How do you lower action?

[Silver Hammer]

I have a Ibanez GSR200 if that helps. My action is pretty high (got it that way from a guitarist) and its been annoying me because it makes it harder to tap and slap which are two things I've been trying to learn. I know you can bring it to a tech and have them adjust it for you but well that would probably cost almost as much as paid for it ($100) and I don't particularly like this bass so I don't want to put money into it. Its my first bass and I'd rather save that money for a better one to replace it. So any one want to help me out and inform me about lowering my action?

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by Silver Hammer

I have a Ibanez GSR200 if that helps. My action is pretty high (got it that way from a guitarist) and its been annoying me because it makes it harder to tap and slap which are two things I've been trying to learn. I know you can bring it to a tech and have them adjust it for you but well that would probably cost almost as much as paid for it ($100) and I don't particularly like this bass so I don't want to put money into it. Its my first bass and I'd rather save that money for a better one to replace it. So any one want to help me out and inform me about lowering my action?

Well, first you need to make sure the relief is within tolerance. If the relief is within tolerance, and there are no mechanical problems with the instrument, you simply lower or raise the bridge saddles to your personal preference.

That's it!! There ain't no more. Put in a more understandable way, there is ONLY ONE action height adjustment in the setup procedure!! All of the other adjustments, other than intonation, are only preparing the neck geometry for the final action height adjustment.

Josh worded it the best that I've heard: The playability of a bass is the accumulation, or sum, of all the adjustments.

Practically, lower or raise the bridge saddles for the preferred string height. If you have buzzing at that height, perform the adjustments necessary to clear up the buzzing.

If it buzzes at the first few notes or the middle of the neck, increase the relief. If it buzzes on the highest notes, increase the saddle height. If it buzzes on random frets, fret dressing may (probably will) be needed.

[WayneP]

To start, you have to get the neck adjusted as flat as possible – if not, that can limit how far you can lower the strings. I adjusted mine myself, with info I Googled.

With both my basses I couldn’t get the action low enough with the saddles all the way down, so I sanded them thinner. You can only do that with the flat-bottom saddles, not the rounded ones.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

[ibnzneksrul]

Originally Posted by pkr2

That's it!! There ain't no more. Put in a more understandable way, there is ONLY ONE action height adjustment in the setup procedure!!

Well.... almost.

I had to resurface/shim the neck pocket of my GSR to get the action right. But that procedure is not for the noob or faint of heart.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by ibnzneksrul

Well.... almost.

I had to resurface/shim the neck pocket of my GSR to get the action right. But that procedure is not for the noob or faint of heart.

Resetting the neck angle with a shim is really more like a repair than a part of routine setup.

I don't believe any of the manufacturers even mention it as a part of general setup.

[Jo6Pak]

Originally Posted by WayneP

To start, you have to get the neck adjusted as flat as possible

As pkr2 stated above, if the neck is TOO flat, it may buzz in the low and mid registers. Some relief is desirable.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by WayneP

To start, you have to get the neck adjusted as flat as possible – if not, that can limit how far you can lower the strings. I adjusted mine myself, with info I Googled.



Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

"To start, you have to get the neck adjusted as flat as possible – if not, that can limit how far you can lower the strings."

I'm sorry but that statement is incorrect. A perfectly flat neck will buzz terribly in the first few frets unless one has a touch that is extremely light.

A neck should be adjusted to a very slight forward bow (relief) that is only a few thousandths of an inch but it makes a huge difference in the playability.


"With both my basses I couldn’t get the action low enough with the saddles all the way down, so I sanded them thinner. You can only do that with the flat-bottom saddles, not the rounded ones."

The accepted remedy with a bolt on neck is to simply remove the neck and place a shim in the neck pocket.

What you describe will work but it's called a "destructive repair" and as such is shunned by professional repair people.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

As pkr2 stated above, if the neck is TOO flat, it may buzz in the low and mid registers. Some relief is desirable.

Sorry to be redundant, Joe. We were typing at the same time.

[WayneP]

Originally Posted by pkr2

"To start, you have to get the neck adjusted as flat as possible – if not, that can limit how far you can lower the strings."

I'm sorry but that statement is incorrect. A perfectly flat neck will buzz terribly in the first few frets unless one has a touch that is extremely light.

A neck should be adjusted to a very slight forward bow (relief) that is only a few thousandths of an inch but it makes a huge difference in the playability.

Hmm... Looks straight to me – guess you can’t tell a few thousandths by sighting down the neck.

"With both my basses I couldn’t get the action low enough with the saddles all the way down, so I sanded them thinner. You can only do that with the flat-bottom saddles, not the rounded ones."

The accepted remedy with a bolt on neck is to simply remove the neck and place a shim in the neck pocket.

I was under the impression that physically decoupling the neck from the body like that would hurt sustain. In any event, one of them is a neck-through, so that was about the only choice. Can’t say it had a negative effect on either bass. Playability was greatly enhanced compared to higher strings.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

[ReedSpacer]

After adjusting the neck relief and/or bridge saddle height, you should always check the intonation and tweak it if necessary. This is the fore/aft adjustment of the bridge saddles, i.e. moving them closer to or farther away from the nut. The generally accepted procedure is to set each saddle so a note played at the twelfth fret is precisely in tune (although an octave higher of course) with the same string played open. You need a sensitive tuner, or an incredibly good ear, to do this properly.