How to Lower a Guitar's Action

The playability of a guitar is an important part of the instrument. If the action is not set correctly, you will be working twice as hard to fret the strings or you will get undesirable effects such as buzzing when you play. Here is how to lower that action and increase the playability of your guitar.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Allan wrench or flat blade screw driver

1. Locate the fret board adjustment on the neck of your guitar. This is a vertical screw running the length of the fret board usually located near one end of the neck.
2. See what type of tool you need to adjust the action of the guitar. In most cases the guitar will need an Allan wrench or a flat blade screw driver to make the adjustment to the fret board height.
3. Adjust the action a small amount. A half turn to the fret adjustment screw may be too far. Minor changes to the neck adjustment on your guitar is all that is needed to make a big difference in the action.
4. Play the guitar. Take a moment and play all along the fret board, especially at the top where the action is always the highest. Keep adjusting the action by tiny increments until you have found an action height you are happy with.
5. Consider having your frets lowered. It is best to have a professional do this since you need special tools, like a fret file, and the skill to use them properly. Lowering the frets will enable you to lower the action even more and make your guitar play faster.