Between watching Dave’s videos and reciting the specs out loud as I measure my own guitars and basses as if I’m making a video, I’ve come to learn every spec and the right tool to use to measure it for a setup or repair. Many thanks Dave!
I bought every measuring device to get my guitars n shape . Thanks to Dave I have all my guitars in great shape , and have helped some friends also . Even my brothers base , which was bent like a banana .
I have made a setup list for all my basses (6). In one column I have the manufacturers suggested measurements. In the next column I have Dave's measurements which I've picked up watching all his 1000+ videos over the years. I went from being worried I ruin my instruments to be very confident in working on them. My basses all have low action and are now playing way better than they ever did, thanks to what I learned from Dave. The only thing I ever adjust these days is the truss rod, nothing else, as everything else is already perfect.
Good vid, Dave. I think there's a lot of confusion regarding the measurements used on guitars, and this video clears things up. I misplaced my cheap string height gauge and bit the bullet by buying the Stew-Mac one. Later, I found my original one. I have to say that the Stew-Mac gauge is much nicer. I've been a viewer and have a subscriber for years. I've gained a lot of confidence for setting up my own guitars by watching your vids. The only thing that I do different is that I don't necessarily care what the neck relief is unless it it too excessive. If the neck is straight or near flat and the guitar plays w/o buzz with low action (some do), then I leave it alone. Cheers!
I completely agree about the 1/64. FWIW; I stopped using rulers to measure pickup and string height - I use brass feeler gauges (from round stock I got off amazon); 4/64 5/64 6/64 & 15/128 covers almost everything - and I don't have to squint so hard to read the tiny little markings on the ruler.
Yeah, in Australia, we converted to metric in 1970. For some things I still refer to imperial. Dave. I'm with you. It's easier to work in simple consistent numbers, like 64ths, which I think is why StewMac rounds their millimetre measurements. Besides, who has eyes capable of seeing millimetres to the 4th decimal place? 😅
i have 2 different of those credit card stainless measurers. but i use your wisdom and knowledge as to pickup heights and string heights. the guitars play and sound great with your suggested heights i must say and thank you dave for the guidance!! Larry
Gotta admit…I have that “junky” Baroque ruler and I works great for measuring string height in 64ths. True it’s janky material but I wasn’t going to pay Stew-Mac- and cheese their crazy price for one. 😅
Dave I unplugged from the internet for a while, just for work. I remember your first videos, you've come so far. Do you still do cooking videos? I remember the crazy neighbor you made the remix for HAHA! My favorite video is the "pretendocaster" 😅 great to see you making content. I've been gone for years. I've been Gootched! 😅
Love the vid, fortunately I understood the reason for using 64ths from the get-go (I come from a family of surveyors so finely marked measuring is in my blood). I did hear something possibly for the first time- that Fender string height is measured at the 17th fret? I play only Fender and G&L and have been using my StuMac ruler at the 12th fret. Help!
Thanks for going over these Dave. So if you could only get one of these measure tools for string height, you would recommend the StewMac one? I don’t care about the rounding up decimal thing, I just want to measure string height mainly. Thanks!
Newbie here... As one who has been attempting to use your recommendations as "guidelines" I appreciated simply counting the columns on the string action gauge. I thought you said you were really just counting the columns 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. to get to 4/64, 5/64, etc. However, when I count columns on my Dunlap string action gauge the fourth column is .040, wouldn't the 6th column .060 be closer to 4/64? Please hear my question as a serious inquiry. I am just trying to understand. I appreciate your time and any feedback you could offer.
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff - Probably, that is why I ask the questions. I think I misunderstood what you said in the video. I was looking at the decimal columns horizontal. Perhaps you were talking about counting the lines on the ruler (Vertical 1/64 in inches). Like on the Stewmac String Action Gauge.
Don’t know how many times you’ve mentioned that in previous videos. This isn’t Dave’s World of Math. There are other channels to watch for Mathematics.
