Generic Action Ruler

Every player should have some kind of tool, such as this action ruler, for measuring the height of the strings; that way you will know when it's time to have your guitar set up.

Who Needs an Action Gauge?

Most guitar players would benefit from an action gauge. Using this credit card-sized gauge, you can quickly measure the action or height of the strings above fret XII.

What Problems Can It Diagnose?

If the strings are too low, you may already know because they could be buzzing. This could mean the guitar is dehydrated, or sometimes it just needs a quick adjustment to the truss rod in the neck. Hydrating the guitar may improve this, but it takes a lot of hydration over the course of one to two weeks to see a difference. This can be addressed by placing a small shim underneath the bridge to lift the strings up again.

If the strings are too high, you may have noticed that your guitar is getting harder to play. This most often happens when the guitar expanded due to humidity.

The back of the ruler has a reference for optimal string height, making it easy to determine if your guitar needs adjustment.

How to Fix String Height Issues

A luthier will examine the guitar to understand the cause of the issue. Then make sure the neck truss rod is adjusted properly so that the neck is not excessively curved. If there is no obvious cause to the issue, then the luthier will adjust the bridge height either by shimming it up or sanding it down.