Low action. Lighter touch.

[Twincam]

Lowered the action on my bass to where I'm out of my comfort zone slightly. I do play a average to low action normally but now it's almost too low for me. And I'm playing very light gauge strings too 35-95.

I noticed I can play a touch quicker and my fretting has improved overall. Also my hands don't seem to tire out at all.
My plucking hand is having a little trouble adapting, although I can play lightly I feel I don't have the same dynamics.

I'm just wondering if I stick with this lowered action height if its possible to develop dynamics, with such a light touch.
As my fretting hand really loves the lowered action.

Anyone else play with a low action and very light touch? Is it something you've always done or did you develop it?

[TheGreek]

My technique down to a T - makes hammer-ons, etc much easier - I hit a string, "roll" two hammer-ons and hit the string again - voila - playing 16ths.

[BassBus]

Have a look at Gary Willis' technique on YouTube. He uses exactly that to get dynamics. Gentle touch to play quietly then he can dig in a bit more at times to bring out something different.

[Gunsfreddy2003]

I've been on a similar journey myself recently - I feel that most of the players that I really admire have a very light touch and achieve so much more playing that way. I've always played quite hard and trying to move away from that is really hard! Latest bass to the collection has a ridiculously low action and needs to be played lightly.

I bought a Porter & Davies board a while back and using that is really helping me as I can feel every note when I play love. I honestly think that I learnt to play so hard because it was essential to hearing what you were doing in a band environment!

[ivansc]

I started plying bass before there was much in the way of decent amplification available in the UK, so pretty much HAD to play really hard to get anything out at all.
Sadly I have never managed to lighten up my playing, although having developed pretty bad arthritis on my thumbs, fingers and wrists has "helped" in a weird way.

That said, I just recorded bass lines for 12 track on an album and became acutely aware of just how over-hard I still hit everything.
At my age it is probably too late to do much about it, but all you heavy jitters out there be warned! (grinz)

P.S. It is worse when I play with a pick too, unless I use a rubber or felt one. Wish someone could invent a method for gentling-up all us players whose "technique" consists of beating the living daylights out of our basses.

[Dan Dare]

Can't stand fret rattle and have a heavy right hand, so ultra low action a no-no for me.

[Lozz196]

I`d love to be able to do this consistently, but I`m rather heavy handed, and to be honest, my current bands style requires that anyway. But once, in my old band, when the rehearsal room was really really hot and I was getting knackered through hitting the strings hard I turned my amp up and played with a lighter touch and really enjoyed it.

[SH73]

Low action and hard touch for me

[stingrayPete1977]

I've settled on the fact I'm a ham fisted fret clanker, anyone with a light touch would struggle to get a note out of my double bass.

[Chris2112]

Low action and a light touch suits me. I'm fairly adaptable, and I'll make a go of playing any sort of setup but I have really found that a low action and light touch works well for me.

My Cort Rithimic has the lowest, cleanest action I've ever played outside of my old Alembic Epic fretless. It is easygoing on the left hand but still offers the same, if not more dynamic control than a bass which has a high action. My right hand isn't working as hard to produce the same sounds as it did on basses with a higher action.

[ratman]

I changed my playing style a few years ago to a low action and light touch. I completely overhauled my playing style & technique. I also learned how to set up my basses properly and I ditched my compressor. It was a six month journey to get my playing feeling natural & normal again but I haven't looked back. Like you, gig and rehearsal fatigue just isn't an issue any more.
You will get your dynamics working again, it may take a little time to find the subtle touches, but it's all there waiting for you. Be patient and keep at it.

[Skol303]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1492687330' post='3282295']My Cort Rithimic has the lowest, cleanest action I've ever played outside of my old Alembic Epic fretless.[/quote]

I have a Cort Rithimic 5-string and it's by far one of (if not [i]the[/i]) most playable basses I've ever owned. I only wish I'd discovered it sooner!

[CamdenRob]

Whenever I play someone elses bass the action is invariably so low that I get more clank and buzz than actual note...