Some of those "recomended" measurements are the way guitars leave the factory they came from. Its so the guitars leave the factory the same (in theory) and not all over the spectrum. The right string action is the action you like. So what if your Gibson isnt the string height at the 12th fret that it had when it left the factory. If you like it then its right for you. If your action is so low the strings buzz open and you like it then its right for you. If you can drive a mack truck under the 12th fret and you like it then guess what? I only ever measure if i want the string heigth were it was after I replace a saddle or some other part were I need to redo the string heigth. I lower the strings until they buzz open then raise them until they stop buzzing check every fret if it doesnt buzz where it shouldnt then its all good. If it does adjust a little more until no more fret buzz. Check the neck to see if it needs an adjustment and its good after that this method has always worked for me so far.
Personally, I round to the nearest 1/4 mm for string height and pickup height measurements. We don't need three decimal places because nobody can set things that accurately. My old man pet peeve - listing 4 decimal places for millimeters. Not even NASA needs 1/10th of a micron precision! Significant figures people? Come on!🤣 I have a fret guru action gauge and it was poorly made or marked and the scale was out of whack. I was lucky I could grind the edge down to make it read right but I can't recommend it. The D'Addario one was perfect out of box.
I'm fairly certain the ones who you confuse or infuriate by saying four sixty fourths instead of saying one sixteenth fail to acknowledge measurements like ten thousandths and one hundredth being the same. The measurements come correct regardless, it's all just what scale is being used to measure with.
Rounding 1/64" to 0.4mm like on the Stewmac conversion table does NOT create an increasing rounding error as you increment. Because you don't keep adding the same amount each time you increment. Anyway, the 95% of the world who work in metric can forget about 64ths altogether. 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0mm - for guitar work that's the same as 1/64th, 2/64th, 3/64ths, 4/64ths, 5/64ths. Use what you want. But if you grew up with metric, don't think you have to use Imperial because 5% of the world's population were too scared to change to a vastly more sensible system (except American scientists, who have no choice but to use metric in order to converse with the rest of the world's scientists). Most people working on guitars outside the USA rarely look at an Imperial measurement or a conversion table - they don't need to. Plus most guitars these days are made in Asia. And they're all made based on metric measurements. You can keep thinking of scale length and radius and string gauge in Imperial. That's fine - they're categorical variables.
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff no you wouldn't. Stewmac's conversions are exactly correct for each increment as printed. Same as on your wall chart. The only silliness is quoting some units to too many decimal places. And the fact that they sell two action gauges - one for Imperial and one for metric (other manufacturers sell a combined gauge). 1/64" is not 0.3969 mm for guitar work - it's 0.4 mm. You see those conversions with too many decimal places from guitar people who have no intuitive sense of the size of the more sensible units in the metric system. And BTW the official international definition of the inch is in mm - exactly 25.4 mm - and has been that way for over 60 years since agreed by countries including the USA and Canada. Use whatever you're comfortable with. But don't create imaginary difficulties in order to try to convert 95% of the world back to Imperial by implying it's easier for working with guitars (which are not mostly made in the USA). One can spend an entire career working on guitars while only rarely needing to convert an Imperial measurement. Action, relief, pickup height, bridge dimensions, nut dimensions, fret dimensions, hole diameters, pot sizes, etc etc - all in mm.
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff …..Dave I was not disagreeing with anything you said…I meant for myself, I go as low as I can to where it feels good and works…each guitar is different…some are 3 lines some are 4 etc
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff ….Dave, sometimes texts can be taken out of context, I was not trying to sound like an arrogant jerk…I measure the same way you do with the same tool…sorry brother!!!!
I feel like I’ve got every bass measurement seared in to my brain because I’ve watched so many of Dave’s videos.
Love when you get specific about equipment and measurements.
Between watching Dave’s videos and reciting the specs out loud as I measure my own guitars and basses as if I’m making a video, I’ve come to learn every spec and the right tool to use to measure it for a setup or repair. Many thanks Dave!
That's awesome!
