lefrash Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 When I started playing 14 years ago I wanted a bass with a low action, like a guitar. I wanted fretting notes as light as using a laptop keyboard. 5 years ago, when I got my current bass, the first thing I did was get the action as low as possible. I've just realised though, over the past year or two, I've been raising the action, bit by bit. And recently I've just bought a cheapo 2nd bass, the high action on that really gives me the chance to dig down on a note, and play notes differently to what I've always been used to. Is this me becoming mature on a bass? Is super-low action just for the billy sheehan wannabies (which I was when i started)? and was I simply wrong all those years looking for a super low action bass? I'm quite interested to hear all your views on this. My bass right now is set up so nicely for me, even although I doubt I could have played it 10 years ago!I bet if another basschatter tried it, they may think its a rubbish bass, but I can still play fast (well fast enough for my uses) and it sounds good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Mine is pretty much as low as it can go ..as that is the way I play. Some basses are just not worth me picking up as I can't play them with a high action..and they don't respond, but set-up is a personal thing. The only thing I would offer would be that a hard playing style might bite you sooner as your hands get older ..??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefrash Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 I think you might be right. I started playing stuff such as dream theater, vai, extreme, Mr big for the first few years, I then moved onto very much more funkier pop style playing. Alot less guitar style riffs and a lot less fast runs. I've been practicing recently for a rock gig (covers of the aformentioned bands) and although I can play the notes comfortably, I wonder what toll 14 years of gigging this style of music would have had on my digits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScreencastTutor Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Never low enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Well, I basically like to have my bass as easy to play as possible these days, to save any unnecessary strain on my hands. I've switched to a lighter gauge string this year, and I set my action as low as possible without getting any significant fret buzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 How deep is your love? As low as my rotten technique will allow, basically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Interestingly, Billy Sheehan doesn't have a particularly low action. I however do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 y'know, if you take the frets off you can tweak it down a bit more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 One of them is set up with a very low action, another with what I would say as slightly high action and the other (fretless) hasn't been set up yet but it will be getting set up as low as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Mine's probably 'medium', 3-4 mm at the 12th fret at a guess? Lower action and gentle technique are probably better for both fast technical playing and hand health, but all the same I find there's something about giving the notes a good funky spanking that you just can't replicate any other way. String harmonic decay must be pretty different at different levels of pluck, I'd assume, and an ultra-low action unfortunately gets in the way of that. Mind you, fretless doesn't have to be particularly low to feel as fast as anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Have a read through these... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/116361-how-low-is-a-good-low-action/ http://basschat.co.uk/topic/57575-the-how-high-is-your-action-thread-get-involved/ http://basschat.co.uk/topic/176357-how-high-is-your-action/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 [quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1355947293' post='1904962'] Is super-low action just for the billy sheehan wannabies.... [/quote] It might be for the wannabies but it's certainly not for Billy himself - most people who play with low actions would really struggle with Billys basses as he sets his action pretty high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 3mm at 12th fret, with fairly high tension strings. Means I can dig in without too much rattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I would say 3-4mm was beyond medium? My 2mm is classed as high by some so I would class that as medium, does anyone go more than 4mm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Here's mine! [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/8176174705/][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/8176174705/]Vigier Passion GK[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/chiscocks/]chiscocks[/url], on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Wow... that's almost touchscreen! [quote name='ped' timestamp='1355993808' post='1905331'] Here's mine! [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/8176174705/"][/url] [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/8176174705/"]Vigier Passion GK[/url] by [url="http://www.flickr.com/people/chiscocks/"]chiscocks[/url], on Flickr [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1355994083' post='1905336'] Wow... that's almost touchscreen! [/quote] Lol yep it's very low, but I play with a light touch and I love the clank when you dig in. Absolutely zero fret buzz, though. The neck on this bass is perfect. I'm actually really bad at playing other basses such is my preference for a low action! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 (edited) I find ultra-low action basses are unplayable for my style. I had a quick go on MacDaddy's custom jobbie a couple of years ago, set up for tapping and sweeping and stuff. I couldn't get a decent sound out of it! (Sounded very different when he played it, of course.) I'm an ... erm ... enthusiastic player, and I like to dig in. Most people think my action is high. Feels fine to me. And it's me what's playing the thing. Edited December 20, 2012 by Happy Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I cant play if the action is too low, plus you lose some volume too. I play quite hard so I like it a bit on the high side (about 4mm) However, the opposite is true on my Telecaster which is set quite low indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellyfish Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Same as Ped I think I'd never taken the time and money to have my bass properly set up and had always played with factory settings with only slight adjustments myself. Then I went to Joe in Birmingham and asked him to set it as low as possible and I was just blown away, it was like holding a brand new instrument. Now it's that low I don't think I'd ever go back to anything else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I have mine set as low as I can get it with no fret buzz. I can't stand fret buzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 [quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1355998275' post='1905386'] I have mine set as low as I can get it with no fret buzz. I can't stand fret buzz. [/quote] Fret buzz? Surely you refer to that desirable quality "clank"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydentaku Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Desirable if your name is Steve Harris, which mine isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefrash Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1355965717' post='1905222'] Interestingly, Billy Sheehan doesn't have a particularly low action. I however do [/quote] Really? I've got a video of him from early 90's that says he basically sets the action as low as it goes without too much rattling. There will no doubt be plenty bassists out there with lower action than him, but I would have said that he has a pretty low action. Saying that, the tape is 20 + years old so possibly he has changed since then. Fraser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefrash Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1355984119' post='1905253'] It might be for the wannabies but it's certainly not for Billy himself - most people who play with low actions would really struggle with Billys basses as he sets his action pretty high. [/quote] heres the video here actually. I fully accept that its 20 years old, so he may have changed since then, but its pretty clear from the video that his action is pretty low. (4 minutes in). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhAiZxYJDWk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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