String action

[blackfire]

Hello,

I know, i know... this thread title may freeze blood in someone's veins but it is not typical question, i think, about i.e. how to lower strings or something, hahaha. I never gave any of my guitars or basses to the luthier's shop, so I have some knowledge about how to set up guitar.
Reason why i posted here is kinda different...
I did notice something but that may be an illusion caused by "flat" photos. I know many pro bass players have extremely good made basses and i own Squier 60's Classic Vibe. The issue is i have really low action but what i can see on pictures is pro basses have even more lower action. So my question is: is it because their basses are really that well made or they have strings TOO low but their technique is better than mine so they can play on bass on which i will play and it will buzz.

For example, i did listen to that girl, Tal Wilkenfeld, and i guess i hear buzzing through her amp. She plays pretty rough but i see her only touching strings with right hand. BTW, look at the logo banner of this site, there is double bass and white electric, and check out white electric bass string height, i guess it is close to zero! Will that change anything if i ask luthier to level my frets and set neck to almost straight so i can play by touching not pressing strings against frets?

And one thing more... If you have such low action as pro players, what about interferrance between frets and strings? I've heard that if you have strings to low sound wont be as clear as should be. More distance between frets and strings , better sound it gives, and i checked it out - TRUE! So how can pro players play with such low action?

 

[john grey]

I play a very low action and when I play many other people's Basses I'm using a great deal more pressure (obviously), yet my notes are clean (through an amp) - if I were to try to play un-amplified the thing buzzes as I have to use significantly more pressure to hear the note.

This becomes very obvious when slapping. I rarely raise my elbow; it's all forearm and hand. When I play a bass that has a higher action I need to swat it fairly hard. Over time - I've gotten it lower and lower. That is important to point out. I started with about 2x the height I have now but as time went on I got used to getting gentler. In fact there are some basses I have a hard time playing they are so high especially past the 12th fret.

Just my opinion but I think it's a practice-thing & desire to get the whole of the action lower as a goal. I very rarely get fatigued now as both hand require less intensity to get a clear note. I started out going lower because many of the things I wanted to play were beyond the 12th fret and a high action made that a difficult issue. There is also some buzz that doesn't sound especially if the tempo is faster. This is very contingent on what type of music you play also - sometimes it can't be helped. My personal opinion is that almost any bass can achieve a very low action; I really don't think you need a $2K+ instrument to get it.

 

[Randyt]

I have played a squier that had a professional fret leveling, action set extremely low, and neck relief=flat...played like butter..
customs builders take this into account when building and during set up...some (most) cheaper basses do have limitations...but you need to adapt!!

 

[darkstorm]

I use very low action typically to. I also find some fret buzz which doesnt cause any fretting out actually results in better tone for me. Allways judge this with bass plugged in since you dont hear nearly as much fret buzz thru amp as you do playing unplugged. I also play with pick btw. I also use relatively light fretting and light to medium picking depending on sound desired for the moment.

Basses that have trouble getting low action well ussually either need shim in neck or fret leveling. Soemtimes though its just finding the one or two high frets that need a little filing to remove a bump for that one string that frets outs at a certain fret.

 

[lethargytartare]

...it is not typical question...

Actually this gets asked somewhat regularly...

So my question is: is [really really low action] because their basses are really that well made or they have strings TOO low but their technique is better than mine so they can play on bass on which i will play and it will buzz.

Really high end basses are probably built and set up better than cheap ones. And people who own cheaper basses are probably less likely to take those basses to get really high-end setups. Like john gray, I think most basses can get really low action and good setups -- but a pro's job ain't cheap (worth it, but not cheap).

BTW, look at the logo banner of this site... check out white electric bass string height, i guess it is close to zero!

Yeah, but how does it play and sound It's a picture -- not something to judge ANYTHING by.

Will that change anything if i ask luthier to level my frets and set neck to almost straight so i can play by touching not pressing strings against frets?

Yes and what?? "so i can play by touching not pressing strings against frets" I think you're misunderstanding how others are playing. "Pro" players probably have a level of technique that looks effortless to you, but that's the result of years of playing and training. I don't know if anyone plays by "touching" or "pressing strings against frets" -- if you were talking about tapping, sure, but I think you're trying to explain the effortlessness you see in pro players, which is a product of technique and training, not bass setup.

I watched a blues act with the funkiest bassist -- he had his bass up high enough to cover his pecs. His right hand was practically behind the bridge, and completely in line with it -- so imagine you put the heel of you hand across the bridge saddles, then slide your hand back until it's completely behind the bridge. And he pretty much only played with his index and middle fingers...and since I'm relating this story, obviously his tone was incredible. I can't get s@#$ for tone from my bass when I try to play like that. It's his technique, and it works for him.

And obviously amps play a role in all this, but my point is it's more about the player than the bass setup.

And one thing more... If you have such low action as pro players, what about interferrance between frets and strings? I've heard that if you have strings to low sound wont be as clear as should be. More distance between frets and strings , better sound it gives, and i checked it out - TRUE! So how can pro players play with such low action?

They can do it because what you said is NOT true. Higher action can mean more sustain. But for a lot of players, higher strings lets people with poorer technique wail on the string, and get no buzz. But their technique has a harder time getting a nice clean clear tone if the action is super low. Improve your technique and you'll be able to get good clear tones no matter what level the action is at. Frets don't interfere with the strings unless the setup is poor or you are digging in too much and aren't content with the amount of clatter you're creating.