Yeah, I used to write them down…
(short attention span) :)
Dave, everything I know about measuring guitars and basses I've learned from you! I really appreciate you sharing with us!!
I bought every measuring device to get my guitars n shape . Thanks to Dave I have all my guitars in great shape , and have helped some friends also . Even my brothers base , which was bent like a banana .
I came for goulash results and I get a stinking geometry lesson. Good vid reel Canuck. Peace to you and all of us.
64s 12 thou at the seventh……. Learned it from Dave and I’ll bet I’m older than him. How was the goulash? Looked like it would be delish?!
Well, when you're done converting that measurement to millimeters, be sure to take a tip from StewMac and round it up!
I have made a setup list for all my basses (6). In one column I have the manufacturers suggested measurements. In the next column I have Dave's measurements which I've picked up watching all his 1000+ videos over the years. I went from being worried I ruin my instruments to be very confident in working on them. My basses all have low action and are now playing way better than they ever did, thanks to what I learned from Dave. The only thing I ever adjust these days is the truss rod, nothing else, as everything else is already perfect.
Dave!
Luv ya buddy.
I still love hunkering down with a pack of smokes and a coffee, watching ur vids.
Dave is our leader.
I picked up a 64ths ruler a long time ago. Never looked back!
Exactly.
Good vid, Dave. I think there's a lot of confusion regarding the measurements used on guitars, and this video clears things up. I misplaced my cheap string height gauge and bit the bullet by buying the Stew-Mac one. Later, I found my original one. I have to say that the Stew-Mac gauge is much nicer. I've been a viewer and have a subscriber for years. I've gained a lot of confidence for setting up my own guitars by watching your vids. The only thing that I do different is that I don't necessarily care what the neck relief is unless it it too excessive. If the neck is straight or near flat and the guitar plays w/o buzz with low action (some do), then I leave it alone. Cheers!
I realy like When you take time to show us all your trade secrets + all yourl life wisdoms😊
I completely agree about the 1/64. FWIW; I stopped using rulers to measure pickup and string height - I use brass feeler gauges (from round stock I got off amazon); 4/64 5/64 6/64 & 15/128 covers almost everything - and I don't have to squint so hard to read the tiny little markings on the ruler.
I have missed watching your show apart you interesting tech talk . But also you light-hearted humour thank 😊 Dude
Yeah, in Australia, we converted to metric in 1970. For some things I still refer to imperial.
Dave. I'm with you. It's easier to work in simple consistent numbers, like 64ths, which I think is why StewMac rounds their millimetre measurements. Besides, who has eyes capable of seeing millimetres to the 4th decimal place? 😅
Enjoying this video while I eat my Goulash prepared with the recipe from Mr. Dave’s cooking video 👍
Awesome , how was it ? Do the tomatoes break down into a gravy like or no ?
@@benallmark9671 It is delicious. It’s more like a chunky broth than a gravy but it’s a keeper I will make it again for sure.
Wonderful
used diced tomatoes
add a bit of cornstarch if you want thick gravey :)
i have 2 different of those credit card stainless measurers. but i use your wisdom and knowledge as to pickup heights and string heights. the guitars play and sound great with your suggested heights i must say and thank you dave for the guidance!! Larry
Glad to help
You forgot the bar thingy you use to measure pickup height. Keep up the great shows.
I was hoping for that too. It's the coolest tool in the arsenal.
I forgot
Well done once again.
Fun video Dave. Can we do a pickup height talk at some point? Because of you, I tell me guitar store tech to set up my basses at 5/64"
you do you Dave, let the whiners whine. us intelligent viewers understand you. good energies to you!
You’re the bomb, Dave
Funny Motion Industries is 1 block from my work in Alabama
they are global..just sayin'
Gotta admit…I have that “junky” Baroque ruler and I works great for measuring string height in 64ths. True it’s janky material but I wasn’t going to pay Stew-Mac- and cheese their crazy price for one. 😅
I prefer to use the stewmac card to measure in decimals in inches. Its a little finer of a measurement as it is 1/100 instead of 1/64.
