High action vs. Low

[phil_chew]

When I first got my Lakland 55-94, the neck was ram-rod straight and the action was low, so much so that there was a little buzzing on certain strings (yes, even on a Lakland). Since I am the type who cannot stand string buzz, I adjusted the relief a little. Maybe it's the way I play. I like to be able to feel the strings when I play.

Some modern bass greats, like Bakhiti Khumalo, likes very high action. To each his own, I suppose.

 

[Bassman0]

Hi all ,

The best way i have found to eliminate fret buzz and annoyance
is to use half rounds probably a medium gauge ..

To eliminate it completely use flatwounds again a medium gauge.. this is a little secret ive learned over the years playing in sessions as well as Rock / Country / Jazz bands all over the world .... At the end of the day its all personal preference dont forget because each player has their own unique tone ... well i would like to think anyway .. so experiment and have fun ,

R

 

[EADG mx]

High action is just uncomfortable and limiting

low is the opposite.


low and light touch for me. I don't "dig in". I don't even know what that means.

 

[cnltb]

I go for a lot higher than I used to( I used to set my B string to 0.5 mm at the 29th fret.) Now I am at about 3.5mm.
I find it sounds better, but that may well be because I checked for the best sounding distance between the strings and the pick up, and decided to just try the higher thing over the board as well rather than just adjusting the pick up.
I like the feel .
I still play real soft.

 

[Jeff Martinez]

Having mine set as low as possible works well for what I do. Unfortunately, I've had to raise mine just a bit until I can rework the frets. My 12th fret is worn down to the point where I get an ugly buzz when I play the C-string on the 12th fret.


Michael Manring's basses have the lowest action I've ever played. The strings practically melt into the fingerboard.

 

[doctorjazz]

I like mine as low as humanly possible. It really makes playing fast runs so much easier. That's another reason I love playing fretless: I can get the action so much lower than on a fretted board.

 

[PilbaraBass]

mine don't have to be "sick low"...but it must be low...

I can't stand high action...feels spongy and icky!

2.5mm on the E-string at the 12th fret is as high as I can stand it...1.5-2mm is more my speed, however...

 

[Vic Winters]

High action makes my hands tired. I can handle low action all day. Easier to slap too. I think high action can sound great, but for me personally, it's too tiring on those long practices/gigs. I think it makes for some good strength and endurance building though.

 

[Sarah5string]

High enough to not buzz.. but low enough to be comfortable.

 

[joelc1319]

High enough to not buzz.. but low enough to be comfortable.

+1

 

[santucci218]

I LIKE MEDIUM! REBEL!

 

[brianh]

What is high and what is low? It's kind of a subjective I think. Different gigs require different setups to some extent.

I find higher action results in a better tone, but there is of course a point where the opposite is true. I feel like a lot of our favorite bass tones (Jamerson, Jaco, Marcus, Chuck Rainey, Will Lee...etc) all resulted from probably not so low action and I generally like to hear guys digging in a bit. However, lots of beautiful (and very different) sounds are made by guys with low action. Some of my favorites are guys like Janek Gwizdala and Matt Garrison.

One thing I have found though is that thicker strings not only sound stronger, but by using them you can have you action lower and still maintain a solid tone. My ideal guages are (G-B): .050, .070, .085, .105, .130.

 

[brachal]

Action height is clearly a matter of personal preference. I like mine as low as I can get it without having too much buzz. I tend to play hard, though, so that isn't super low.

I read an interview with John Entwistle once where he commented that he like the action, "so low it's on the wrong side of the fretboard." His philosophy was that you shouldn't be using your fingers to do your amp's job. Always a light touch and a monster amp ...

It's a shame The Ox isn't still with us.

 

[not_jason]

I keep mine as low as I can get it, but I play hard, and if I refuse to tolerate buzz or compromise my picking technique. As a result, my action is probably what I'd classify as "medium". Last weekend, we had a band up recording, and their bassist kept his action ludicrously low. He played it fine and I never heard any buzz, but I simply could not play it. It got terrible buzz above the 15th fret when I played it, and as often as I play up there, I simply could not play like that.

 

[mikeyswood]

Hi all ,

The best way i have found to eliminate fret buzz and annoyance
is to use half rounds probably a medium gauge ..

To eliminate it completely use flatwounds again a medium gauge.. this is a little secret ive learned over the years playing in sessions as well as Rock / Country / Jazz bands all over the world .... At the end of the day its all personal preference dont forget because each player has their own unique tone ... well i would like to think anyway .. so experiment and have fun ,

R

Wow! How did you find this through seven years of dust?


...and I like it low. I think that you really perfect your touch when it is so sensitive.

 

[nastyn8c]

Low action on my 6. When I get my 5, it will get a medium-low setup. I want the 5 to be a little more aggressive sounding and better for digging in. The 6 for stuff that needs a beautiful, clear sound; the 5 for rock, metal, and hardcore.

 

[Bassman0]

7 years of dust ?

 

[Hemispheres85]

I play aggressively and I prefer medium action. I Like it so that my hands get a work out but not too high that I'll start cramping.

My upright teacher played so much in college with a poorly set up bass that he got bad nerve damage in his shoulder. I like to feel the burn of a good workout on the bass, but not the pain of damaging my body, I'll put it that way.

 

[Lo.]

Michael Henderson tried Jamerson's bass - he said "His strings were dead flatwounds, and his action was so high, you had to get your friend to help you play Bb! "

 

[Pilgrim]

I don't hear any difference at all in tone based on action height. I DO hear differences based on playing technique. For me, a reasonably low action means I have more choices in technique without having to attack the strings hard. It also makes fretting with my left hand MUCH easier in the higher frets (which I don't use much).