Construction: Methods: Action Setup

Setting the Action

Checking the String Height--Click to see full size

Action is the height of the strings above the frets. A dulcimer's ease of playing rests critically on the height of the strings above the frets, or its "action."

Generally, the action at the nut will be just a little higher than the height of the first fret, so there is no buzzing there. Then the height of the saddle is set just a little higher than necessary to avoid any buzzing on the rest of the frets. If the fretboard has been carefully made, that is all there is to action.

You might sometimes find a slight flat area on the tops of some frets. This indicates that the luthier has "joined" the frets to make them more accurately flat with respect to the strings. Joining is the process of leveling the frets with a file, then using a special file called a crowning file to reshape the top of each fret to eliminate the flattened area. This keeps the instrument more accurately in tune and eliminates tiny buzzes that can happen when a string is fretted and buzzes against the fret's flat top. A joined fretboard can also (but not always) indicate that the maker has put the action as low as possible, dressing each fret individually to exactly the same height in order to eliminate buzzing rather than simply raising the action.

Action which is too high can cause an otherwise nicely made instrument to be unplayable, for two reasons. First, it takes more effort to press down the strings. Secondly, the more you have to press the string down, the more you increase the tension. That increase in tension can sharp the note to a surprising degree. The higher the action the more pronounced the sharping. This is an effect of fretting no matter how low the action is, and the process of compensating for it is called "Intonation," our next topic.

Here is a practical method for setting the action.

Dwain Wilder

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