I use the music nomad string action gauge because it’s easier for me to see in black and yellow numerals. It has 64 mm, etc..
Dave I unplugged from the internet for a while, just for work. I remember your first videos, you've come so far. Do you still do cooking videos? I remember the crazy neighbor you made the remix for HAHA! My favorite video is the "pretendocaster" 😅 great to see you making content. I've been gone for years. I've been Gootched! 😅
Welcome back!
Love the vid, fortunately I understood the reason for using 64ths from the get-go (I come from a family of surveyors so finely marked measuring is in my blood). I did hear something possibly for the first time- that Fender string height is measured at the 17th fret? I play only Fender and G&L and have been using my StuMac ruler at the 12th fret. Help!
Thanks for going over these Dave. So if you could only get one of these measure tools for string height, you would recommend the StewMac one? I don’t care about the rounding up decimal thing, I just want to measure string height mainly. Thanks!
yes
Make sure you always measure from Bass to tip.
You look beautiful! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Newbie here... As one who has been attempting to use your recommendations as "guidelines" I appreciated simply counting the columns on the string action gauge. I thought you said you were really just counting the columns 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. to get to 4/64, 5/64, etc. However, when I count columns on my Dunlap string action gauge the fourth column is .040, wouldn't the 6th column .060 be closer to 4/64? Please hear my question as a serious inquiry. I am just trying to understand. I appreciate your time and any feedback you could offer.
your looking at it incorreectly or the ruler is shit
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff - Probably, that is why I ask the questions. I think I misunderstood what you said in the video. I was looking at the decimal columns horizontal. Perhaps you were talking about counting the lines on the ruler (Vertical 1/64 in inches). Like on the Stewmac String Action Gauge.
Nice do!😊🎸
Thanks! 😃
Hmmm, a ménage a trois stylist 🤔🤔🤔🤔. Nah, I’m too old 🤷♂️😂
Makes me thirsty every time that I watch David 🍺
Dave!Im having a Vinney Babarino moment!Im ...So..Confused,lol,Cheers!
Real sauve Haircut my man 👍👍👍😎🎸
8 bucks ..2 bucks per corner
I just know you meant 1" = 25.4mm
click bait
I have Sesame Street running through my brain now.
I start all my measurements at the L5.
Dave Dave let it gro srt squareville😂
PRS uses 64th & 32nd for string height, the give metric equivalent as well.
which one is OFF tell me 4mm == 5/32 that suks ass
Great video.
Don’t know how many times you’ve mentioned that in previous videos. This isn’t Dave’s World of Math. There are other channels to watch for Mathematics.
By Measurement meetings
Interesting & Informative Fractions rule 😮
Nice chamfer Dave!
If they are making fun of you Dave, they are leaving some other poor bugger alone
Some of those "recomended" measurements are the way guitars leave the factory they came from. Its so the guitars leave the factory the same (in theory) and not all over the spectrum. The right string action is the action you like. So what if your Gibson isnt the string height at the 12th fret that it had when it left the factory. If you like it then its right for you. If your action is so low the strings buzz open and you like it then its right for you. If you can drive a mack truck under the 12th fret and you like it then guess what? I only ever measure if i want the string heigth were it was after I replace a saddle or some other part were I need to redo the string heigth. I lower the strings until they buzz open then raise them until they stop buzzing check every fret if it doesnt buzz where it shouldnt then its all good. If it does adjust a little more until no more fret buzz. Check the neck to see if it needs an adjustment and its good after that this method has always worked for me so far.
ok rock star ..i still have to measure yer Magic numbers
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff I like how they play and that's all that matters. If someone else doesn't like it oh well put it down and stop playing it.
Personally, I round to the nearest 1/4 mm for string height and pickup height measurements. We don't need three decimal places because nobody can set things that accurately. My old man pet peeve - listing 4 decimal places for millimeters. Not even NASA needs 1/10th of a micron precision! Significant figures people? Come on!🤣
I have a fret guru action gauge and it was poorly made or marked and the scale was out of whack. I was lucky I could grind the edge down to make it read right but I can't recommend it. The D'Addario one was perfect out of box.
