What is considered a low action?

[TheNewB]

I know there's a thread asking the same question, but that one devolved into "it depends on you". Seriously now, when someone asks for a "low action", what string hight do you usally aim for? I'm happy with the setup on my bass(0.6mm neck relief @ the 7th &9th, strings are 2mm above 20th fret, smidge under 2mm @ 12th fret, smidge under 2mm @ 7th fret), this is just something that I've been very curious about, and it started bothering me, because every time I watch youtube videos, the strings look like smears against the fretboard

 

[Killed_by_Death]

As they say in Thailand, kit mahk gern bpai, you think too much.
Stop measuring all those spots on it & just set it where it doesn't buzz when you play normally & maybe buzzes a little when you play it with extra force.
This is why it really does depend on the player, but also on the straightness of the instrument's neck & how good the fretwork is.

 

[SLO Surfer]

when someone asks for a "low action", what string hight do you usally aim for?

Nobody ever asks me for a low action, but I do set up all my own basses with a medium-low action, which I'd say is about "this" high:

 

[JohnArnson]

Sounds similar to how I have my main set up, it's about 0,4mm lower than Fender standard set up recommendations (2,4mm for low E string above 17th fret on fretboards with a radius of 12" and above, for lower radius than that I believe they recommend 2,6mm), for what it's worth.

So guess it would be in the lower end, though some set their bass up with even lower string action.

The string action I got now is perfect for me though, wouldn't want it neither much higher or lower.

 

[lz4005]

As they say in Thailand, kit mahk gern bpai, you think too much.
Stop measuring all those spots on it & just set it where it doesn't buzz when you play normally & maybe buzzes a little when you play it with extra force.
This is why it really does depend on the player, but also on the straightness of the instrument's neck & how good the fretwork is.

This exactly.

 

[Vinny_G]

As they say in Thailand, kit mahk gern bpai, you think too much.
Stop measuring all those spots on it & just set it where it doesn't buzz when you play normally & maybe buzzes a little when you play it with extra force.
This is why it really does depend on the player, but also on the straightness of the instrument's neck & how good the fretwork is.

I said that once in a restaurant, but I had to make a pronunciation mistake because I ended the night at the police station.

 

[Vinny_G]

I agree with @Killed_by_Death, don't be obsessed with numbers. Being obsessed with numbers is the best way to never get what you really need. That said, once you've found the settings that suit you, it's a good idea to measure things and note them. You will be able to reproduce these values, and return to them if you wish to experiment more. You will also have less trouble identifying a potential problem.

But if you need an idea, I would say that for me 3 mm and more is a high action, and that 1.5 mm and less is a low action. But remember that it depends on where you take your measurements, your neck relief, your string gauges, and more importantly the way you play. So, as usual, the real answer is "it depends".

 

[Turnaround]

General descriptive terms like "low action" are nearly useless. 90% of my customers want low action, and they most often ask for "as low as it can go without buzzing". Just this week I had a customer wanting "low action", but what worked for that player was in excess of 1/8" across the board at the 12th fret.

I think I would say there is no such thing as low action. There is right action and that can be vastly different from player to player. Don't aim for "low", aim for "right". And don't bother comparing your action to someone else's unless you feel that the music is about who can play with the lowest setting.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

I have a Höfner Verythin on its way from a music store up in Wisconsin. The guy did a setup himself, measurements and all. There is a good chance I'll have to tweak it. Like was said earlier, feel is a better measurement than mathematics in this case. Get it in the ballpark, tweak from there as you note your playing. A good setup can take days to weeks to get perfect because they really are dependent on your wants and needs.

 

[Warpeg]

On a side note, I've never quite understood why some players want super-low action. Sure, it can be slightly easier to play, but I swear that really low action just kills the potential tone of a bass. The strings just choke when their vibration is limited. Maybe just me....

 

[scottfeldstein]

I rise in defense of low action. One of my bass guitars, my Ibanez SR505, I bought specifically because of it's low action. The neck was so straight and the frets so level that the string height could be slinky low without the slightest buzz. It's amazing.

I like a little bit of bark when I dig in on a note. It's the kind of attack boost you get when the string bounces against the fretboard. After, it rings free, but it's that initial bounce/bite that I like to have whenever I want it.

And of course it's effortless to play. Very easy on the fingers. And slap is a dream.

I only wish all bass guitars were capable of this low an action. My Warwick it seems is not. I have the neck pretty straight. If I capo the first fret and hold down 17... I get about .014 feeler gauge under the 7th fret. I got the nut action set to about .020 on the first fret. And the string height set to about 2.5mm on the low B string and about 2mm on the G string.

There's a noticeable buzz on the G string on the 12th fret. But that's the only one. I think with some spot fret dressing everything can be worked out.

 

[Camaro69]

As they say in Thailand, kit mahk gern bpai, you think too much.
Stop measuring all those spots on it & just set it where it doesn't buzz when you play normally & maybe buzzes a little when you play it with extra force.
This is why it really does depend on the player, but also on the straightness of the instrument's neck & how good the fretwork is.

