Measuring the string height on your guitar without fancy tools!

String & Pickup height gauges for sale:
www.manotickstringworks.com
You don't need fancy tools to measure the string height on your guitar - just look around your shop, in your kitchen, in your wallet or in your pocket for some common items you can use. Thanks for watching!
-Steve
Manotick Stringworks
Ottawa, Ontario
[e-mail]
#guitar, #string height, #measure

[@undeadaxolotl8584]

THANK YOU. I was getting sick of these people *all* whipping out the same, tiny, metal ruler.

[@Haxior5506]

same

[@fr3ak1shh]

But just buy one. Trust me, it makes life so much easier! But I was in your boat at one point too, so I understand.

[@devonpacholik8466]

LMAO

[@justinbaldwinOG]

Sameee!

[@michaelmorbid704]

I never knew this, thank you for doing this vid. This advice is gonna be useful.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Glad you enjoyed the video- I hope you have subscribed to my channel?

[@KannabisAnalyst]

You’re an absolute legend mate. I feel like an absolute idiot for not thinking about the credit card stacks. Thank you!

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Lol

[@abandonedchannel1159]

Thank you Steve Jobs

[@ellanvannin1639]

Thank you so much! I just bought a guitar that needs to be fixed up. I already repaired most of it but then noticed that the saddle is too low. I needed to know how high the strings should be so this was really helpful!

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Great! I hope you subbed to my channel too?

[@kabztube]

ohh man this actually works, you can lower you string height without any buzzing. thank you!

[@bradulberg1982]

Awesome tip ! Using the string height ruler is a pain in the ass so I’m gonna give this a shot. I just got an affinity Tele and I’m gonna throw a Wilkinson bridge , 72 fender deluxe humbucker, and a Tex mex bridge.

[@joedejesus6363]

This is great advice and technique for the do-it-yourselfer, this is going to be very helpful👍

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

Thanks a bunch👍🏼. I might use the quarter because all i have is a protractor, the semicircle ruler, i only have that but I can use a quarter.

[@tommywatkins1251]

Thanks for that, I really am made up what you just said 🙏👍👌

[@michaelmendillo7513]

Nice little tip ! TY Brother ! 😎✌️🎶✝️💕

[@clawhammer704]

Measure at which fret with the three gift cards.

[@ericfrost3244]

Thank you nobody ever makes videos for cheap people

[@Wanshankupardiengdoh]

Thanks for the tip Sir

[@jorgeosorio1880]

Thank you with the card ideas

[@joesphbegley3088]

You can use picks with a known thickness.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

That is a good idea as well

[@whereandbackagain7059]

You can use guitar picks as well. Tortex picks are nice because they're totally flat and have the thickness written right on them.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Good idea!

[@davidpatrick1813]

thanks

[@Einhander54]

Thank you!

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Glad you enjoyed ot

[@madhatterentmt6146]

The credit cards helped thank you so much dude

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Glad I could help! I hope you have subscribed to my channel?

[@danielmartin1617]

Your a hero

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Lol

[@cajuncoonass5053]

My string are close but are perfect in my opinion.

[@joedejesus6363]

Great technique, this will be extremely useful on my next set up.👍

[@gregmullins6927]

Smart man.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Lol...tks. I hope you have subscribed to my channel?

[@That.Guy.]

Here in the US we don’t have loonies we only have funny money

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Measure your currency and see if you can use it.

[@indigox2119]

@@ManotickGuitarTech It was a joke......... this is awkward.........

[@logansb24]

lmao

[@misterbuttersworth9904]

The Loonies are running the country 🤣

[@cliftonsuber]

Always new Canada had looney money

[@Johnnyreyes.]

Those coins are similar to those of Mexico

[@mark5150ty]

You forgot to mention that with experience you can do it just by using your eye, at least I can.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

that's true - I can get it close but then I use gauges to keep it consistent

[@mark5150ty]

@@ManotickGuitarTech I usually just get the low & the high E acceptable and then I'll use an under-string radius gauge to do the rest, works great if you're working mobile, I tend to be a little more thorough in my shop.

[@jonathanvioleta3578]

Should it be same on the Nut area ?

[@dylanhatfield849]

What about the quarter

[@ArisAris-ku7np]

In which fret on guitar ?

[@notkrustyboi]

Looks like the 17th to me its hard to tell

[@joe1205]

I have a fender strat and an older cheap rock jam one. Since I got my fender, I play it all the time. I picked up my old one and started playing it the other day and haven't picked it up since because the action is so high. I don't know if it was always that high. Do you know how I can reduce it?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

you probably need to tighten the truss rod and then lower the bridge saddles

[@joesphbegley3088]

You can use picks o

[@heavenbent4pleather83]

You realize how many different pick thicknesses there are? Which specific mm pick? Otherwise that’s not gonna work

[@b1akn3ss93]

Can you show us the thickness of those coins (we don’t have those ones here We only have dollars and cents)

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

I mention in the video that the coins are 4/64" and 5/64" thick.

[@AGuitarNinja]

This tool only cost 25 cents!

[@dclong-]

Fr man, thought you were Dave Matthews

[@TheDiamondsions]

Nah, he wakes up in the morning. Couldn’t be Dave Matthews

[@dclong-]

@@TheDiamondsions lmao well done

[@Pomenkg77]

At what fret for acoustic guitar ?

[@denzilmoats3430]

Not bad....good info. Now tell them ...EXACTLY what fret your gouching the coin under...its...kinda important

[@Doowopsid]

Exactly!

