Setting Up Your Tune-o-Matic Guitar: Bridge Action Height Adjustment (Step 2 of 4) | ELIXIR Strings

John Carruthers shows us the proper way to set the action on a Tune-o-Matic Bridge. This video is step 2 of a 4 part series. Videos include Adjusting the Truss Rod, Bridge, Nut, and Intonation on a Tune-o-Matic

[jacksquirrel]

A book I have states the Gibson factory settings as:

1) Neck relief = .012
2) Bridge Action - Measured at 12 fret = 5/64 bass, 3/64 treble
3) Nut Action - Measured at 1st fret (low to high) = 2/64, 2/64, 1.5/64, 1.5/64, 1/64, 1/64
4) Neck pickup height = 3/32, Bridge pickup height = 1/16

Epiphone manual has bridge action as 6/64 bass, 4/64 treble.

Factory settings will usual error on the high side, so you should be able to go a little lower if need be.

[charlie-obrien]

Short sweet and exactly what I needed to know.

[Chris_Mann_]

I think these videos are from the DVD that goes with the book "Teach Yourself Guitar Repair and Maintenance". The book has all the specifications and measurements. I only have the book and I am making all my guitars play and sound great. I worked through the steps on a cheap Squier strat and it plays awesome now. Now I'm doing my Epiphone ES339. I have also done my Fender Jazz bass and a couple other strats.

[jixxxxer]

these are the best instructions so far that i have found, easy to follow and concise with good results when you actually try them yourself. wonderful videos and thanks for sharing !

[Lele]

Thank you John Carruthers. Very useful. You're a grest man

[OssMan]

John, thanks for this series.  You did answer my question about the height settings in the video.  

[tpmbe]

Many thanks, absolutely clear explanations, helped me lot John Tnx

[fredcdobbes]

My personal preference is, at the 12th fret, 3/32 at the bass side and 2/32 at the treble, for both electrics and acoustics. Don't forget to tune to concert pitch before you measure.

[ResoBridge]

In this video Mr Carruthers is suggesting that it is possible to set the action with a significant difference in height between the top and bottom E strings. The Gibson Nashville and ABR bridges are not designed to tilt in this way. These bridges have parallel sided holes that sit over two parallel pins on top of the height adjustable bridge posts. The greater the difference in height between the two bridge posts the more the pins will tend to bind in the holes. The only way around this is to make the holes quite a bit larger than the pins, but then the bridge position could drift around, leading to tuning problems.
The entire Gibson stop bar and bridge system has many flaws like this.

[jlart]

This set of videos are great to show us the proper way of setting up our bridges, now can you tell us the precise measurements to get a good string height (action)? tia

[essiecab]

Thanks for stating that clockwise lowers and counterclockwise raises the bridge. Nobody else tells you that!

[alig.]

My ring thing seems stuck. Any strategies please?

[morganalvarez]

That guitar looks nice 👌
just wondering what make
and model it is ?

[dsvet]

My thumb wheels are really hard to turn. Is that a problem with my bridge?

[pupstop]

what value should the bass side be set at?

[Erok]

What is the correct calibration for the bass and treble strings?

[sjsphotog]

What is the correct measurement that should be used to measure the gap? this was not mentioned in the video

[celosemnexo]

How much lower must the treble side be in mm? Can I measure this on the bridge itself instead of the 12th fret?

[RickRose]

My thumbwheel does not turn by hand. Am I supposed to loosen the screw that runs down the center of the thumbwheel first?

[DeltaStar]

He doesn't actually say what the proper calibration height is for the bridge, he only says to get them to proper calibration, but what is that? On the stratocaster video on bridge height he says both bridge and treble should be at around 5/64th, is this true here as well?