low action basses

[Bay Splayer]

if i was to buy another bass it would have to have a really low action

are any brands known for that

looks and sound wise i like the fender marcus miller jazz bass, although i dont know what their playability is like

any help on this one?

[MythSte]

Most basses should be able to have a low action if set up properly!

[OutToPlayJazz]

My Fender Marcus Miller has a very low action. It's currently set up on 40-100 strings & is very playable. The pickup guard acts almost like a wrist rest for slapping. Excellent bass.

Otherwise, Status basses spring to mind. The rigidity of the grapite necks makes keeping the board very straight and stable very easy, so Rob Green always sets them up at the optimum height - Ie., very low

Edited July 20, 2008 by OutToPlayJazz

[mikeh]

The MM Jazz I had, had a very low action. But the lowest action I ever had on a bass was a Status King Bass.

[6stringbassist]

My Modulus was very low, most Status basses I've tried have also been low.

But my Sei is probably as low as I've played, I doubt it could actually get any lower, it's just over 1mm at its highest, I can't get the allen key that I use for bridge adjustment under any of the strings.

The neck is very stable thanks to it being a singlecut design.

I do have a very light playing style, and use mostly free strokes as opposed to rest strokes.

Edited July 20, 2008 by 6stringbassist

[waynepunkdude]

I used to own a Tanglewood Warrier the action I could get on that was stupidly low and the sound was great too for the price, but it isn't really a high end bass if that is what you are looking for.

[Kiwi]

In my experience, Status and Alembic have both had consistent low action across the instruments I've played.

[Toasted]

Most quality basses can be set with a very low action.

[Machines]

Agreed on most basses can be ultra low.. but the lowest playable action i've seen was on a Modulus Flea.

[Merton]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='244034' date='Jul 20 2008, 08:42 PM']Otherwise, Status basses spring to mind. The rigidity of the grapite necks makes keeping the board very straight and stable very easy, so Rob Green always sets them up at the optimum height - Ie., very low [/quote]

Big plus 1. My Retroactive has ht elowest action I've ever been able to get away with (coz I hit the bass so hard!!)

[bnt]

Definitely Graphite. If I look at all the stuff Michael Manring gets up to with his Zon Hyperbass - travelling, thin strings, low tension, tuning changes in the middle of a piece - it would be a nightmare with a wooden neck.

[Josh]

Status again +1!

[stingrayfan]

It's a set up thing. Low action's no good if you're an energetic player though - you'll just get mush and buzz. My gig basses are set up higher than the ones I play at home.

[stevebasshead]

Fret height plays a part too. If a bass has uneven frets then it doesn't matter how stable/rigid/straight the neck is, the lowest action you can set will be influenced by whichever fret is highest above the others on the fretboard.

[Gamble]

I had a thought about this.....

When setting up my MIM Jazz 5 I can take all the height adjustment grub screws out of the bridge and it still has a higher action than I'd like. I don't think I've got the neck scooped to any great degree, although I might well buy a 24" steel rule to use as a straight-edge for setting up to soon. It seems almost as if the neck is set too far into the body. I've played around with trying to angle the neck by putting shim between it and the body at the join, but I think I've only ever tried that to raise the action (with the neck set straight) in the past. I did take it to a music shop (which has closed now) and ask to have the frets dressed, only to be told "Nah, probably just needs a bit more relief on the neck" then charged £15 to put on a set of strings I supplied.

So what I'm thinking is:

1. Make sure I've got the neck pretty damn straight (using a straight edge) and check for un-even frets.

2. Put packing under the neck/body join, not to angle the neck but just to raise it up into the strings and more in line with the bridge saddles.

Any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations?

[Alemboid]

This is all interesting, and I wouldn't disagree with what anyone has said. My thoughts though...

In my experience a truly low action, making the assumption that a very low action is A Good Thing, comes down to two fundamental variables, both of which must apply (if one excludes bridge, neck shimming, truss rod, nut and other geometric set up issues):

1. The quality of the fret job, assuming the fingerboard is capable of being flat.

2. The stability of the neck, both in terms of long term (hopefully) lack of movement and immediate rigidity.

In principle, 1. can be achieved on any bass given given quality control, care, luck or failing that the ministrations of a good stoner (various interpretations here I guess ).

2., however, is much more fundamental to the construction of the neck. The best I've had in this respect have been either graphite, or particularly well put together traditional construction.

Of the graphite monsters, my low action winners, in my experience only (!), have clearly been in the order of: Zon; Modulus; Status then Steinberger. I've yet to find a stable low action better than my fretted Zon (and other Zons I've played) - yes, the frets are essentially perfect, but the neck just refuses to move, at all, ever, yet... