Big bad bridges

Ok I have a les paul style guitar which has the neck set at a slight angle to the body this makes the strings fairly high off of the body by the time they reach the bridge.
Anyway this makes fast playing and palm mutes MUCH harder to do and I've tried adjusting my technique every way I could think of and no go.

so I was wondering has anyone ever found this too be a problem and tried to fix it by pasting something to the body to rest your hand on?
If so what works best.

I found taping objects looks bad and they fall off easily anyone please help it's driving me nuts. :confused:

I never rest my hand anywhere unless I have to palm mute, then obviously I rest them on the string :)

I use my right hand pinky as an anchor on the guitar just below the high e string. That gives me control without having to rest my arm/hand anywhere. It also helps my mute the high e when I want to.

Some can't play using an anchor, it just feel natural to me. You just let it go when you want to strum.

Get a different guitar, have your current guitar modified, or prepare to do some serious woodshedding. Those are the only three options. Personally, I think option two is the most cost-effective. High action is anathema to good rock guitar--so ditch it.

I understand what you're saying... High action isn't really your problem. It's more the fact that the compensated bridge of the Gibson style guitars are too far off the body of the guitar to rest your hand on... Gotchya...

Just another reason I don't play Gibsons...


But one option would be to get used to resting your forearm on the guitar instead of your wrist... People that play Les Pauls generally rest their forearms on the edge of the guitar and get most of their leverage from there... Rather than having a contact point at the wrist like most other shredders that play double cut straight neck style guitars... This is one reason why you don't see shred guitar players playing these types of guitars... Simply, they're not built for it... That makes it that much more amazing that Zakk Wylde can play a Gibson the way he does... Most people don't realize that...

Practicing and getting use to the guitar is about the best thing that you can do... You can try putting something on the body but 1. it's going to look tacky either way you go about it... 2. it's going to have to taped on really good which will make it look even worse.... haha...

In the end it's up to you... but I think you've found why Gibsons aren't shred machines!

i play a les paul type guitar. i find i rest the part of my palm that is attahed to my thumb, call it the thumb pad, on the metal edge of the bridge. a bit above than the part the strings pass over. as i play the higher stings (towards the high e) i move my hands down the bridge covering more and more of the strings, (the onesi am not playing).

hop thishelps the explantion is a bit rushed.

yeah it's not the action I was talking about to it's the neck to body set angle. Ive bought double sided tape already for some kind of thing I could attach to the body but everything seems as some you said "tacky" it's a cool guitar it plays well and sounds good but I just can't seem to adjust from my Jackson shred machine to this, but i don't want to have to set it aside for purely non shred type playing, nor do I want to taint the coolness of this guitar. But It seems that I may have to. :(

Originally Posted by: force_of_shredyeah it's not the action I was talking about to it's the neck to body set angle. Ive bought double sided tape already for some kind of thing I could attach to the body but everything seems as some you said "tacky" it's a cool guitar it plays well and sounds good but I just can't seem to adjust from my Jackson shred machine to this, but i don't want to have to set it aside for purely non shred type playing, nor do I want to taint the coolness of this guitar. But It seems that I may have to. :(

I understand that the high action isn't the cause, but rather a symptom of the angle. But...it just doesn't seem like there is much you can do in this case beyond taking it to a good music shop and getting it modded.

oh yeah sorry but in my original question I forgot to mention that this problem mostly just happens when standing up.

I'm not sure that makes much difference to your replies or not though. :cool:

Originally Posted by: force_of_shredoh yeah sorry but in my original question I forgot to mention that this problem mostly just happens when standing up.

I'm not sure that makes much difference to your replies or not though. :cool:

Strap the guitar on higher?

i guess i dont hae this problem cos i learnt how to play and still play a les paul type guitar, so i guess i just got used to it.

yeah playing with it strapped higher works the same as sitting for me, as in id use my actual palm for "palm mutes" instead of my right pinkie finger which is how id normally play standing up.

however i think I've found something interesting.It only takes like a one millimeter lift off the body to solve this problem. I stuck a piece of very thin black foam and it seems to make a world of difference, but still ain't the greatest.

Another thing I think is interesting is that I believe that those sweat bands that James Hetfield has switched to recently(the thicker ones that have a Metallica logo) would at least in my situation solve the problem, because my arm or wrist really doesn't need to be lifted that much. I'm a fan but id feel to much a wannabe wearing that.
It's so odd that I can't think of something that would fix this problem and even look cool as well,it makes it difficult cause anything pasted to an older wood grain guitar is gonna look lame.

Anyway thanks for all your input guys
If anyone has any other suggestions I'm still looking for something more permanent and cool. :cool:

Originally Posted by: force_of_shredoh yeah sorry but in my original question I forgot to mention that this problem mostly just happens when standing up.

I'm not sure that makes much difference to your replies or not though. :cool:

i cant tell you how hard it was to get used to playing my guild (pretty much a les paul ripoff in body design) when i was playing faster palm muting or lower string work. its simply hard to coordinate where your pick will be because theres very little to stabilize yourself when your picking on the A and E strings. i love my Guild to death, and i shred the piss out of it, but i have noticed that problem as well. i am definitely more comfortable on a strat body becasue of the right hand stabilization factor. i guess you either have the option of learning to deal with it, and capitalize on the les paul's positive features, or simply go play another guitar.

when i rest my hand , i rest it on the bridge and or the rear pickup housing (on my les paul)