Is there a case for higher action?

[bolophonic]

I like higher action. Everything that has been mentioned here factors into my preference.

[bumperbass]

Higher action isn't something that a beginning player wants, at least that's how it was for me. Over the years, I have found that I like higher action..not WAY higher action. Sometimes I like to play with a harder attack and you can't play enthusiastically with low action; at least not without tons of string buzz and fret clank. I get a truer tone with higher action.

[Phalex]

I know guy that is a monster player. The guy fabulous. I've sat in with his band and played his bass several times, and I hate it! He uses really light gauge strings and his action is set so low that the strings seem to lie right on the fret board. I get lots of fret noise and buzzing, but nothing overly musical.

Action is a very personal thing IMO.

[StyleOverShow]

Agree with Jazz Ad that higher action improves tone, gives string somewhere to vibrate & fret noise is reduced. Have one ebg with low action, use as required

[two fingers]

Yep. My TB name comes from the fact that my tone comes from my two plucking fingers. I tend to drop the hammer pretty good. Don't get me wrong. I understand dynamics and and love to make thing so quiet that the crowd wonders what happened to the band. But when it kicks in, I let my fingers do all the work. Most bassists pick up my main bass and the first thing they say is "How the heck do you play this thing so high?" My answer? "Really hard."

Not saying my way is better. It just works for me. I have a bass set up low for tappity slappity stuff too but that's bedroom jam stuff to me. I have known musicians for decades that have no idea that I can tap full songs by myself. It just never came up at a real gig. One of these days I'm going to pull out my low action bass and whip out some "Yesterday" or "Charlie Brown Theme" or (my favorite) the piano part to "Faithfully" by Journey. The look on their faces will be priceless. I can hear it now. "Why haven't you been doing that stuff all along?????"

[darkstorm]

Only if you really like that for playing feel and sound imo. Myself I find it terrible on both counts.

[GK Growl]

Action is personal. Is there a case for higher action?? Depends is my answer. What is your playing style and desired tone? For me, I like medium set ups on all my basses because I play a wide variety of styles. I play pick, fingers, some slap, and some thumb (Sting style) and medium seems to keep the dynamics consistent overall to me.