should have added a disclaimer for the "less handy" in order not to damage the steel. It scratches very easily, or even deforms.

[@glaucosouza1971]

Wish i knew that business card tip 30 years ago. . .Signs of Love on my 92' LP Custom.

[@cyril8988]

Me too same guitar !

[@glaucosouza1971]

@@cyril8988 mine's a Wine Red. And yours??

[@cyril8988]

@@glaucosouza1971 Mine is a black beauty , my father offered me in 92 , new from Gibson. I kept it all that time and it is still A1 . Nothing plays like a those customs !

[@Wargasm644]

I don’t use needle nose. I use my ESP multi spanner tool that came with my Eclipse. Works fine on Gibson’s. They sell them on eBay for a few bucks. The ESP branded one is about 10$. But they work on toggle switches, output jacks, tailpieces, etc. a handy tool to have. The Gibson multi tool also has a string height gauge. 👊🏻

[@SDPickups]

Stew Mac makes a bridge jack that works better than anything else.

[@Wargasm644]

@@SDPickups yeah, they should be for the price and shipping. Lol. My ESP came with the tool that gets the job done. My Gibson came with a decent multi tool. Stew Mac has nice stuff. But I’m just a player and not a luthier. So I’m just using items that get the job done with some degree of accuracy and within tolerance. I’m not bad mouthing stew Mac . They have nice tools. I purchase parts from them regularly. But for a DIY player just making common adjustments, there are more economical ways to get the job done. But yeah, Stew Mac had nice stuff.

[@ChadwickRider]

Another great guitar maintenance video. I really appreciate this content! I've went through each video while doing maintenance on my Les Paul... truss rod, pickup height, intonation and action. The guitar is playing top notch and I have a much better understanding of the overall mechanics now. Subscribed!

[@hkguitar1984]

Great content. Always a good idea to watch anything a Master Luthier does to a guitar. Thank You Jim.

[@nevillegreg1]

Nicely explained, just would be convenient for you also mentioned or put up on screen the metric equivalent measurement. Just about all my measuring tools are metric.

[@kens.5095]

Extremely helpful. Clear and concise, and with very useful shortcuts for those of us with less-than-perfect vision!

[@vitalyromas6752]

I appreciate your clear and informative instructions. Details about Nashville bridge are especially useful and surprising - I didn't know it before. Thank you.

[@jwt82475]

Thank you so much for making these videos and sharing the wisdom of Jim DeCola!! I just picked up my very first Gibson Les Paul, a 2005 Les Paul Studio Swamp Ash. These videos have been invaluable as I finally got the neck and action setup properly. Now I understand why people love Gibson Les Paul guitars and why only a Gibson is good enough!! Thank you!!

[@jimjim7008]

So much for Gibson's QC listening to that banging sound at 6:55 😮

[@kmickp1166]

Cheers Jim, I didn’t realize the hex wrench adjustment on the bridge was possible, good tip!👍👍

[@vincentbeaupre4248]

Thank you!! You saved me from bringing my guitar to the luthier 😊

[@tommy2z2z]

that is a gorgeous les paul

[@kkrsnn5632]

What more do you need 😊

[@hmax7736]

Thanks you Mr Decola for all the advice. It's just like a lutherie course! I have a question. What about the adjustment of stopbar? How I have to adjust its height?

[@MichaelJacques]

Love the Nickle and Dime trick. I can hear musicians at gigs all across America... "Damn! Hey man, you got a Dime and a Nickle..."

[@GuitarFuel]

Always so helpful! Thx for all these videos

[@Pickinbuddy]

Didn't know about the nickel and dime trick--thanks!

[@charlesrocks]

Quality content. This is the type of content you need to be putting out.

[@stephaneaudet]

Thank you Jim for this tricks.

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

I think me and a handful of other repair guys on KZbin have shown this a zillion times. I'm positive if I showed up using needle nose pliers to lower or raise the bridge wheels, I'd have a comment section of people telling me I shouldn't do this for fear of slipping and ruining the guitar top. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with some questionable methods that actually work;-) Love you Gibson.

[@Captain-Nostromo]

As long as you know what you're doing with your pliers there is no problem with that

[@rodrossi9749]

Agreed, if you're not an clod, it works like a champ.

[@feral91_]

one tip to not strip the nickel finish on the thumbwheels: put some paper tape in the tweezers

[@mookytc]

A true master in action here.

[@michaelirons5662]

That's mega info guys.

[@jjbast]

Shame that we do not have dimes and nickels lying around outside the US. Would appreciate to know what thockness you would consider a thin or a thich pick please.

[@santiagocolina]

this is so useful guys. just bought a les paul and feel that there is something else that came with it...video instructions!

