setup for "hard to play" bass

[sir juice]

I stayed at a friends house for a week recently, without my bass, all there was to play there was an old japanese thing with very high action. After coming back, playing on something with a good setup improved my playing enormously.

My plan is to setup my old squier affinity P as my "practice bass", using it for all "by myself" playing except intonation exercises.

It's the same idea as the buddha rope, except I want it to work so I can hear notes and actually play music.

I want it as close to an upright as possible.

What I've thought of so far: Fender 9050 Flatwounds 55-105

And of course, high action.

Any other ideas?

[PunkerTrav]

I'd practice with a really bright string. Flats will hide finger and fret noise from your technique that would otherwise be heard.

[BellBottomBlues]

My first basses was an old 60s Jap with really high action (my second was was given to me several hours later in the form of a 58 P-Bass which wasn't much of an improvement) and I learned how to play quickly on that it stopped becoming an issue. When I borrowed a friends bass for a show (with what could be considered medium action) my speed and dexterity quadrupled. At least.

All my basses now have high action, not to build chops, but because thats what I'm comfortable with.

[sir juice]

what high tension bright strings sould anyone recommend? I'd want something as difficult as the 9050s

[BellBottomBlues]

Rotosound Jazz flats are pretty bright when you get them.

[sir juice]

i'm probably gonna stick when the fender strings.

i have a rio grande muy grande P pickup kicking about which i'll put on for cut-through-ability"