Guitar setup: what do you like?

[Cirrus]

I didn't care for years, but in the last 5 I started paying more attention, bought a gauge for measuring action, and learning how to do basic stuff myself.

And it turns out;

2mm on the low E, 1.75mm high E. Nothing crazy.

11-52 gauge strings

Ideally, action that doesn't really change after the 12th fret.

You?

 

[DrewJD82]

Regardless of the tuning/gauge, I try to get all my guitars playing the same. Not a lot of tension in the strings, the only thing I get really picky about is the action and I’ll go between neck relief and adjusting saddle heights to find the perfect marriage. For the most part I want everything straight up to the 12th fret, then a little extra height from 12-whatever so I can get my fingers under the strings.

I don’t measure anything, I can tell just by fretting a note and bending if it’s where I want to be and different fret sizes/fingerboard radii require different heights, but I’m sure if checked it’d be the difference of mm’s.

 

[Warmart]

Depends on scale and tuning for me, as far as what strings - I have all my guitars in D Std now, which required some flip-flopping/testing to get everything about the same tension, much as @DrewJD82 said. 10-46" on 24.xx, 9.5 ish on 25.00" and 9-42 on 25.5" seems to work best for me. Too much tension gives me fits, finger agility not what it once was nearing 56

I set for minimal relief but don't measure it, I capo the 1st and hold at the neck/body joint - then test for a good ping at the 7th/8th. I do go for 3/64" (wound) and 2/64" (unwound) 12th fret action and can get that on 98% of my guitars.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I didn't care for years, but in the last 5 I started paying more attention, bought a gauge for measuring action, and learning how to do basic stuff myself.

And it turns out;

2mm on the low E, 1.75mm high E. Nothing crazy.

11-52 gauge strings

Ideally, action that doesn't really change after the 12th fret.

You?

Pretty much the same as yours. I start off with the string height about 2mm across the board then see how it feels. I then adjust by feel but it's normally just lowering the G, B and high E down a bit while playing it in.

I use 11-52 on all mine as well though sometimes use a 10 in place of the 11 on my strat if I've been playing a lot and my fingers are getting sore.

 

[laxu]

Each of my guitars is setup different. I might adjust my shredder guitars for lower action and something like a Strat to favor those blues bends.

10 or 11 gauge strings, 12s on acoustic.

 

[Eagle]

As low as works on what ever the guitar. A starting point would be 50,000" to 70,000" E to E and if this doesn't work I will see why. But no buzz no choke .

 

[TSJMajesty]

As low as I can go, juuussssttt when fret buzz starts, and as flat a neck as possible, with juuusssttt a touch of relief.

I feel the flat neck makes for the best possibility of the lowest action with the least amount of localized fret buzz, and the low action makes it easiest to play.

It does however make bends a bit more challenging, but I can deal with that with practice.