This

I stopped using a measurement years ago. I lower the strings till they clang, the bring em up until they only clang when I make them. Adjust the pups and truss to taste

 

[Samatza]

What is low action? my local guitar tech tells me my action is really low. I think it's just right and it goes like this;

0.010" - 0.012" relief at the 7th fret, with a capo on the first fret and measuring between the top of the fret and bottom of the string at the last fret; G = 2/32", E = 5/64" and on a five string B = 3/32". A and D string are just between about 4.5/64".

I set all my basses close to these measurements and they are easy to play. YMMV, it's such a personal thing but remember when watching a video you can't really see the string height properly, they will look like they're so close to the frets that you just need to breath on them. I can assure you it's not the case though.

 

[scottfeldstein]

It seems to me that string height, or action, should be measured without a capo on the first fret. What I'm doing is measuring neck relief when I capo the first fret and hold down the 17th, measured at the 7th. Measured that way, my Warwick is 14 thousandths of an inch. But again, this isn't action. it's just using the string as a straight edge to measure neck straightness without the nut and the bridge mucking things up.

To measure string height, Warwick recommends measuring under the string above the highest fret on the fingerboard. 2.5mm at the bass end and 2mm at the treble end. Nothing fretted or capo'd. If it isn't right, you adjust the height of the bridge.

 

[Chasarms]

I rise in defense of low action. One of my bass guitars, my Ibanez SR505, I bought specifically because of it's low action. The neck was so straight and the frets so level that the string height could be slinky low without the slightest buzz. It's amazing.

I like a little bit of bark when I dig in on a note. It's the kind of attack boost you get when the string bounces against the fretboard. After, it rings free, but it's that initial bounce/bite that I like to have whenever I want it.

And of course it's effortless to play. Very easy on the fingers. And slap is a dream.

I only wish all bass guitars were capable of this low an action. My Warwick it seems is not. I have the neck pretty straight. If I capo the first fret and hold down 17... I get about .014 feeler gauge under the 7th fret. I got the nut action set to about .020 on the first fret. And the string height set to about 2.5mm on the low B string and about 2mm on the G string.

There's a noticeable buzz on the G string on the 12th fret. But that's the only one. I think with some spot fret dressing everything can be worked out.

The relief spec and 1st fret spec on the Warwick are very respectable. As are the string heights. As you mention, you may have a lifting fret (or high crown) on the G string side. I think a good straight edge is in order.

 

[Vinny_G]

I rise in defense of low action. One of my bass guitars, my Ibanez SR505, I bought specifically because of it's low action. The neck was so straight and the frets so level that the string height could be slinky low without the slightest buzz. It's amazing.

I like a little bit of bark when I dig in on a note. It's the kind of attack boost you get when the string bounces against the fretboard. After, it rings free, but it's that initial bounce/bite that I like to have whenever I want it.

And of course it's effortless to play. Very easy on the fingers. And slap is a dream.

I only wish all bass guitars were capable of this low an action. My Warwick it seems is not. I have the neck pretty straight. If I capo the first fret and hold down 17... I get about .014 feeler gauge under the 7th fret. I got the nut action set to about .020 on the first fret. And the string height set to about 2.5mm on the low B string and about 2mm on the G string.

There's a noticeable buzz on the G string on the 12th fret. But that's the only one. I think with some spot fret dressing everything can be worked out.

The proof that Warwicks are excellent basses. You can get the neck almost straight and still be fine, while Warwick advocates nearly twice the value that you have (0.6 mm is about 0.024")

 

[scottfeldstein]

Warwick advocates nearly twice the value that you have (0.6 mm is about 0.024")

I have of course seen that video. I used that Warwick video series along with a DWOFS episode where he does a setup on my exact bass. I decided to go Dave's route on neck relief. Although I wonder if I might be able to achieve buzzless frets with even lower string height if I used their value...Maybe I'll go over the whole setup next weekend and try it.

 

[GIBrat51]

As they say in Thailand, kit mahk gern bpai, you think too much.
Stop measuring all those spots on it & just set it where it doesn't buzz when you play normally & maybe buzzes a little when you play it with extra force.
This is why it really does depend on the player, but also on the straightness of the instrument's neck & how good the fretwork is.

Sorry, but.. in the end, it really does boil down to ^^THIS^^. Low action depends on too many factors to enable a universal answer. My 4001 has an almost flat, straight neck - like Ricks are "supposed" to have . It has a very low action - again, like a lot of Ricks do - but I didn't measure it. Like a lot of Rick players, I just lowered the strings (La Bella LTF'S) until they buzz when I want them too. OTOH, this Dano DC59 Pro (which also has a low action) has different strings; more relief in the neck; and a different bridge. I didn't measure this one, either. It's set up to buzz if I play really hard; which, on a Dano, I almost never do.. I usually set a bass up to "Factory Specs" to begin with - and then start lowering things until it plays like I want it to, with the strings I like to have on it. And I very seldom mess with the set up after that...

 

[Attym]

For me, I set it so its too low and buzzes and just back off a bit. Thats how I like it. An in-spec set up is too high for my tastes.