Fretless players: what’s your string height?

On mine I lower the strings until they buzz a little, then raise them a smidge. No measuring required. It works perfectly for me.

 

That's exactly how I set up fretted basses too. Works like a charm.

 

I like my strings on the other side of the neck for fretless, but I don't mind a little buzz. I also keep my neck pretty straight, just a tiny bit of relief. Fretless players tend to embrace the buzz a bit more that fretted players, but other wise it's the same exact process and measurements.

 

SH on the ABG that sits by my desk is a little under 1/4" at the octave - maybe 7/32's+. All strings.

 

...which works well, OP: by 'feel' instead of by arbitrary. numbers mean nothing except in the context of feel. what numbers will show you, however, is how un-flat your neck is.

how are you measuring 64ths? what device(s)? thanks.

 

My string height is about the same on fretted vs fretless. I am in the low camp. Measured at the 12th, 1.8mm~ on the G to 2.0~ on the E. I do have less relief on my fretless than my fretted though. My fretless has maybe .010" at the 7-9 range. A lot of players get buzz on my bass but I don't think I have that light of a touch.

I should add that the nut height and having a level board make a HUGE difference when it comes to a great playing fretless bass.

That bass could probably use a visit to the tech. "High" action is in the 2.5mm range.

 

I use to obsess about low action (less than 2 business cards) & mwah on my Fretless bass until I started playing Double Bass. That really strengthens your hands & changes your approach. I like a medium action now to closer mimic DB tone, growl, feel, clack, slap, etc with mwah tone optional.

 

Mine is low enough to buzz when I want it to; and still growl and mwah for days. My neck is almost flat, and I just had it plek'd by Keith Roscoe ( it's one of his basses). I've found that number values matter on fretted basses, but fretless is more about feel than anything else.

 

seems like you've got it goin' on! so, i forgot: why do you want me to measure mine?

 

Low.

 

Mine are 1.50mm (<4/64") on E and 1.10mm (<3/64") on G at 12. I would say 6/64" is high, and getting lower is not unreasonable provided your fingerboard is well dressed and set reasonably flat.

 

Scales are wonderful things, now if we can just get him to reduce his fractions?

 

Technique doesn't really factor into it at all. You can set your strings as low or as high as you like regardless of your level of skill. They are two totally independent things.

There are people with high technical proficiency who like their action very low and people with no technical proficiency who like their action very high. It's only a matter of preference and doesn't matter much at all beyond making sure your bass is set up the way you want it to be.

 

I think the technique necessary to play cleanly and musically with very low action takes some skill. You can set it low and play all clanky but a more skilled bass player can play clean.