I tried my teachers bass a few days ago and was amazed not only with the sound but with the ease of playability - it realy made my playwood Hofner sound and feel like a toy. I must say that I expected my teachers bass to sound that much better than mine but am trying to figure out what factors make it feel much better. The action on my bass is considerably lower than his but the combination of his action and the tension on his strings made his bass just as easy if not easier to play. My question is what factors contribute to the feel of the bass (I am also specifically interested in what effects the tension of the strings)? This is a list of what I can think of - I wonder if anyone can comment or add to this list:

bridge height
positioning and straightness of bridge
type and age of strings
humidity on that particular day
thinckness and shape of neck
shape and consistancy of fingerboard
material used in fingerboard
Sound of bass (maybe the great tone I was hearing from the bass made it feel beter as well)

thanks

Wes

In addition to bridge height, the height of the nut is a factor, as well as the angle of the neck. I know some luthiers that will put either a shim in the neck to change the angle, or a block of wood down by the saddle. Either way will affect the string tension.