[@John_Doe657]

Wow. I can play guitar for hours n hours but this? To have a guitartech is a blessing for sure.

[@kcussrebutuemos4815]

So since I started playing at 14 til some yrs went by after the hand damage was already done because I had the stiffest bending guitars. You would think someone at the repair shop would say hey you can lower the bridge and use lighter gauge strings but nope. It was we don’t sell thinner strings. Or try this brand strings or truss rod adjustment all day long when the neck was already straight. I like low action. Even when I was a kid my own teacher went for the truss rod. The neck was straight. If you want a slinkier feeling guitar so you can bend your strings and make your hands last lower your bridge, use thinner strings and obviously have a straight neck. This guy I wish showed up yrs ago but well there weren’t smart phones when I started out. I obviously figured it myself but until I did I messed up a few guitars. Took hrs to get them back in shape. Thx repair guys who couldn’t even change my pick ups correctly. Forgot there was a volume knob that split the pick ups and the bridge pick up didn’t work. ???? They didn’t know how to do the wiring? Only place to go around here and they recharged me to fix it. Unbelievable. And I gave them the strings twice.

[@rosquinha21]

American measurements: 1/64th, dime, nickel

[@user-my2nj3jz4p]

I always learn a lot from these posts, thank you very much.

[@blissfulhumanoid9536]

What is the exact name brand of this six inch machinist rule? And, where can I buy it online? I just bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard 60’s in the Bourbon Burst finish just last week. It’s absolutely amazing!

[@jf5578]

love this series of videos!

[@warrioroflight2781]

Excellent and very helpfu vid - thank you very much!!!

[@37hedonismbot]

This was really helpful. Thank you!! :)

[@TheSoulsandRevive]

Great video, very informative. Looking forward to the 'Gibson Acoustic' making process episodes! Cheers

[@Lele756]

Thank you Sir, very useful!

[@jordanmontoya9320]

These videos are amazing. Thank you so much Gib!

[@gavenevans]

@ 7:13 is such a BUTTER shot I had to comment 😂🔥🔥🔥

[@garystevenwilson]

These videos are awesome Gibson! Thanks!

[@MdhLV]

I know he said these are more general settings but I think they are more for players with a very light touch, use very thin pics, and maybe use 8 or 9 gauge strings.

[@gregrose6915]

Great vid. Love the top and color on that standard.

[@rudevalve]

Certified Gold!!!!!

[@srvmotoman]

Oh nice! A dark back LP!

[@Maytag151]

Thank you! Learned so much :))))

[@josefbleaux6724]

Love how he has the Marshall on his work space...

[@nordicomsystems8841]

I have a '94 Epiphone Les Paul Custom Black Beauty, dual humbucker. The action is obscene, I never in my life seen anything like it and I was actually worried something might be wrong lol. At the 12th on the bass side it's about 0.90, 0.75 treble side. But it doesn't buzz, at all. Not even a little bit. And bends don't fret-out. Someone put Gibson solid bridge posts and a Nashville bridge on it so maybe that has something to do with it? I just checked with a nickel and dime too and both E strings are at dime-level @the 12th. Bass side is actually slightly under dime-level. Thanks for the awesome video though, after I watched it I started using the nickel/dime measurement on all my guitars, saves a lot of time!

[@jamessator5564]

Thanks Jim, I’ve been learning a lot from you !

[@Captain-Nostromo]

That Les Paul is absolutely beautiful 😎

[@robinervin6660]

Thanks jim. now i need 15cents. just bought my les paul and im broke, But worth it, love it. Dont think they set up my guitar right. Brand new from the nashville headquarters. Hope adjusting the action is all it is and Not The Fret Raised. 1st string, High E has a lil buzz noise. But thanks for all the videos, If i cant find out what it is, And fix it my self, I'll find a certified Master Luthier like you to help..

[@nicolasgimenez7607]

Thank you very much!! I love my LP

[@josephwayne7424]

Wow thank u so much I've been wanting lower action on my Gibson for so long and didn't know how to do it myself; and seem to always put off taking it into a guitar shop. Funny to find out how easy it was makes me feel pretty stupid. Lol... the dime and nickel worked great..

[@sgoldman9732]

Fantastic!! Thanks !!

[@shanedeel2]

thank you i just used the coin method and my adam jones epiphone feels way better now.

[@jcout25]

Just curious because I was taught that you're supposed to capo the first fret when adjusting action so you take the nut out of the equation....

[@Marcus-zt6os]

Thanks for posting this, very helpful. I love my Les Paul!

[@glennpace9783]

Great tips! I have coins in my case for pick-up adjustments. Btw...when will the Marshall get switched to a Boogie?

[@josefbleaux6724]

Brilliant presentaion. Thanks Gibson!

