• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

High action vs. Low

#61
Clanking and fret buzz doesnt need to happen if you dont want it to. Some players use it and it ends up being part of their tone. Others dont and may set a higher action to completely eliminate it.

With proper technique and a light touch, the ability to play cleanly with low action can be attained, while still being able to get an aggressive, clanky/buzzy tone if needed.

Also bear to mind that a lot of that buzz and clank tends to actually get lost in a full band setting as well...so if your playing isnt COMPLETELY quiet, don't fret! :bassist:

Oh, and for the record, the action of my Bongo is at about 2 mm at the 12th fret.
 
#63
Epitaph04 said:
Clanking and fret buzz doesnt need to happen if you dont want it to. Some players use it and it ends up being part of their tone. Others dont and may set a higher action to completely eliminate it.

With proper technique and a light touch, the ability to play cleanly with low action can be attained, while still being able to get an aggressive, clanky/buzzy tone if needed.

Also bear to mind that a lot of that buzz and clank tends to actually get lost in a full band setting as well...so if your playing isnt COMPLETELY quiet, don't fret! :bassist:

Oh, and for the record, the action of my Bongo is at about 2 mm at the 12th fret.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this info! It does bring another question to mind though.....if you are a person that really dislikes the clanking and buzzing can this be dealt with in editing and mixing? I mean, I am doing everything I can to eliminate it with proper technique and set up but can it be taken out after the fact?
 
#64
I think it's a matter of choice mainly dependent on style of music and attack. Since I play a lot of blues and r&b/soul music I play finger-style with a very light to medium touch and and as a result I prefer a very low action.

Some of what I play would be very hard to do on a PBass with very high action. I've played a few and it's enough of a distraction that I need to change my approach and usually play less. I have fairly large hands but short fingers so I don't get as much leverage as I like it the action is too high.

Tonally I can't hear much of a difference. When I change my setup I adjust the pickup height to find the sweet spot and I would think anyone could do that with the action set high or low. The difference in the distance between the string and the pickup are going to be similar.
 
#65
Brandi23 said:
Thanks for this info! It does bring another question to mind though.....if you are a person that really dislikes the clanking and buzzing can this be dealt with in editing and mixing? I mean, I am doing everything I can to eliminate it with proper technique and set up but can it be taken out after the fact?
Click to expand...

Probably, although I really am no expert with recording. You could possibly cut some of the "high" highs to eliminate some clank in the recording, or you could also mess with a compressor to even your attack so you dont have to dig in so much, and therefore avoid buzz/clank.
 
#67
Question for you guys with a light touch: I play with a medium - heavy touch and would like to lighten it up. I've tried and tried but I always seem play heavy when I am not conscience of it. I turn my amp up so that I stay light because I don't want to be loud, but it only gets heavy again when I play along with songs and when I'm doing this it doesn't bother me that I'm playing loud, in fact, I think I like it. I also play harder the quicker I play.

Does anyone have any tips on how to permanently lighten a touch?
 
#69
I often do my own setups and, maybe it's just my playing technique (good or bad), but I feel like I get more funky "thump" with a slightly higher action (nearly 3 mm on the low E at the 12th fret). I can dig in, ghost and be more percussive. When I lower the action I gain quicker access to notes, but I lose that percussive feel I like. So, for me, "high vs low action" is synonymous to "notes vs feel."
 
#70
Operation Skye said:
Thanks for this info! It does bring another question to mind though.....if you are a person that really dislikes the clanking and buzzing can this be dealt with in editing and mixing? I mean, I am doing everything I can to eliminate it with proper technique and set up but can it be taken out after the fact?
Click to expand...

Not really, you can roll off the highs to get rid of some of it but you lose a lot of definition in the process imo. On the other hand I like some fret buzz for some grit which you can't add after the fact either.
 
#71
Matthew_84 said:
Question for you guys with a light touch: I play with a medium - heavy touch and would like to lighten it up. I've tried and tried but I always seem play heavy when I am not conscience of it. I turn my amp up so that I stay light because I don't want to be loud, but it only gets heavy again when I play along with songs and when I'm doing this it doesn't bother me that I'm playing loud, in fact, I think I like it. I also play harder the quicker I play.

Does anyone have any tips on how to permanently lighten a touch?
Click to expand...

I also play with a pretty heavy touch. I just broke all of my fingers and now my touch is as light as ever! Problem fixed! :hiding: :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: merseymale
#72
Bruce Lindfield said:
I must admit that I don't understand most of this at all. Fistly, what do you mean by "the compensation" ? The rest makes no sense at all to me as it doesn't fit in with my experience of playing hundreds of different basses, but I'm keeping an open mind on this.

