Raising action means increasing the distance between your strings and the fretboard

Action is the height of your strings above the fretboard. Raising it means making that gap larger. You do this by adjusting the bridge (the piece holding the strings at the body end) or the nut (the piece at the headstock end), or both. Most players raise action to reduce buzzing, improve tone, or accommodate fingerstyle playing that needs more string clearance.

The method depends on your guitar type. Acoustic guitars usually need a bridge replacement or shim. Electric guitars with adjustable bridges can be raised by turning a screw or bolt. Classical guitars require nut or bridge work. The job ranges from a five-minute screw turn to a full day of sanding and fitting, depending on which part you adjust and how much you raise it.

Key Takeaways

  • Action is measured at the 12th fret: the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string, typically 2.0 to 2.5 mm on the bass side for acoustic guitars.
  • Electric guitars with adjustable bridge saddles (Fender, Ibanez, and many others) can be raised by turning a wrench on bridge screws without removing the bridge.
  • Acoustic guitars usually require either a shim under the bridge or a new bridge with a taller saddle, both jobs that take several hours and demand careful fitting.
  • Raising the nut requires removing it, sanding the slot deeper, and fitting a new nut or saddle — a task most players send to a repair shop.
  • Measure action before and after at the 12th fret with a straightedge and ruler to confirm the change matches what you wanted.

Adjusting an electric guitar bridge with individual saddle screws

Many electric guitars — Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters, and similar designs — have bridge saddles that sit on screws or posts. Turning these screws up raises the saddle and increases action. You will need a wrench or hex key that fits the screw head (usually 1.5 mm or 2 mm), a straightedge, and a ruler or caliper.

First, measure your current action at the 12th fret. Place the straightedge across the frets from the first to the last, then measure the gap between the bottom of each string and the top of the 12th fret. Write down the bass side (thickest strings) and treble side (thinnest strings) separately — they often differ. Raise the bass side screws first by turning them clockwise a quarter turn, then check the measurement again. Make small adjustments: a quarter turn usually raises action by 0.5 to 1 mm. Repeat until you reach your target, then adjust the treble side the same way.

If your bridge has a single rod under all saddles instead of individual screws, the process is the same but affects all strings equally. Turn slowly and check often, because overshooting is straightforward and backing out a screw that has gone too far can strip the threads.

Shimming an acoustic guitar bridge

Acoustic guitars have a fixed bridge glued to the top. You cannot turn a screw to raise it. Instead, you slide a shim — a thin wedge of wood — under the bridge to tilt it and raise the saddle. This is faster than replacing the bridge but permanent: removing the shim later requires ungluing the bridge.

Measure your current action at the 12th fret the same way as an electric guitar. Decide how much you need to raise it. A shim 1 mm thick under a 2-inch bridge raises action roughly 0.3 to 0.5 mm, depending on the bridge angle. You can buy pre-made shims or cut one from hardwood veneer (maple or walnut work well). The shim should be slightly narrower than the bridge so it does not stick out the sides.

Loosen the strings to slack tension. Unglue the bridge by working a thin blade under the edges and gently prying while heating the glue with a heat gun or hair dryer set to low. This takes patience — rush and you will crack the top. Once the bridge is free, slide the shim under it, centered along the length. Re-glue the bridge with hide glue or titebond, clamp it overnight, and retune. Measure action again to confirm the raise matches what you wanted.

Replacing an acoustic bridge saddle

If your acoustic bridge is still glued down and you want to raise action without shimming, you can replace the saddle — the small bone or plastic piece sitting in the bridge slot. A taller saddle raises action without tilting the bridge. This is cleaner than a shim but requires fitting the new saddle to the slot, which demands careful sanding.

Remove the strings and measure the saddle's width, height, and depth. Order a replacement saddle that is taller than the original by the amount you want to raise action — usually 2 to 4 mm taller. Bone saddles sound better than plastic and cost $10 to $30. When it arrives, the saddle will be slightly oversized. You must sand it to fit the slot exactly: too loose and it will rattle; too tight and it will crack the bridge or bind the strings.

Sand the saddle sides and bottom on a flat sanding block until it slides into the slot with light resistance. Test the fit often — remove it, check for high spots (they will show as shiny areas where the saddle touched), and sand those spots. Once it fits, install it, string the guitar, and measure action at the 12th fret. If it is too high, you can sand the top of the saddle down slightly. If it is too low, you will need a taller saddle and must repeat the fitting.

