October 23, 2012

The guitars “action” refers to the height of the strings in relation to the top of the frets. The action being either “too high” or “too low” are among the more common complaints that bring clients into the guitar shop. If the action is too high, strings far away from the fretboard, the guitar can be difficult to play and may not intonate properly. If the action is too low, strings very close to the frets, the guitar may have an audible chattering or a muted buzz in certain positions as the strings vibrate against the frets.

Depending on personal taste, guitarists strive to have their playing action fall somewhere in-between those two extremes. The “sweet spot” is as varied as the instrument and its owner.