how low before too low?

[makanudo]

So im thinking about lowering my action but im not sure what would be a good height, so i figured id ask you guys to see if i can come up with a common height.

Anyway I'd appreciate some advice on lowering the action and how much and all that stuff, also if you can do Centimeters and Milimeters it would be awesome

thx in advance

[sloasdaylight]

Seriously?

Lower it until you can play it well and you don't have problems with intonation or fret clack/buzz. What that level is depends on just about everything except for variations in the orbit of Neptune.

Some basses, like Foderas can be set up with actions as low as 3/64", others need to be higher. If you use a heavier attack it needs to be higher as a general rule, if you play with a lighter touch it can be lower, if you don't like fret noise it needs to be higher, if you do like fret noise it needs to be lower. There is no set answer.

[seanm]

Too low is when the strings are resting on the neck

What bass is it? I always recommend starting with the factory recommended settings. Depending on the bass, when you get it from the store the settings can be way off. Then, if the bass type is new to you, play it a while like that to get used to the bass.

Then tweak to taste!

[GKR1]

Method: holding down the first fret and measuring from top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string; Try these setups, 3.0mm for E and 2.0mm for G. Contour the G an D to the fretboard. This a good start. See how your bass plays, listen for buzzing and see if all upper notes play cleanly, make sure you've just a tad of relief on the neck. Then you can lower it to. 2.5mm and 1.5mm. There are too many variables, string type, tension, etc.... for an optimum action. You might even have to shim the neck, you never know. When your plugged in sounds muted you are to low, acoustically I like my basses to play clean even digging a little hard.

I play with pick mostly and dig in with fingers so my action is at 3.0mm for E and 2.0mm for G.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Go to a music store, grab different basses with similar strings as Yours one by one and start comparing. When You find a suitable one, thake some measurements (relief, string height etc.) and replicate that on your own bass.

Some of us play really hard, dig in, use thick picks etc. Unless there's quite a bit of relief and string height, the arc of the vibrating string is obstructed with a fret, one or several of them. Result is ultimately no sound and/or sustain, just a clank.

Some of us have a feather touch and there's very little or no relief, and the strings nearly touch the frets. Still they're able to play without any string buzz.

All of us are either in the extreme ends or somewhere in between .

Regards
Sam

[makanudo]

so if im having a bit of buzz at the 1st fret what went wrong?

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by makanudo

so if im having a bit of buzz at the 1st fret what went wrong?

Asking a question like this is tantamount to asking "My finger hurts. What's wrong?" It's largely impossible to say without seeing the instrument.

Here's how you should progress with your setup:

1. Adjust your neck to where it's mostly straight. A little relief (between .006"-.009") is ok.

2. Inspect your nut - when fretting the string at the 3rd fret, the string should just barely (around .001"-.003") clear the first fret. If it's higher than this, you'll need to cut it down. Leave this to a pro if you don't feel comfortable/have the right tools.

3. Adjust your bridge to the proper height. On a bass, this can range anywhere from .075" to .050", depending on string tension, fret condition, how you play, etc.

[PBass101]

How low you go depends on your technique and the quality of the setup of your bass. I get my neck almost straight, my E string slightly above 1mm above the 20th fret and the G string roughly .8 or .9mm above the 20th fret - it's hard to tell exactly. I only get a touch of uneven fret buzz but I blame that on the guys who installed my Status neck not doing a very good job checking for fret levelness or doing much of a setup at all to begin with.

I'm taking it into a place to get a total fret dress and I'm fairly sure that I'll be able to play without much fret buzz at all - but I've also spent quite a while tailoring my technique to suit this kind of super-low action. I sort of pop the strings off the fretboard ala Entwistle or Geddy Lee and an action much higher than this only makes it harder on my fingers to get that same percussive sound.

Lower your action, adjust your technique, and then gradually lower it some more over a period of time while continuing to adjust for technique. If you have problems with alot of fret buzz, consider getting a pro fret dress.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Here's how you should progress with your setup:

1. Adjust your neck to where it's mostly straight.

2. Inspect your nut

this, and this.

You have to have a straight neck and a low nut before you can get low action, no matter how much you play around with the bridge height.

[Hugh Jass]

To set the relief I put a capo on the first fret and then fret the last fret (20-24 depending on the bass). At the approximate middle of the neck (~8-9th fret) I go for somewhere around 1mm of space between the strings and the fret. If the frets are really level you can go as close as the thickness of a business card. Adjust bridge saddle height to taste and you should be set.

I pretty much always play fingerstyle but I set mine up to work with a pick as well.

[makanudo]

i think ineed to straighten up the neck a lil bit, i thinks its because of the weather getting colder because wheni got it it wasnt as bent.. thanksd for the advice guys

[JustDavid]

That'll happen. As the seasons change the air's moisture content changes. The wood of the neck follows this & will become more or less flexible.