Adjusting the nut to raise treble-side action

The nut controls action on the first three frets. If your treble strings (high E, B, G) are too low but your bass strings are fine, raising the nut saddle will fix it without changing the bass side. This is a specialized job: the nut slot must be deepened carefully so the string sits higher without binding or buzzing.

Most players send nut work to a repair shop because a mistake ruins the nut and costs $50 to $100 to replace. If you want to do it yourself, you need nut files (expensive and hard to find) and steady hands. The process is: remove the nut by gently tapping it out from the side, sand the bottom of the nut to raise it, or file the slots deeper to lower the strings into a taller nut. Either way, the nut must sit flat in its slot or the strings will buzz.

A simpler option is to replace the nut with a taller one. Measure the nut width, height, and depth, then order a replacement. Fit it the same way you would fit a bridge saddle: sand it until it slides into the slot with light resistance, then file or sand the string slots to the correct depth. This takes an hour or two and costs $20 to $50 in materials.

Measuring action correctly before and after

Action is measured at the 12th fret because that is where the strings are furthest from the fretboard (the frets curve slightly). Use a straightedge long enough to span the entire fretboard — a metal ruler or a dedicated fretboard straightedge works. Place it flat across all the frets from the first to the last, then measure the gap between the bottom of each string and the top of the 12th fret with a ruler or digital caliper.

Measure the bass side (low E and A strings) and treble side (high E and B strings) separately. Standard action on an acoustic guitar is 2.0 to 2.5 mm on the bass side and 1.5 to 2.0 mm on the treble side. Electric guitars run lower: 1.5 to 2.0 mm bass and 1.0 to 1.5 mm treble. Classical guitars are higher: 2.5 to 3.0 mm bass and 2.0 to 2.5 mm treble. Write down your starting measurement, make your adjustment, then measure again to confirm the change.

When to raise action and when to leave it alone

Raise action if your strings buzz against the frets when you play normally, especially on the lower frets. Buzzing usually means action is too low. Raising it stops the buzz and improves tone because the strings vibrate more freely. You may also want higher action for fingerstyle playing, where your fingers need clearance to move under the strings without hitting the fretboard.

Do not raise action just because someone told you to. Higher action makes the guitar harder to play — your fingers have to press harder and travel farther. If your action is already 2.5 mm or higher on an electric guitar, raising it further will make playing uncomfortable. If you have a new guitar and the action feels high, measure it first. Many guitars ship with action that is already higher than necessary, and you may want to lower it instead.

If your guitar buzzes only on certain frets or only when you play hard, the problem may not be action — it may be a bent neck, a high fret, or a loose fret. Raising action across the board will not fix a bent neck. Have a repair shop check the neck straightness before you adjust the bridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I raise action?

Raise it by 0.5 to 1 mm at a time and play the guitar before raising it more. Most players find 2.0 to 2.5 mm on the bass side comfortable on an acoustic guitar. Electric guitars usually play best at 1.5 to 2.0 mm. If you raise it too much, the guitar becomes hard to play and you will have to lower it again.

Can I raise action on a guitar with a fixed bridge?

Yes. Acoustic guitars with fixed bridges can be shimmed under the bridge or fitted with a taller saddle. Both methods work, but a shim is faster and a new saddle looks cleaner. A shim is also reversible if you change your mind later, though removing it requires ungluing the bridge again.

Will raising action hurt my guitar?

No, raising action does not damage the guitar if you do it carefully. Shimming or replacing a saddle is safe. Turning bridge screws on an electric guitar is safe. Removing and refitting a nut or bridge requires care to avoid cracking the wood, but the adjustment itself is harmless.

How long does it take to raise action?

Adjusting bridge screws on an electric guitar takes 10 to 15 minutes. Shimming an acoustic bridge takes 30 minutes to an hour if you already have a shim. Replacing a bridge saddle or nut takes 1 to 3 hours because fitting the new piece to the slot requires careful sanding. If you send the work to a repair shop, expect 1 to 2 weeks and a cost of $50 to $150 depending on the method.

What if I raise action too much?

Lower it by reversing the adjustment. Turn bridge screws counterclockwise, remove the shim and re-glue the bridge without it, or sand the saddle top down. If you have already replaced the nut or saddle, you can sand the top of the new piece to lower action, or order a shorter replacement piece.