Optimum String Action For Archtop

[bertiman]

He used that Gretsch guitar from 1958 (1959?) to his death in 1987, and there are loads of pictures and film clips/videos showing him with it and its high action. Lots of guitarists asked him about that action. But being of the old school he didn't gladly give away his trade secrets, so he usually answered something vague like "It took a while getting used to it". Jim Hall, who admired Green a lot, once asked him if he could try his guitar but the answer was "No". At another time Hall asked Green if he had a fatherly advice to another guitarist. Green said: "Yes. Pack your bags the day before going on tour and always pack your band uniform on top."

Since he played with that high action for many decades, it must surely have been a deliberate choice, though nobody ever seemed to get him to tell why he had that ideosyncratic setup. The closest he got was talking about the role of the rhythm guitar as a part of the rhythm section ("A snare drum in Bb, a hihat in F") and about thinning down the number of notes he played in order to keep out of the way of the piano and the bass.

Here's a video displaying the high string action. BTW, it's from 1987 - just two weeks before Green died during the intermission between two sets at a concert in Vegas.

In both videos he’s mic’d acoustically. To be heard by the band, let alone himself, I’d think he’d need to really dig in. Hence I can see the need for really high action.

[oldane]

In both videos he’s mic’d acoustically. To be heard by the band, let alone himself, I’d think he’d need to really dig in. Hence I can see the need for really high action.

Agree. To be heard he needed to dig in - which he did - and for that a high action was necessary. But still, THAT high?

[Alter]

Bear in mind Freddie Green never played things on guitar other than one, two, three note voicings (almost never? I think he solos twice in his recorded career, I remember hearing one solo - he played church music). He also needed a very percussive loud sound. High action can work for that.

I played very high action guitars on two occasions. When serving in the army, I had a very cheap guitar where I bought it, and put 11 flats on it without setting up anything.. it got high! Played it exclusively for a year and a half! Second was a strat that I only used for funk playing, I put 11 rounds and very high action and the guitar would really sing. You get used to it, but I wouldn't advise it, as it can be dangerous for your hands.

[gianluca]

2mm and 2,5mm on High and low E at the 12th fret for me on my 175 an L5 studio.
thomastik flats 013 or 012;

I often try to speed up my playing lowering the action but, even if my guitars save playability at “Benedetto settings” (1,2mm and 2mm), I loose creativity and taste with such a low tension.

[oldane]

Bear in mind Freddie Green never played things on guitar other than one, two, three note voicings (almost never? I think he solos twice in his recorded career, I remember hearing one solo - he played church music).

The classic recorded example of a Freddie Green solo is "The Elder". One might also mention the arpreggio chords in "Lil' Darling", but that's not really solos. There was also the joke at concerts when Basie would tease the audience by asking if they wanted to hear Freddie Green play solo. After some build up towards the end of the tune, Green finally came in - playing just one note. And that was the end of that number.

Some band members have told that he actually played a little chord melody backstage between sets now and then when he felt like it. But of course, that's not recorded.

Apparently he did have ambitions to play solos some time during the 1940s when he mounted a pickup (D'Armond?) on his Stromberg and brought an amp with him on stage. However, the band members didn't like missing his acoustic sound and steady timekeeping while he played amplified so they "sabotaged" his amp by removing the tubes, disconnecting the power cord etc. He got furious when that happened but eventually he gave up and for all we know he never played amplified after that. There is a live broadcast recording of "The King" from the late 1940s where one hears an electric guitar solo. It may be Green though it has also been speculated that it may have been Paul Gonsalves who where in the Basie band at that time and who played guitar before taking up the sax. There were no electric guitars, pickups, amps or other hints of electric guitar playing in the estate Green left behind when he died. Only the Gretsch Eldorado he had used for nearly 30 years and the two older Strombergs (a blonde Master 400 and a sunburst Master 300) he had retired in the late 1950s.

Those interested can read more about Freddie Green here: The Freddie Green Web Site .