Quote:
Originally Posted by jmitchell42
just out of curiosity, approximately the action should be the highest in the middle of the string right? since that is where the string will vibrate the most? also, about what should that be without fine tuning it to a certain player? mine at the 7th fret is about 2.5 mm on the low 3 and 1.5 on the high e. will get into that book more when i do it, but just curious about it before hand. should it be the same or different since the string will fluctuate more on the lower strings.
Right, the loosest section (the middle) of the string vibrates in the largest circumference. However, this is a continually changing. For example, if you press a string at the 9th fret, now the loosest section of the string is over the 21st fret.
That said, most fret buzz (due to improper action and relief, not shoddy fret crowns) will come from the fret above the one you're playing, as the relief, relatively speaking, is the least at that point.
Being that bass strings (generally speaking for most string sets) are looser than your trebles, you will need a hair more clearance on the bass side if you used a radius setup and your trebles are pushing the threshold for buzz, but it depends on just how much radius - a 14" is more forgiving than a 7.25".
1.5 sounds really good on the E (but measure 12th). You can get lower on the bass, though. I don't ever measure, as there's just too much variance from instrument to instrument, but it's not a bad idea when you're starting out (however, with a plek'd instrument
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG4BOLlKOb4, that would be a whole other ball game and is why I recommended the G&L over the Fender ). It's not just picking and seeing if it buzzes, but you have to make sure it doesn't fret out when you bend.