Low action with light gauge strings.

[pcake]

i've played extra light strings (40-95) with low action on every bass i've owned since around 2009. if there's a little buzz playing harder on some songs, it's worth it - i don't want to experience pain while or after playing or risk damage to my hands.

 

[Petethebassman]

Light gauge strings with low action is what I use, I play with a light touch so it works for me. A good setup is essential to avoid buzzes and choked notes.

 

[GTHintz]

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Hey everyone, I’m recovering from some hand and arm injuries, and after 10 years of not playing bass. I'm slowly getting back into playing bass. Recently I took out of my case my LTD 5 string bass I had purchased in 2002, the strings seem so thick, I cannot even recall what gauge I use to play with. I’m thinking about switching to light gauge strings with a low action setup to put less stress on my fingers and hands. Has anyone here done something similar? I’d love to hear your thoughts or recommendations.

Also I have fell in love with the Spector NS Ethos model. Has anyone tried low action, light gauge on a bass like this?

Thank you.

You can definitely get low action on lighter gauge strings. You might have to play softer so you're not a clanky mess but it's doable. I have a super low action on one of my basses that really helps when I'm very sore and just want to get a little bit of practice in.

 

[cemunk]

I'm another 40-95 player. Started having hand pain years ago due to a previous job I had years ago.

My most recent acquisition is a Spector Euro 4 Classic that I went ahead and had the dealer PLEK. It plays nice and low. Love it.

I also use these on a Casady, various Music Mans, a Gibson and a Fender. All at what I consider low action.

 

[BeyondFiredUp]

You should give Dunlop super bright nickels a try. Even though hex core, they're a very flexible and supple round with a playability that suits me the older my fingers get. Great versatile tone as well even after they settle in. And they're quite inexpensive comparatively.

 

[Artman]

I switched a couple of years ago.
Learned floating thumb muting technique, and playing with a lighter touch.

Now my playing actually sounds a lot better and more interesting.
More dynamics. The lighter touch on most notes translates into faster, more accurate placement and values, and I can dig in to get raspiness for occasional emphasis.

It sounds more like an interesting musical conversation rather than someone droning on and on in a monotone voice now.

Yes, it took a little practice to adapt the techniques to the strings and action, but it is a lot easier on the hands and ears as well.

 

[rolfplamperton]

I’ve been playing for 30 years and as soon as I learned that light gauge were a thing, that’s what I’ve always used. Sometimes it’s fun to put heavier gauge strings on and jack up the action, but ultimately it becomes a slog. Currently use DR Victor Wooten strings on my 4 strings and TI Jazz Rounds on my 5 strings.

 

[jimmydean]

Wise choice , play on the lightest strings and the lowest action you can get and let your amp do the work .

 

[gmanblues]

I found that Dr Pure Blues (all nickel ,with a nickel round core are very easy on the fingers, bit more expensive,&. the tone goes dull sooner than steel strings.I have had shoulder replacement, so light is good.Steel flats feel like steel girders after playing 30 minutes.Tape wound are ok, like what's been explained round core are more flexible. You'll need to crimp the ends, pure blues explains it. Good luck

 

[PlatypusBassist]

I currently play 35-58-70-90-121 (stainless steel/hex core) on my 33' scale 5-string with low action.

I'm in the UK so I use Newtone, but these gauges and being stainless steel are a copy of the Evan Marien signature set from GHS

 

[Prodigus Filius]

The basic thing is, decreasing the gauge and
staying at the same pitch increases the amplitude of the wave undulation e.g halving a 130 tuned B0 to an 065 tuned B0 is doubling the amplitude. If the action for the 130 was 2.4mm and just avoiding buzz with maximum plucking force, than to duplicate the same result with the 065, the action would need to be doubled to 4.8mm.
The formula then is , Initial gauge/new gauge = the ratio X initial action height.
E.g going from a 130 gauge with an action of 2.4mm tuned to B0 to a 120 tuned B0 = .130/.120 = 1.08 X (2.4) = 2.6mm for the new action.
This applies to similar constructed strings with comparable tension and stiffness quality. You’d really have to experiment if the new strings are differently constructed. Which can be a damn expensive venture.

 

[fredrickdossant]

Thanks so much for all your information guys, you have no idea how much I appreciate all your replies. I'll be looking into all these bass string features and prices, seeing some YT reviews.

Keep on Bassing the world!

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Low action with light gauge strings CAN be problematic (fret buzz). It all boils down to four things:

1) Your playing style. You will usually need to play with a relatively light touch for this to work. Plucking the strings close to the bridge will also help, as this will reduce the amplitude of the strings' vibrations. Plucking close to the bridge will of course also give you a more mid focused tone and different dynamics/"feel" than plucking the strings closer to the neck, which may be good or bad, depending on what kind of tone/feel you want. The angle you attack the strings can also make a huge difference. Digging in "deep" will cause fret buzz a lot more easily than attacking the strings more parallel to the surface of the bass/body. But again, this will of course also affect your tone.