[@dave-ox2eo]

Guys, I think it might be one of the frets down where the neck and body meet. I just a guy put a capo on the first fret of a Les Paul, then, he put a finger on the sixth string where the neck meets the body, and then measured at the seventh fret, with a feeler gauge.

[@santiagoboss4830]

@@dave-ox2eothat’s for your neck relief

[@dave-ox2eo]

@@santiagoboss4830 Thanks for letting me know 💯

[@bradylasserre9320]

Do you fret at the 1st fret? I see people very often do the tap test that way.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

That is to check the nut action, nonetheless string height

[@bradylasserre9320]

@@ManotickGuitarTech ohh! Understood

[@rwm4738]

Loonies, twoonies? What do you use if you live in a real country?

[@rebugall1727]

lmao sooooooo rude

[@gryphon37]

😂

[@atanasstoianov9270]

it seems like you use guitars with high action :)

[@tonydegregorio4895]

At which fret are you measuring?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Tony, for Fender guitars it is at the 17th fret; for Gibson guitars it is at the 12th fret

[@tonydegregorio4895]

@@ManotickGuitarTech Appreciate it.

[@vishvajeetsinh_solanki]

which fret?

[@TheShadeManGuitar]

Should be checked at 12th fret

[@jasonfraser701]

G'day Steve, can you help me ? I've got a nylon sting acoustic with a cutaway and have my Bstring flat by the twelfth fret. Since I've noticed that classical guitars have a saddle closer to parallel with the nut than steel string guitars, yet on those the B is set back compared to the others. What do you think has caused this issue and what do you suggest i do to fix this ? I have tried shortening the string a few 64ths but it seemed to get worse. When measuring i get the same distance (all other strings are very close). Could it be the nut ? How would i tell if it is ? Thanks for your time

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

First thing would be to replace the string -sometimes that fixes it; then I would make sure that the string is seated in the nut correctly; lastly, see if the break angle behind the saddle is sufficient.

[@arthasmenethil2201]

A cargo plane can easily pass under my bass strings. What do I do to solve this?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Check the neck relief and string action - the bridge saddles might be too high as well

[@PIC121220]

which fret? this is not explained in details.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

17th fret for a fender scale guitar or bass - 12th fret for a Gibson scale guitar

[@eldonb402]

Does this apply to six string electrics as well?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Yes it does

[@Doowopsid]

What fret are you putting the credit cards on? Thanks

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

17th for Fenders, 12th fret fir Gibsons

[@Doowopsid]

@@ManotickGuitarTech wow, thanks for getting by to me! Just so I understand correctly since I’m a novice at this would this be the same for acoustic and electric guitars? Also, I’m curious why is there a difference between the Fender and a Gibson? Which fret would you recommend using on an Ovation and Ibanez? Sorry for so many questions I’m just interested in learning about this and have several brands of guitars. Thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge!

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Watch more of my videos for the answers 😁 @@Doowopsid

[@diluteduk]

Just use the metric system. Far easier to say 3mm.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Use 1.5mm for 4/64; 2.0mm for 5/64; and 2.5mm for 6/64... 3mm is to high for action

[@gareth2933]

I have a EKO Ranger 6 and it look like there are screws on the bridge, can I adjust it like an electric guitar?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

They seem to have height adjustment screws on the side of the saddle...try them out!

[@gareth2933]

I want to lower the action so which way would I turn them ? Thank you for replying. I’m in the IL and do understand inches do you have the mm sizes please?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

@@gareth2933 you don't use the truss rod tp lower the action- that you would do at the bridge. 1.6mm is a good string height.

[@gareth2933]

Thank you

[@ryancowan8048]

Why can't we say 1/16

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

No one is stopping you 😁

[@joedejesus6363]

Will that measurement be done on the "21st Fret"?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

17th fret for Fenders; 12th fret for Gibsons

[@joedejesus6363]

@@ManotickGuitarTech Thanks a Bunch.👍

[@ThiagoCP]

This is a bass, not a guitar?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Bass or guitar- same tools

[@AveryTran09]

Is a capo needed?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Not to measure string height- only when measuring neck relief. I hope you have subscribed to my channel?

[@georgemoss5695]

Which fret do you do this on?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

17th on Fenders; 12th on Gibsons

[@jokematthijsen3190]

​@@ManotickGuitarTech why this difference and what to do when you have a different guitar? Thanks@🙂

[@poke_legendss]

Which fret no.??

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

17th fret

[@3farruca]

What if live somewhere else?😅

[@benjaminpugsley4015]

At what fret?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

17th fret for a strat like guitar

[@omarmoran3097]

​@@ManotickGuitarTech oky so you didn't press on any frets. Also if I put the 3 cards under my strings the E string is a little high. But here is the issue if I drop it lower. The string will be super close to the bridge pick up. Should I drop down the bridge pickup?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

@@omarmoran3097 pickups are made to be adjusted

[@ParagonGarage]

By the looks of that romex wiring behind him im not taking no advice from this guy🤷🏼‍♂️

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

lol

[@NickBEADG]

Ewwww flats

[@heavenbent4pleather83]

Cash is king crypto nerd

[@NickBEADG]

@@heavenbent4pleather83 wut...

[@pimpdaddy1445]

You trying to reach the top of the Empire State Building with that quarter??? I use a penny at the 12 the fret on the bass side and a dime at the 12th fret on the treble side. Hope that helps

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

You do you! thanks for watching!