[@ronaldsweet3484]

Thank you! Great info!

[@PureMagicStudios]

Great Gibson! Love my R7

[@catfishmudflap]

Nice looking at those guitars.

[@SOSchangedme]

Thank you for making so easy! I used centimeters from my Fender tool! 😅

[@michaelzschoche2746]

Did the dime and buckle trick. That’s pretty cool. Feels pretty good. Only complaint I have it my R8 doesn’t seem to sustain much anymore. Could just be me being it picky. I tend to look for things wrong rather than just enjoy it.

[@graemero5532]

Cheers Jim

[@bayougtr]

A multi-spanner is what I use for turning thumbwheels. With a pice of cardboard underneath for protecting the finish/body. Of course.

[@benallmark9671]

Awesome video , I hope we see more. A simple restringing the guitar would be awesome , I know I’d appreciate it.

[@gibsonguitar]

It’s on our channel

[@toddknaster9731]

Love your videos but since you said the truss rod has to be adjusted before you set the action I wish you would have shown how you check for the proper neck relief also.

[@gibsonguitar]

It’s in a previous episode

[@Yek0ms]

A question about adjusting - why bother rotating that wheel if there are screws on top? Wouldn't it be easier to use a screwdriver?

[@airbag97]

no screws on ABR-1, only on the Nashville

[@Blimpus]

I learned quite a bit from this series, Thank you Gibson, Thank you Jim, I also learned that Has some very cool shirts that I need?

[@franckrichard8077]

Very usefull video here. Next, I would like a guide to set up the tune o matic / tail piece height and string angle .... nice T shirt by the way...

[@Slovy_]

I’m glad u said rule not ruler. Specifically a machinist or pocket rule. A king or queen is a ruler. A scale or a rule is used for measuring.

[@McCambira]

Wow! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Hi everyone! I have a Gibson J45 and I use 011 gauge strings. What action should I leave on the 12th fret on the 1st and 6th strings and also what is the relief?

[@WyattScott]

I had my guy set up my new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s Gold Top reissue with the P90’s and the action is too low. I’m going to try and raise it a bit myself.

[@nedronez]

Any reason why a LP bridge would be set lower on the low strings rather than vice versa? The action seems pretty even but I always thought the higher strings could go a little lower? Cheers

[@philfrank5601]

A perfect prequel to this would have been how to measure (most important, how to judge backbow) and adjust the truss rod.

[@raw_pc]

Amazing value in those videos. Thank you

[@toivonencresto]

1:17 ask Gary Moore, 0.11/0.52 on Greeny with her Baseball Bat and Highest Action you can imagine 😁 this said, this luthier series is beautiful! Now... do one ‘flipping the magnet for Out of Phase’ video!!!

[@roscoep.soultrain5775]

Gibson, I love you.

[@FelipePAlmeida]

YEEEES!!! Thanks Jim!! =D

[@jakesekerak4902]

it would be awesome to know the serial numbers of the guitars in this demo series just in case we end up buying them!

[@koolkutz7]

Good demonstration thanks.

[@whittlad]

love these guitar set up videos and Jim certainly knows his trade. That said, why cant a giant corporation like Gibson that sell products world wide offer the measurements for the instructional videos in both imperial and METRIC! The World isn't flat Gibson and the metric system has been out for over 200 years!!

[@sindyharding938]

All new too this. What about the other 4 strings? How do you determine the height of those?

[@theuserthatishere]

they are not independently adjustable on this bridge type. do the outside 2 and the middle will follow.

[@daniellee8458]

Great presentation! Will try this and report any changes. Question about playing barre chords on the 12th fret and higher; Can't get my large fingers to fit in the frets above the 12th fret. Any ideas? For song Big Bang Baby by STP - Can't fit the quick-chord-change he does. Is it the space between the frets on my 2022 - 1958 reissue Les Paul Murphy Lab above the 12th fret? I noticed the action is much higher on this R8 guitar than it is on my other two Gibson LP CS Black Beauty Customs 2012 and 2013 Richlite and Baked Maple. They all have 0.10"s

[@Kylerjguitar]

That was really helpful. Thank you!

[@kingdom777866]

Why don’t Gibson do the simple thing, include a couple of feeler guage’s for correct action measurements with every guitar.. one for 1st fret & one for 12th ? That way wherever it goes in the world it can be set up easily without having to convert to other measurements, according to the country it’s going to ?

[@jixxxxer17]

So turn the wheel to clockwise direction to lower the tuna-matic bridge ? I tried this on my 91 les paul special and it seemed to raise my bridge, ugh then I went counterclockwise and nothing happened wheel went lower bridge never moved lower. pa for the course on my end. Peace !