Reddit reviews String Action Ruler Gauge ,Forever-direct Guitar Set Up Tool for Electric Bass and Acoustic Guitar
We found 5 Reddit comments about String Action Ruler Gauge ,Forever-direct Guitar Set Up Tool for Electric Bass and Acoustic Guitar. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Fit for electric guitar, Bass , acoustic guitar,mandolin,banjo,etcWith conversion chart of string action at 12th fret printed on one sideWith scale for string height, for ridge saddle slot depth and for nuts saddles and pole piecesMade of stainless steel which is stable,durable,beautiful and widely usedConvenient ,pocket-sized ruler which can take to everywhere you like.ATTENTION:The ruler is mounted in a cardboard card holder and has the protective plastic shields that you should peel off on both sides before use
Your left hand shouldn't need to do a lot of work as far as finger strength on a bass. Get an action height tool and measure your string height at the 12th fret. Adjust bridge/truss rod as needed. I keep my action at about 1.5 mm or less, but I think "low action" is around 2-2.5 mm.
Every guitar player should learn to set up their guitars. It only takes a little practice to get pretty good at it. Then you can set them up however you want and it wont cost you money.
As /r/startrekmike suggested, there are a few inexpensive tools worth purchasing. People here will tell you that you dont need them, but I disagree. A set of feeler gauges and a string height gauge makes setting them up much easier and faster. With those tools, you can get an immediate picture of the guitars current condition and address it from there. Its really easy.
https://www.amazon.com/E-direct-String-Action-Measuring-Electric/dp/B00ZI3OQC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468263567&sr=8-1&keywords=string+height+gauge
https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-68050-Valve-Feeler-Gauge/dp/B0009OR94M/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1468263581&sr=8-6&keywords=feeler+gauges
These two tools will let you measure string height and neck relief.
On a side not that kit is fucking hella expensive and you don't even have nut files. Here is what I purchased for my setup kit.
https://www.amazon.com/StewMac-Gauged-Slotting-Electric-Strings/dp/B06XB1NS2X/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1527801980&sr=1-1&keywords=stewmac+nut+file
https://www.amazon.com/String-Action-Forever-direct-Electric-Acoustic/dp/B00ZI3OQC2/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1527802028&sr=1-4&keywords=guitar+string+gauge+tool
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Winder-Multifunction-Instrument-Accessories/dp/B079FMH1SJ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1527802048&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=guitar+cutter&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Set%EF%BC%8C30-Master-Measuring-Luthier/dp/B07594N814/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1527802066&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=feeler+gauge+for+guitar&psc=1
Honestly the nut files are one of the most important parts I can grab feeler gauges and wire cutters from any dept store. The guitar specific measuring tool is not needed, just a nice to have.
It just makes it easy to see how much bow the guitar has. I also recommend one of those rectangular tools that shows you the string height. Something like this. Those two tools tell you most of what you need to know. Another useful tool is radius gauges for whatever radius your guitar is, but I would say the notched straight edge and this tool get you 90-95% of the way there once you learn to use them.
https://www.amazon.com/String-Action-Forever-direct-Electric-Acoustic/dp/B00ZI3OQC2
Feeler gages and a quality small ruler will go a long way. You can buy something like this to check your pick up height and clearances, and the proper feeler gages can be found at your local auto parts store. There's also radius gauges available so you can match your saddle heights to your neck radius correctly but that's not super important if your clearances are set properly.
Honestly the biggest problem is finding a quality straight edge. As in one that is 100% guaranteed perfect. StewMac has them for an insane high price but the alternative is rolling the dice with straight edges that aren't built to the same narrow margin of error. Here is the one I use, but fair warning that the reviews on it are mixed bag. Mine seems okay, but I'll never know for sure.