I have a friend who works for Motion
countimg each 64th, is just really simple...guitar players aint need it to be simple
I'm fairly certain the ones who you confuse or infuriate by saying four sixty fourths instead of saying one sixteenth fail to acknowledge measurements like ten thousandths and one hundredth being the same. The measurements come correct regardless, it's all just what scale is being used to measure with.
Feck, I didn’t know prs measured in millimetres dave, been having intonation problems.
How that for timing?
too many
Still waiting on the pick up tool
The Chinese will have millions soon
Dave, what about the dang feeler gauge yr always using? You're always calling out measurements in thousandths. Can you take me through it?
different spec..you can't learn this one and wanna know more FFS
im a union millwright, like thousands
how many 10 thousands are in an inch..lol
Were you a plaster caster?, Dave? Receiving that is….
👍👍👍👍
1in = 25.4mm, so you're bigger than you think....
He said piss ton
Ermmm 1" = 25.4 mm
Did you say 24.4mm as a tease ? 😜
pay attention
Folks who argue against the obvious (e.g., counting and referencing 3, 4, 5, 6-sity-fourths) assault my hope in humanity.
You’re a silver fox David
sliver box ..thanks
That’s what I don’t like about Phil’s review vids. All the measurements are in mm or decimals. Come on man, the factory specs in the US are all 64ths.
He should not get tools..guiotar pedals is all that asshat should review
Rounding 1/64" to 0.4mm like on the Stewmac conversion table does NOT create an increasing rounding error as you increment. Because you don't keep adding the same amount each time you increment. Anyway, the 95% of the world who work in metric can forget about 64ths altogether. 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0mm - for guitar work that's the same as 1/64th, 2/64th, 3/64ths, 4/64ths, 5/64ths. Use what you want. But if you grew up with metric, don't think you have to use Imperial because 5% of the world's population were too scared to change to a vastly more sensible system (except American scientists, who have no choice but to use metric in order to converse with the rest of the world's scientists). Most people working on guitars outside the USA rarely look at an Imperial measurement or a conversion table - they don't need to. Plus most guitars these days are made in Asia. And they're all made based on metric measurements. You can keep thinking of scale length and radius and string gauge in Imperial. That's fine - they're categorical variables.
if I use there math on a large building I'd be Fuked
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff no you wouldn't. Stewmac's conversions are exactly correct for each increment as printed. Same as on your wall chart. The only silliness is quoting some units to too many decimal places. And the fact that they sell two action gauges - one for Imperial and one for metric (other manufacturers sell a combined gauge). 1/64" is not 0.3969 mm for guitar work - it's 0.4 mm. You see those conversions with too many decimal places from guitar people who have no intuitive sense of the size of the more sensible units in the metric system. And BTW the official international definition of the inch is in mm - exactly 25.4 mm - and has been that way for over 60 years since agreed by countries including the USA and Canada.
Use whatever you're comfortable with. But don't create imaginary difficulties in order to try to convert 95% of the world back to Imperial by implying it's easier for working with guitars (which are not mostly made in the USA). One can spend an entire career working on guitars while only rarely needing to convert an Imperial measurement. Action, relief, pickup height, bridge dimensions, nut dimensions, fret dimensions, hole diameters, pot sizes, etc etc - all in mm.
A good string action is a good string action…doesn’t matter what the gauge says…but thats just me🫤
and if you where a ROCK STAR and I was yer roadie I would have to measure yer shit to make sure you was HAPPY GFO
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff …..Dave I was not disagreeing with anything you said…I meant for myself, I go as low as I can to where it feels good and works…each guitar is different…some are 3 lines some are 4 etc
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff ….Dave, sometimes texts can be taken out of context, I was not trying to sound like an arrogant jerk…I measure the same way you do with the same tool…sorry brother!!!!