How high is your action and what do you consider low action?

[gre107]

I don't know... I don't think tone comes from action. It comes from your hands, types of wood, electronics etc... and the technique used to acquire it. What it comes down to for me is that I never want to "fight" my instrument when playing so I keep it low and comfortable.

 

[octaverazor]

I didn't say that action is the only thing in the equation. But for me to get the tone that I want I have to, pardon the term, hit the **** out of the strings. I need a higher action for that. And I'm not saying my action is very high just high enough to get a clear note.

 

[octaverazor]

I guess what I'm saying is action allows for my technique.

 

[DigitalMan]

I don't know... I don't think tone comes from action. It comes from your hands, types of wood, electronics etc... and the technique used to acquire it. What it comes down to for me is that I never want to "fight" my instrument when playing so I keep it low and comfortable.

I don't think anyone is saying it comes from the action. I think we are saying it comes from the hands and technique. However some action and techniques are not well suited for each other. That's all.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Action on my fretless is ~5/64 (or ~2mm) on the treble side, ~3/32 (or ~2.4mm) on the bass side. The neck is flat, no relief. Sounds good, is comfortable for me, and rattle freee.

 

[petrus61]

Fender 2011- product manual seems to be all encompassing, recommending 6/64 on both the bass and treble side. They recommend measuring from the top of the 17th fret to the bottom of the string. I set mine up to these specs yesterday and I must say, although I prefer it just a hair lower, it certainly allows more clarity to fretted notes. If I drop my A string much lower than this, it gets a little buzzy starting at about the 8th fret. As of now, at 6/64, it sounds out perfectly.

 

[serviviente7]

my jazz is 4/32 on the e, 3/32 on the A, D, and 2/32 on the G string....measured with a capo at the first fret, where neck meet the body.

 

[BassBob1]

On my American Standard Jazz measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the strings the E is 2.5mm and the G is 2.0mm. Based on this thread I wouldn't consider it super low but I always thought of it as relatively low action.

 

[azapistagyerek]

I set the action AS LOW until my hardest attack just begins slighly buzz. Action must be set for your touch. Inches or mm's are comparable, but (like EQ settings) must not be "followed" or "mirrored". If you set your action comfortable, measurement only informs us of your pick strenght.

Of course, there are instruments that cannot be set correctly (they are called crappy ones) but that's another story.

IMHO

 

[spade2you]

I think there's some tone in action. You can't get a lot of mwahhh on a fretless with sky high action. Part of the thump of my Rob Allens is due to higher action.

Technique plays a huge part of how action and tone behave. High action with light technique sounds somewhat anemic. Low action with a ham fisted approach sounds sloppy.

One thing I'd add to the thread is that I don't measure. I see what the guitar or bass is willing to do, which can inevitably vary from instrument to instrument. Sometimes the same instrument doesn't always tolerate the same action or settings as time goes on.

 

[Kwesi]

Why's everyone using inches all of a sudden? The whole point of this thread is to convert all of you to SI !

Also, there be tone in everything.

 

[DigitalMan]

Why's everyone using inches all of a sudden? The whole point of this thread is to convert all of you to SI !

Also, there be tone in everything.

Imperial tone > metric tone.

 

[darius8]

Metrics is the way to go. Scientist and engineers approved.

 

[5StringFool]

Just out of curiosity... those of you who are measuring the 1.x and 2.x mm measurements, what type of device are you using to make the measurement?

 

[Syco_bass]

Metrics is the way to go. Scientist and engineers approved.

Really? How much music have you read or plaid that was measured in milliseconds?

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Just out of curiosity... those of you who are measuring the 1.x and 2.x mm measurements, what type of device are you using to make the measurement?

Probably safe to assume that they are using imperial measurements and converting to metric.

If you use a 3/32" shim or feeler gauge to check/set your action, it would convert to 2.38125 millimeters. So that'd round to 2.4mm.

 

[zortation]

I think I'm going to start using metric for my setups from now on. God knows this country of mine has indoctrinated its citizens into using it anyway...

 

[Freddels]

I don't measure. I dropped the strings down to the deck and raise them up only enough to not get any buzzing.

 

[MD]

I can slid 3 pennies under my strings at the octave.
Lets move to cents!

 

[Jeff Scott]

I don't measure the 12th fret when I setup so I don't know...

Same here. I set the neck relief to be almost flat but with a bit of bow to compensate for StringSwing®. Then, I set my action at the last fret of whatever bass I am adjusting, usually to about 2-2.5mm, the rest falls into place where ever it will after that. I set all the strings to the same height so they feel the same when fretted, of course, from the top of the fret to the bottom of the strings.