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Freddie Green Action Height - Confirmation

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petterse...@shure.com

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Jul 28, 2006, 10:53:05 AM7/28/06
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The guitars of Freddie Green, two Strombergs and a Gretsch, remain with
the Green family. The guitars have not been played or altered since
Freddie passed in 1987, though they are well-maintained.

Recently, a member of the family kindly provided this information,
taken directly from two of the three guitars:

Low E-string diameter/type: .056 bronze (Gibson and D'Addario strings
were in the cases)
Low E-string height above the fretboard at the 12th fret: 7/16" (11mm)

Photos of the guitars and of Freddie performing with this stratospheric
action may be viewed at: http://www.freddiegreen.org

Michael Pettersen

Joe Finn

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Jul 28, 2006, 11:07:57 AM7/28/06
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<petterse...@shure.com> wrote in message
news:1154098384....@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

Thanks, Michael. That's very interesting and confirms pretty much what we
thought was the case. The sound he got was his alone.

It's great that the family acknowledges the interest that people have in
things like this. It's very specific information if you think about it. And
probably not of interest to most. Thanks again. .........joe

--
Visit me on the web www.JoeFinn.net
>


pmfan57

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Jul 28, 2006, 11:21:46 AM7/28/06
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I'm getting cramps just looking at it.

Mark Guest

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Jul 28, 2006, 11:50:13 AM7/28/06
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My first guitar had similar action and string guage. Didn't help me a
*bit*.

My hat is off to Mr. Green's muscular (and musical) prowess.

Pat Smith

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Jul 28, 2006, 1:52:47 PM7/28/06
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That's a really nice website. Thanks!!!

tomb...@jhu.edu

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Jul 28, 2006, 3:02:59 PM7/28/06
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petterse...@shure.com wrote:
>
> Low E-string height above the fretboard at the 12th fret: 7/16" (11mm)

Holy smokes! You sure it's not a Silvertone? No wonder he only played
one-note chords. With that kind of action it took all his hand strength
just to hold down the one string.

Tim McNamara

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Jul 28, 2006, 4:33:09 PM7/28/06
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In article <1154113379.2...@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
"tomb...@jhu.edu" <tomb...@jhu.edu> wrote:

Well three note chords of remarkable sophistication. As I understand
it, Freddie never went electric so he may have needed an action like
that to be able to lay loud enough to be heard.

Chip L

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Jul 28, 2006, 6:50:53 PM7/28/06
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My jazz instructor, Dr. LH Dickert, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
did his doctorial dissertation on Freddie Green. He measured his
guitar and told me you could slide a pencil under the strings.

Chip L

Mark Cleary

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Jul 28, 2006, 11:37:12 PM7/28/06
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I knew it was high but not quite that high. I can say with real ease that I
could dress his frets and set the neck and never worry if I did a good job
of getting it to not rattle. That is a repairmans dream for doing fret work.
How exact to you need to be, well just make sure it does not fret-out with
1/2 inch action.


--
Mark Cleary
Hollenbeck Jazz Guitars the Finest
Handcarved Jazz Guitars
http://members.cox.net/ruthster/hollenbeck/

<petterse...@shure.com> wrote in message
news:1154098384....@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

Joey Goldstein

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Jul 28, 2006, 11:46:57 PM7/28/06
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If only I still had my very 1st guitar, a Stella.
It was set up just like that, with Black Diamond strings.
I coulda been a Freddie Green!

--
Joey Goldstein
http://www.joeygoldstein.com
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca

Tone

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Jul 29, 2006, 12:46:07 AM7/29/06
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You'd think a dobro/resonator guitar would have met the volume
requirement w/a lot less pounds per square inch of finger pressure.

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