As to intonation - OK, hold down a 3-note chord at 12th fret or just above. Now play each note individually, while checking the intonation with a tuner. Is each note spot-on with the tuner?
Click to expand...


I agree that you can, on most basses, get the action too low as to where you run into intonation problems. The position of the frets, takes into account the tension increase when fretting to attain correct intonation. If action is too low, the tension rise will not be sufficient and the note will be a little flat.
Rocky
 
#73
I adjust each string to 1/8" from top of fret to bottom of string at the 12th fret, with the neck as straight as possible. The G string is a smidge closer, maybe by 1/32. If there is string buzz, I get it out by adding relief to the neck (unstraightening), and lowering the strings at the bridge saddles until they are right again. Twelfth-fret tuning must also be correct, as well as pickup height. The most valuable tool in my bag is a ruler.

I don't know if this constitutes high action or not, because this works for me, and I find my basses easy to play. I also know in an instant if my action is out. I always check this before a gig or a recording session. Whenever a friend of mine asks me to set up an instrument, this is what they get, and they love it.

There has to be a proper balance between tension and effort: It can't be too easy or too hard.
 
#75
Matthew_84 said:
Question for you guys with a light touch: I play with a medium - heavy touch and would like to lighten it up. I've tried and tried but I always seem play heavy when I am not conscience of it. I turn my amp up so that I stay light because I don't want to be loud, but it only gets heavy again when I play along with songs and when I'm doing this it doesn't bother me that I'm playing loud, in fact, I think I like it. I also play harder the quicker I play.

Does anyone have any tips on how to permanently lighten a touch?
Click to expand...

You can start by playing very light, barely touching the strings. Trying to create bell tone harmonics and such up and down the strings and string to string. Not fretting the strings, just touching each to create various harmonics & bell tones everywhere up and down the strings.

Then continue by changing attitude. Pay attention as you play along with stuff instead of forgetting as your doing now. Also remember light touch makes for less finger wear, less fretboard wear, and overall more finasse and control. If your holding a note dont press finger or worse grind string into fret or fretboard as you hold it. Reward yourself with little treat of some kind after a session of playing lightly for fretting.
 
#76
Edward G. said:
I adjust each string to 1/8" from top of fret to bottom of string at the 12th fret, with the neck as straight as possible.
Click to expand...

1/8" is about 3.2mm
This is, in my opinion, a med. high action. A good normal action.
2.0 mm is very low, only a very good, straight neck with good frets could be played this low, using a light touch
3.5 - 4.0 mm is a high action, very playable and well suited for aggressive playing technique.
These measurements would assume a relief of about .015" on the 9th fret.
I keep my favorite bass with about 2.5 mm action with TI Jazz Flats, I have a pretty lite touch and will not tolerate any fret buzz.
Rocky
 
#77
I set my basses at 5/64" - barely under 2mm. I play with my fingers and usually hit the strings hard. I love the fret clank, consider it part of my sound. But, I can also ease up and avoid it, if I wish. In those instances, I typically play with just my index finger. I change the angle of attack with just one finger. Generally, I keep my wrist straight, fingers very slightly bent, and hit the strings toward the body. With one finger, I bend my wrist, curl my finger, and hit the strings parallel to the body. I think it's easier to play with low action, as the left fingers have less wasted movement.
 
#78
For some reason, I get most of my clanks plucking with my index finger (almost never with my middle finger). I think I just get too excited. My tone is better when both fingers pluck with equal intensity. I'm also working on developing a light touch.

It's something I'm paying attention to. I pass it along in case it might help.

Operation Skye said:
I thought I liked low action until I figured out that the annoying clanking noises weren't supposed to be happening! Im not sure if it's technique so I am working on that end but I just sent one of my basses out to be set up properly. If it goes well I plan to send the other two out also! I am a fairly new player and all of my basses were purchased through ebay so I didn't get to try them out first. It will be nice to see what a properly set up bass feels like! If the clanking continues then it is probably safe to say that it is my technique!
Click to expand...
 
#80
Rocky McDougall said:
Where are you measuring your string clearance? How much relief?
Click to expand...

I follow my Fender manual's specs. They advise string clearance at the 12th fret to be 3/32", +/- 1/64". I like low action, so I use the lowest setting. I don't like too much bow, and I don't like my necks to be perfectly straight, either. According to the manual, recommended relief is .012" - .022". I set mine right in the middle at .017". I set up all of my basses using these figures.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back