what action height should i have with DGDGAD tuning on an electric guitar ?

[eh là bas ma]

Hello,

I recently got a PRS SE custom 24. It was delivered with factory strings, 9-42 i think, tuned in standard E.

PRS SE Custom 24-08 Quilt LB

Electric Guitar Body: Mahogany, Top: quilted maple, Set-in neck: Maple, Fingerboard: Ebony, Macthing headstock with quilt veneer, Birds fingerboard inlays, Neck profile: Wide Thin - thickness at 1st fret: 21 mm / 12th fret: 23 mm, Binding on body,...

www.thomannmusic.com

When i replaced the strings with 10-46 and tuned the guitar in DGDGAD, the lower D and G strings started to buzz a bit and the tremolo bridge was slightly bent.

I recalibrated the bridge to get it perfectly flat, and raised the low D and G bridge saddles slightly upward, until the buzz almost completely disappeared.
Also tried to raise very slightly the tremolo bridge by unscrewing the first 3 screws, facing the lower strings, 1/10th of a turn, i barely touched these screws.
And i didnt touch the truss rod. I guess its only required for lower tuning.

Now there is only some buzz on the low D string when i press on the 1st fret, near the guitar's head.
But i wonder if the action height is ok, i see 4mm (0.15 inch) at the 12th fret on the low D string,
which is twice more than what it should be with the regular E tuning, if im not mistaking.
There arent any issues with the tuning itself though, the string is tuned correctly everywhere on every fret.

I cant find any specific numbers for action height with this DGDGAD tuning, so i wonder if someone has some experience with these tuning calibrations ?
All i could find is that people usually raise the action height a little bit when they use drop D tuning, mostly by raising the bridge saddles.

At the low D string (thickest string), 4mm (0.15 inch) at the 12th fret, and 3mm (0.11 inch) at the 7th fret, is it really too high or is it to be expected with this kind of low tuning ?

Every observations and suggestions are welcome !

 

[gonzo]

Check the truss rod relief first after the trem bridge is at the right tension (flat). Then check saddle heights. Otherwise you're chasing your tail.

 

[anevilspar7an]

Is the buzz acoustic or amplified? If you only hear it without it plugged in but not through your amplifier it will be fine. It's very common for players that like a low action to have very slight acoustic fret buzz.

 

[eh là bas ma]

Is the buzz acoustic or amplified? If you only hear it without it plugged in but not through your amplifier it will be fine. It's very common for players that like a low action to have very slight acoustic fret buzz.

if i strum gently the low D string pressing at the 1st fret, it doesnt buzz.
But if i strum with a bit more energy, the buzz is audible both acoustic and amplified.
And that's what happens with high action height.
If i calibrate the bridge saddles and the bridge height back at factory values,
the buzz is happening more often, when strumming the low D string and the low G string without even pressing on a fret.

Check the truss rod relief first after the trem bridge is at the right tension (flat). Then check saddle heights. Otherwise you're chasing your tail.

i found some tutorials about checking truss rod relief, but it looks like we need some specific tools, like a piece of metal 0.25mm thick.
Is there any object from the daily life that we can use instead ? maybe a piece of paper or a credit card ?
my smallest guitar pick is .46mm, i guess it's too big.

 

[pbrommer]

I think a business card is about .25mm. Maybe? Remember it’s a general guideline.

 

[eh là bas ma]

Check the truss rod relief first after the trem bridge is at the right tension (flat). Then check saddle heights. Otherwise you're chasing your tail.

i found a quick way to check.
Capo on the 1st fret, a finger on the last fret.
There's almost no space between the string and the frets. Almost no action, the string doesnt touch the frets but it's very close.
my .46mm pick cant pass the 7th fret without touching the string, a piece of paper can pass though

Almost no action when i press on the 1st and the last fret, some buzzing issue at the 1st fret, i guess it's a back bow issue.

Edit: PRS recommendation is 0.005 to 0.010 inch at the 8th fret, it's 0.13 or 0.2 mm so i might be good, it's like a piece of paper i guess.

 

[eh là bas ma]

Finally i added a little relief on the truss rod, like half a quarter of a turn. It gave me a little more action when pressing the 1st and last fret.
It fixed the buzzing on the 1st fret.
Then i lowered the bridge saddles on the low D and G strings which lowered the action height without any buzzing.
Now i have 2.5 mm at the 12th fret and around 2mm at the 8th fret, which is much more comfortable.

The bridge got slightly offset with the tension changes from the bridge saddles, so i ll fix that and i guess it will be perfect.

Thank you very much for your help !

Glory to PedalPCB forum !

 

[Nostradoomus]

Get a set of feeler gauges if you ever want to be sure!

 

[swelchy]

I'll give you my .02 cents for every guitar I own and setup personally..
First and foremost I own slotted neck relief straight edges from stewmac.. I believe these are a must.. They are straight and true.
1: Tune guitar up to the tuning you are using.
2. Check neck relief with stewmac gauge in the playing position... adjust with 1/4" turns.. wait five minutes.. tune to pitch recheck. wait 30 minutes.. tune to pitch recheck. I set my relief to where it's almost dead flat and barely any light seen through the gauge holding in playing position...
3: If you have any high frets this will be an absolute buzz dog to play with a flat almost zero relief.. This is where I put the Stewmac fret rocker through it's paces and see if I have and troublesome frets .. if I do... I may go back and give the neck a bit of relief to compromise.
4: Tune to pitch and use a string height gauge or metric ruler.. set bridge height or saddles to (measuring from the top of 12th fret to bottom of string) 1.5mm on low E side and 1.2 on the high E side.
If you have string buzzing anywhere after this you can start bringing the bridge/saddle height up closer to 1.8 on low E and 1.5 on High E.
anything more than this is too high of an action for me personally and starts becoming a dog to play if you actually play any runs..
If I have a guitar that has a very flat neck and a good fret job my perfect setup is 1.2mm on low E and 1.0mm on high E.
Anything past this simple setup starts messing with nut slot height and filing frets.... If you can't do any of that or have the tools it's time to find a real shop and not the teenager at guitar center.