... Therefore I guess I must have a pretty high action on mine

[casapete]

[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1492687978' post='3282310']
I changed my playing style a few years ago to a low action and light touch. I completely overhauled my playing style & technique. I also learned how to set up my basses properly and I ditched my compressor. It was a six month journey to get my playing feeling natural & normal again but I haven't looked back. Like you, gig and rehearsal fatigue just isn't an issue any more.
You will get your dynamics working again, it may take a little time to find the subtle touches, but it's all there waiting for you. Be patient and keep at it.
[/quote]

Me too. Always have set my basses with a medium action and dug in a bit. Always hated basses that buzz and rattle
even if it doesn't come through the amp.
However, since having some hand problems I have set my regular Precision Lyte a bit lower, and subsequently
use a lighter technique. Seems to have helped as my hand hasn't got any worse, if anything it has improved a little.
Takes a while to get used to, but for me has been a revelation. I now do a two hour show with ease, something I thought
would not be possible before. Would recommend trying it - easy mod that can be put back if it's not for you :-)

[Guest MoJo]

Anyone else that has picked up one of my basses always remarks that the action is 'way too low' for them. My Ibanez is about 1.5mm (1/16") at the 17th fret on the E. I have a very light touch and can play without buzzes or rattles

[KingBollock]

I don't have a hugely low action because I hate any fret buzz at all. But I do play very softly, with a pick.

I feel like playing softly helps to increase my speed and accuracy because I feel I have more control with less pick travel. If that makes sense? It also gives me somewhere to go if I need a different feel for any reason.

Depending on what I am playing, I will also change pick for a different feel and/or sound. Anything from a .69 to a 3mm. Playing softly with a 3mm pick, I can do a pretty convincing digging in with fingers like sound.

[Trueno]

Not ultra low... med/high action with 45-100 strings. Been playing mostly fretless (plenty of other threads on that one) to suit my arthriticky hands... but getting back into fretted... just set up my 2008ish MIA Jazz and it plays beautifully. Also thinking about short to medium scale... seeing that I'm now a bedroom noodler (oo-er) why make things difficult (although I have happily gigged with short scale before, so not having a go at short-scalers).

PS, tend to play softly.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Trueno

[dmccombe7]

Like others i started playing hard to be heard plus the fact i was mainly playing rock music and it just seemed the natural way to play a bass.
As i got older I was starting to get cramp when playing longer periods ie 2 hr gigs and sought advice from fellow BC'ers. Over the past few years i have lowered my strings on some basses and now at 2mm from 3mm on E string at 17th and play lighter.
I can't remember the last time i had any hand issues even after a 3hr rehearsal with no breaks.

I could possibly lower a bit further but seems god where it is at moment.

Dave

[ambient]

I like a really low action, I play very lightly, and let the amp do the work.

My basses tend to be unplayable by others due to the low action.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1492692690' post='3282396']


I have a Cort Rithimic 5-string and it's by far one of (if not [i]the[/i]) most playable basses I've ever owned. I only wish I'd discovered it sooner!
[/quote]

Yep, they do set up very nicely to play cleanly with a very low action. I suppose Cort knew that they'd have to meet that requirement for Jeff Berlin as I know he espouses the benefits of a straight neck with just a touch of relief and really taking the pressure off your hands and just letting the bass sing. I remember reading a post from someone on Talkbass who had tried his personal USA-made Dean bass out at a tradeshow and struggled to get a clean note out of it because of his technique. With my Rithimic, I can dig in and play hard if I want to without clanking or buzzing but I just don't need to do that because it responds so well to a lighter touch.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1492680142' post='3282190']
Low action and hard touch for me
[/quote]

Me too. Love a bit of buzz and rattle.

[oldbass]

I really like the way a light touch can make even a P bass sound tighter with more mids. Happened after I started to look at my seriously crummy reading. I found the lighter touch enabled me to play more accurately too.
Been a bit of a revelation to be honest.

[Elfrasho]

I've actually got higher through the years. Back when i started it was all about getting aa low as possible. Now I very rarely play heavy rock or particularly fast things so having a gast action isn't required. The clean tone from a medium high action is my ideal sound.

[chris_b]

The Bass Gallery fret stoned and set up one of my basses. When it came back I could just about get a fag paper under the strings. I tried to adjust my technique to it but I never could make an action that low sound consistently good. My view now is that a low action is pretty irrelevant. I don't hit the strings hard, just firm and even, so IME there doesn't need to be a connection between a light touch, a low action and a good technique.

When I set my basses up I take the strings down till they buzz then raise the bridge saddles until the rattles stop.

[bazzbass]

in the 90s with my crappy Peavey TNT 150 at pub gigs, I used to always cramp up as I had to really dig in just to be heard

Nowadays with 250 watt amps being the minimum, I can turn up much louder and play softer,this allows me to play faster without cramping.