Would you call this high action?

[Stan_da_man]

Installed new XLs on my Jazz last night and did a set-up. Truss rod needed minimal adjustment, the nut was already cut for 45-105 gauge strings so the main changes were on the bridge saddle heights.

I have always set my basses up so that I can fret the 12th fret on all strings with no buzz and be able to dig in a little.

Measured at the 17th fret:
E - 4/32
A - 3.5/32
D - 3/32
G - 2.8/32

Would you say this bass has a high action?

 

[Thum5b]

Personally I'd call that high, my E is under 1/16 at the 17th but to somebody else that could be unplayable.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Personally I'd call that high, my E is under 1/16 at the 17th but to somebody else that could be unplayable.

I should also point out that quite regularly, I use drop D tuning in addition to standard.

 

[Mili]

Nope, that's medium in my book!

 

[Bodeeni]

I would say the E and A are pretty high. My Jazz I am playing right now has the E at 3/32 and I would call that on the high side of medium. I do get a bit of buzz if I wail on it. But I can get some buzz on any of the strings if I hit them hard enough. String height is a personal choice. I know plenty of players that are very high or very low that get the job done, just fine.

 

[Goatrope]

For me, yes. I set all my Basses to about 5/64 on the E as a starting point, then adjust from there depending on the bass.

How much relief ? I start with .012 at the 7th fret, again depending on the bass I might deviate a bit.

Are you happy with 4/32?

 

[2saddleslab]

Mine are set the same [except 3/32 in the E] and consider it right in the middle of the action height spectrum.

 

[Stan_da_man]

For me, yes. I set all my Basses to about 5/64 on the E as a starting point, then adjust from there depending on the bass.

How much relief ? I start with .012 at the 7th fret, again depending on the bass I might deviate a bit.

Are you happy with 4/32?

It would be nice to have it a little lower but then the problem you run into is having to play softer to compensate for the inevitable string buzz. Add that to playing drop D then it's not really possible to get much lower before buzz starts happening. I also play harder live than I do at home so that needs to be taken into consideration.

 

[Thum5b]

I should also point out that quite regularly, I use drop D tuning in addition to standard.

And me although I don't play that hard.

 

[Goatrope]

It would be nice to have it a little lower but then the problem you run into is having to play softer to compensate for the inevitable string buzz. Add that to playing drop D then it's not really possible to get much lower before buzz starts happening. I also play harder live than I do at home so that needs to be taken into consideration.

Understood. It’s a very personal thing. I use drop-D a lot myself, and thought I played pretty hard. I like some fret noise when I dig in.

It may very well be that what you’re using for string height is working. Leave it, and don’t compare to others.

If you’re asking how to eliminate fret buzz, and you want an even lower action, that’s a whole long thread of questions and responses.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Go with your gut, that's always the best way to setup a bass.
Every bass will be different, there are no absolutes.
Does it feel high?
What does your gut tell you when you play it as it is?
Keep adjusting down until you can't take the fret buzz anymore, unless that's what you're shooting for.
Bridge setup and nut slot can also affect things as well.

Good luck,
Dirk

 

[JRA]

Every bass will be different, there are no absolutes.

IME: string height can feel the same from one ax to another even though they may be different (per the idiosyncracies of any given instrument). and the opposite is true: string height can be exactly the same (one to another) but feel entirely different, one ax to another.

i go for a certain feel on a particular ax, so: numbers are useless --- they mean nothing. OTOH: we need a 'starting point' if we don't know what is best for us, the ax, and the real-world use, so if you don't know any better: those starting point numbers have some value.

i agree with the notion of "what's best for me might not be what's best for you."

per the OP: your numbers would be high for me (fretless), but i'd consider it in the medium range for most players as suggested by Mili and 2saddleslab . good luck with your setups and string height!

 

[Stan_da_man]

For me, yes. I set all my Basses to about 5/64 on the E as a starting point, then adjust from there depending on the bass.

How much relief ? I start with .012 at the 7th fret, again depending on the bass I might deviate a bit.

Are you happy with 4/32?

.015 at the 7th fret for myself.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I don't know what people are talking about. Your action is over 3mm. "High action" is about 2.5mm with "low action" being about 1.8mm. Your action is far too high and potentially impacts the pitch of the string due to the extreme bend. If your bass requires the action that high, it needs work. If you require an action that high, you need to work on your technique.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Understood. It’s a very personal thing. I use drop-D a lot myself, and thought I played pretty hard. I like some fret noise when I dig in.

It may very well be that what you’re using for string height is working. Leave it, and don’t compare to others.

If you’re asking how to eliminate fret buzz, and you want an even lower action, that’s a whole long thread of questions and responses.

See, I like no fret noise when I dig in. I feel the note becomes 'choked' and doesn't sound has big has a note that doesn't buzz.

 

[Stan_da_man]

I don't know what people are talking about. Your action is over 3mm. "High action" is about 2.5mm with "low action" being about 1.8mm. Your action is far too high and potentially impacts the pitch of the string due to the extreme bend. If your bass requires the action that high, it needs work. If you require an action that high, you need to work on your technique.

Well first off, the bass in question is an NYC Sadowsky so I don't think it needs 'work'.

I myself have been playing bass for 20 years and had lessons for the first three of those to get my technique and theory down so I don't think it's that.

The tech who normally sets up my basses set up my other Jazz with an action of 5/64 on the E at the 17th fret. That bass buzzes all over unless I play softly. Perhaps I just play harder than most people and have to raise the action a touch to compensate for my dislike of fret buzzing.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Update to this - I did some fettling last night and made a minor tweak to the truss rod. I was able to lower my action slightly has a result with no major increase in fret buzz.

Action now is (at 17th fret):
E 3½ / 32
A 3 /32
D 2½ / 32
G 2¼ / 32

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Well first off, the bass in question is an NYC Sadowsky so I don't think it needs 'work'.

I myself have been playing bass for 20 years and had lessons for the first three of those to get my technique and theory down so I don't think it's that.

The tech who normally sets up my basses set up my other Jazz with an action of 5/64 on the E at the 17th fret. That bass buzzes all over unless I play softly. Perhaps I just play harder than most people and have to raise the action a touch to compensate for my dislike of fret buzzing.

I would highly suggest a lesson with a well-regarded teacher just to look at your technique. You might be catching the strings at a bad angle or you may just be digging in too much. While your numbers are better, that setup is still really high. Don't try to get volume out of your fingers. It is an electric instrument, let the amp do the heavy lifting. Playing is all about economy of motion. The more energy you spend on digging with your fretting hand and getting the strings to the fret leads to less energy on playing.

 

[Stan_da_man]

On the flip side though, playing more aggressively is my kind of bass tone. This is what I aim for (and to be as cool...)

 

[Thum5b]

Having the action high isn't necessarily a bad thing