2) Your bass. Some basses can handle low action better than others. Good quality basses with a stiff neck (and neck joint) will usually be able to handle a lower action without buzzing than cheap basses with necks made from soft, poor quality wood.

3) The exact type of strings, and how light you want to go. Some types of strings can handle lower action than others at similar gauges. In my experience, strings with silk inlays seem to handle low action slightly better than others. Presumably by dampening the vibrations a bit. TI Jazz FLATS are fantastic in this respect. TI Jazz ROUNDS are great on SHORT scale basses, but the long scale set is simply too light for MY playing style and will buzz unless I raise the action a bit. Other ultra-light strings generally don't work for me unless they're a relatively stiff type of flats, which would probably be counter-productive for what you need.

4) The setup. You WILL need a 100% perfect setup. This will make a HUGE difference. Make sure the nut slots are filed to optimal heights. With a soft playing style the nut slots can usually be filed considerably lower than on most "out of the box" factory-made nuts. This will make the bass considerably easier on your fretting hand, especially in the lower frets. You must of course also make sure the neck relief is adjusted to the absolute minimum (straightest neck) you can get away with and that the bridge saddles are lowered to the lowest you can get away with. If you lower the action, don't forget to also lower the pickups, or you can get fret buzz (as well as other weird tonal artifacts) caused by excessive magnetic drag on the strings. The intonation will also matter. Strings that aren't intonated properly can vibrate in strange ways and cause fret buzz.

These are just general guidelines. You won't know anything for certain until you try it yourself.

If you are not experienced with setups (and that includes filing the nut slots) the best investment you can do is probably to bring the bass (with whatever strings you decide on) to a luthier and explain exactly what you need. This is one of those cases where doing a textbook "setup by numbers" will most likely not give you the perfect setup for YOUR needs. Simply lowering the saddles without taking into account the neck relief and the nut slots is NOT a setup and will most likely not give you an optimal result.

 

[ampegfuzz]

I just put a set of Dunlop super bright SS on my bass yesterday to try a different string to my normal DR Hi Beams. The high beam are already low tension but i noticed the SB's were noticeably lower in tension. I have 2 other basses still wearing DR's to compare. might wanna give those a try.

 

[Jogobass]

I took a break of about 20 years. Had to relearn how to play. Everything felt off. Now's your chance to learn a new technique. I took the chance to work on Gary Willis' method of plucking more lightly to get more dynamic range. You're going to spend some time relearning the instrument. It's up to you if you want to do that with a lighter gauge. But you can play lightly on a heavier gauge as well, just saying.

 

[pepj]

I've always used light strings and low action. Why do you want to work so hard.
Most normal shop set ups are really hard work for me so even with brand new basses, I'm setting them up with my strings pdq. (My latest acquisition is 2 or 3 weeks in and I am working on this harder set up purely for short term strenght training)

The trade-off is defintely tone...but its not massive and I believe your hands will thank you further down the line.

I use 42-120 and a soft tension.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

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Hey everyone, I’m recovering from some hand and arm injuries, and after 10 years of not playing bass. I'm slowly getting back into playing bass. Recently I took out of my case my LTD 5 string bass I had purchased in 2002, the strings seem so thick, I cannot even recall what gauge I use to play with. I’m thinking about switching to light gauge strings with a low action setup to put less stress on my fingers and hands. Has anyone here done something similar? I’d love to hear your thoughts or recommendations.

Also I have fell in love with the Spector NS Ethos model. Has anyone tried low action, light gauge on a bass like this?

Thank you.

Hello. So far, I am not suffering from or recovering from any hand or arm injuries, and I'm certainly not here to rub it in. My point, is that playing with light/very light gauge strings can be a revelation, tonally and in terms of being a player and how you interact with the instrument. I have .30-.90 gauge ultra-light Ken Smith strings on an old Harmony brand Precision Bass copy. Contrary to myth about strings and tone/low-end, I think the bass has a lot of low end, despite the string diameter, and the bass amp and PA do their jobs thar they're supposed to do and absolutely nobody complains. The bass has ultra low action and yes, watching for fret buzz is a thing- but it's a good thing. First, a little fret buzz (acoustically) may (or may NOT) translate to the amp. The second thing is it promotes awareness of both how hard you are fretting and plucking. I think that provided this awareness does not impede performance or enjoyment of it, it is a very good awareness to have, and there is an economy of motion that develops and since NONE of us are getting any younger and I assume we all want to play as long as we are physically able, having sustainable ways of interacting with the instrument in the long term is a DESIRABLE thing. It's a shame it takes injury sometime for some to think about these legacy aspects of playing, but yet if we can mentally turn a conceptual corner and think about those things sooner rather than later, I'm all for that.

A micrometer (purchased or borrowed) will tell you string gauge, and what to purchase moving forward. Wish you good luck and every success getting back into bass.

 

[Yahboy]

I prefer set .010-.012 neck relief@ 7th fret , action 1.65mm/E to 1.4mm/G on all my Ps with both Ti flat and LTF4A .