Hi. I recently saw an amazing, old guitarist perform. He was playing a telecaster-shaped guitar.
After his band had finished performing, I went up to him to congratulate. I requested him to allow me to play his guitar for a few minutes. He lowered the volume, and I started playing. I found that the action was set quite high. He told me this particular guitar was made by a luthier friend for him, and he likes to play with such high action. I could barely play for a few minutes, I found it difficult to move my fingers on the fretboard.
I mainly play an Epiphone SG (set low). I play in a cover band, and our bassist sets up our instruments.
Is action always set high on telecasters? Does it contribute to their (for the lack of a better word) twangy sound? Did I find a telecaster shaped guitar hard to play because my Epiphone SG has a different fingerboard radius than telecasters in general?
I will appreciate if someone could help me gain some general knowledge on this. Thank you very much.
Generally speaking no, action height is a personal preference, and a tele can happily have a low action.
It is possible that it had the Fender 7.25 radius fingerboard and for that sometimes people will raise the action a bit to stop bends chocking out higher up the neck, but I’ve got a 7.25 inch strat and the action is pretty low on that with no issues for me.
There are advantages to high action if you are an aggressive player for example.
Regarding why you found it hard to play, it’s difficult to say. What made it feel difficult, were you playing rhythm, lead, both? In my personal experience fingerboard radius actually doesn’t make as much difference to playability as some people are led to believe.
If you’re interested in a tele, I’d get to a shop and play some - this was a custom made job and chances are it won’t play exactly like a Fender or have the same set up.
My Telecasters have a low action on them. You shouldn’t find them any harder to play than your SG. I am told that the twangy sound comes from the way the pickups are bolted to the body, which is just basically a large solid slab of wood
Several people have mentioned that a high action is often favoured by people who play hard to prevent buzz.
Did he play any slide guitar? Slide is usually done on a guitar with a raised action too.
He may have had thick gauge strings - another reason to go high and perhaps a factor in your difficulties.
Radius, fret size / height, scale length and more can be factors in different guitars feeling different to play. If you have never played anything but your own you will have been having to make all kinds of adjustments without realising it.
Ooo, if only life were that simple sometimes for me I be "A Toby " 2.0 …
Everything here depends around weight for me…I’ll buy one without testing if I can find one for up to max 2.50 kg…I’ll come if I take a quick look 4.1 kg including packaging (at Bax they do it this way… who cares what it weighs in total ) and usually many guitar shops are not interested in mentioning the weight below a certain price…
You eat very expensive chips , but for a guitar it is so cheap what I see that I doubt whether that makes me happy … I live a little …kuch…above my (guitar playing) level, but I was also told that you get used to it ( the better quality I mean ) but I’m going to try all the lighter weight guitars blind in a store again someday…(only did it once before I could play more than 6 chords )
thanks for checking,
then there is no chance that there will suddenly be one weighing 2.5 kg or lighter, I now know from experience, but i don’t worry … I am already spoiled and am in no hurry,no really
Hi,
Yes, I know that feeling of not needing …nowing wich…of a guitar…that empty, what should I do …then why not…maybe… someone shouts something here, then you go and look…Errrr
By the way, it’s a beautiful guitar that you showed, but I’m not really looking for it, if I “stumble across” it it’s a nice gift…I’m still happy with what I have …
)
…
) and usually many guitar shops are not interested in mentioning the weight below a certain price…
)
