Your guitar’s action affects the way you play it, how it sounds, and more. In fact, when the action is too high, it can break numerous parts of the guitar. Furthermore, it prevents you from playing the instrument without facing difficult resistance. The good news is that it’s quite easy to spot when your guitar’s action is more than it should be.
Subtle signs your guitar’s action is too high include buzzing frets, difficulty compressing the strings, twangy noises, and trouble bending the strings. You might also notice that the neck is bent or the tuning pegs are loose. This happens because the action tugs on the strings, pegs, and bridge.
Throughout this article, we’ll break down the top reasons your guitar’s action gets too high, how you can spot them, and what you can do to fix each issue.
Related: for the full overview, see our guitar maintenance basics.
Frets Buzz When You Strum the Guitar
One of the most common symptoms of high action on a guitar is buzzing strings and frets. When the action is too high, it compresses some of the strings near the top of the neck. You might have no problem strumming and picking near the neck’s base, but the lower chords and strings will buzz like never before.
Here’s how to know if your frets are buzzing from high action issues:
- Bar the first fret, then strum the guitar. You shouldn’t hear any buzzing, muting, or anything other than the normal sound of the strings. You should also be able to bar the fret without facing too much resistance. When the action is perfect, none of these issues are present from start to finish.
- Look under the strings near the barred fret to see if any of them are touching the frets. The only frets that should touch the strings are the ones that you’re touching. If the frets are touching the strings on one or more frets in front of the chord, then the action needs to be adjusted before you play the guitar.
- Make sure the bridge is slightly slanted. The bridge needs to be higher at the lowest E string and lower at the highest E string. This slant helps the action by promoting optimal tension on each of the strings. If the bridge is flat or wobbly, it means you need to replace the bridge, not adjust the truss rod.
- Loosen the strings, tighten them, and test the frets again. Sometimes, all you have to do is stretch the strings a little bit. New strings need to be broken in, which means you don’t have to worry about changing the action too much. If this doesn’t work, use an allen wrench to loosen the truss rod ¼ of an inch.
It’s Difficult to Compress the Higher Frets
When your guitar’s action is too high, everything gets harder to play. The Vault explains the strings are further from the fretboard, which means you have to push them harder to make them touch. Furthermore, a high action on a guitar tightens the strings. You’ll be facing more resistance on every string, especially the ones highest above the fretboard.
So, what can you do if the high frets are too hard to play?
- Loosen the adjustment nut to alter the truss rod. This nut is adjusted with an Allen wrench. Try the Meideal Guitar Truss Rod Adjustment Set. It comes with every possible Allen key you need to change your guitar’s truss rod. Remember that a small ¼-inch turn is enough to make a significant difference.
- Get lighter strings and ensure they don’t pull the neck too hard. Older guitars have weaker necks, which means you’ll need to use lightweight strings. These strings put less pressure on the neck, preserving the guitar’s structural integrity for many years to come. Lighter strings are also better for fingerpicking, which is an added bonus!
- Break in the strings by playing with them regularly. New strings take a couple of hours of strumming and picking before they’re loose enough to stay in tune. The intonation changes a few times while breaking in newer strings. Once the strings are ready to go, they won’t put as much stress on the action.
Each String Sounds Tinny
Tin sounds come from guitar strings when they’re stretched too far. This sound is a mix of buzzing frets and narrowing (and likely breaking) strings. When the action is too high, the strings are under constant pressure. While they’re supposed to be secure, the strings shouldn’t be pulled in both directions as they are with a higher action.
If you’re not sure if the action is too high, try a testing kit. The Music Nomad Precision Truss Rod Tool tells you how much you need to adjust the action. Place the thin tool against the fretboard to measure the string’s distance. You can use an Allen key to make minor adjustments while leveling the strings with your new gauge.
The Strings Won’t Bend With Your Fingers
If you bend the strings by pushing them up and down, you’ll hear a unique pitch change. This move is common in bluegrass and rock music, but it’s made its way into almost every music genre. However, having a high action from the tight truss rod can make it almost impossible to bend the strings.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to identify if the action is the cause of this common problem. Let’s explore them below.
- If the bridge moves when you bend the strings, the action might be too high. A higher action on your guitar will put a lot of stress on several parts, including the bridge. When the strings push on the bridge too hard, they can cause intends, shift the bridge, or crack the edges.
- The action is likely the cause if the strings push your fingers off of them when you try to bend them. Compress one of the strings, strum it with the other hand, and try to push the string up or down while it’s on the fretboard. If you can’t move the string, the action is pulling the strings much tighter than it should.
- Your guitar’s action is far too high if the strings buzz every time you bend them. A slight bend shouldn’t cause any buzzing. If it does, there’s a good chance the strings are touching a fret further up the board. This sound is caused by the strings being too close to the fretboard, especially on the space closest to the headstock.
Bent or Loose Tuning Pegs
Your guitar’s tuning pegs hold the strings, letting you adjust them to change the tuning. The bottom of the pegs is mounted with multiple screws drilled into the wood. If the action is too high on the guitar, it’ll put too much pressure on the tuning pegs.
The constant pressure from the guitar’s action is usually distributed between the bridge, neck, and tuning pegs. However, a higher action than normal will put far too much pressure on the individual parts. The uneven distribution can wreak havoc on the tuning pegs,