Fleas action way to low ?

[fynnpopel]

I dont know if this is the right place or if this has been brought up before, but I just saw this video : http://bassplayer.tv/index.html?req=...yer/flea/flea2

Is his action just waaay too low or where does all this clicking come from ?

[svtb15]

i think its just right for him

[BigDawg]

I wouldn't say that action is too low at all. Flea plays very aggressive.

[Beavinator]

He is, after all, playing without an amp, so he's gotta be digging in super hard. To get that sound "acoustic" from a video camera takes some hard playing...

[Bluesdog]

He's a great player isn't he,


He's playing hard to get some sound acousticly and he's being recorded acousticly also.

His action is probably fine for amplified playing , but in this case his extra agression is making a bit of noise.

I love his style though.

[koentje_bassist]

+1 flea's digging it!

[FunkyMonkCP]

Flea's action on his live basses measures 3/64" on the bass side and 2/64" on the treble side. So yeah, that's pretty damn low.

[Planet Boulder]

Cool to see him playing a Sterling.

[DocBop]

I was never that much of a Flea fan in the past, because I main had only heard all the clicky-clacky slap he does. But those videos are really cool some real nice bass buried in that Pepper CD.

I also like in his interview about the about he mentions he's been reading theory books and that why he is doing more double-stops. Show theory isn't just a bunch of rules to follow its ideas to help expand your playing.

Thanks for the link, I'm becoming more of a Flea fan now.

[Brass Nut]

Old addage;
"Proof is in the pudding".
He makes money.
Case closed.

[ibnzneksrul]

The dude can play.

[steve21]

Nice MM...

[pretaanluxis]

Originally Posted by Beavinator

He is, after all, playing without an amp, so he's gotta be digging in super hard.

There is no way I could get this much acoustic noise out of my bass

[FunkyMonkCP]

Originally Posted by pretaanluxis

There is no way I could get this much acoustic noise out of my bass

I set up my bass's action to the same as Flea's and I can get it to sound as loud as in that video. Seems to help with the strings pretty low.

[Figjam]

He used a sterling a lot for the new cd. He has low action and an aggressive technique. You just dont hear the buzzing as much when he is plugged in.

[FunkyMonkCP]

I read in an interview he used is '61 jazz on the whole cd. And all the songs sound like the '61 jazz.

[Scott in Dallas]

The clicking is intentional, it's percussive. The buzzing is the sign of low action and as long as it's not audible through an amplifier it doesn't hurt anything.

[Bassist4Life]

Originally Posted by BigDawg

I wouldn't say that action is too low at all. Flea plays very aggressive.

+1 Yea. Flea whomps on his strings. I think he calls it "playing with conviction".

Joe

[FunkyMonkCP]

Originally Posted by Bassist4Life

+1 Yea. Flea whomps on his strings. I think he calls it "playing with conviction".

Joe

One question though, isn't 3/64" on bass and 2/64" on treble pretty low? Isn't that considered super low action?

[keb]

Geddy Lee's approach is similar (low action + aggressive fingerstyle technique). There's a bit on the R30 DVD (or is it the Rush In Rio, one of those two...) where he's practicing unplugged and you can hear him whacking away on the strings.

It's my preferred method as well. When I was first starting on bass, I was always kinda frustrated that I couldn't get that aggressive tone that a lot of my favorite players had. Until I realized I just had to lower my action a little and play a little harder, and bingo, there it was. Sure you get some buzzes and rattles, but it's not sloppy when it's done on purpose.