Wow, how many times have I seen that question on the Reddit Guitar subreddit? Too many.
If you’re wondering if your guitar action is too high, there is a super easy and inexpensive way to check. The technique in this post originally came from the Gibson TV YouTube channel. (See the original video in the Resources link below). You’ll need the following:
- a thin pick (0.46 mm)
- a thick pick (1.96 mm)
- a nickel
- a dime
1st Fret, Hight E-string: Use a thin pick. If the bottom of your high e string doesn’t touch the top of the pick, it is too high.
1st Fret, Low E-string: Use a thick pick. If the bottom of your low e string doesn’t touch the top of the pick, it is too high.
12th Fret, High E-string: Use a dime. If the bottom of your high e string doesn’t touch the top of the dime, it is too high.
12th Fret, Low e string: Use a nickel. If the bottom of your low e string doesn’t touch the top of the nickel, it is too high.
The original video is very useful and something that I watched myself when I was setting up my new Epiphone Casino. Check it out in the video link below.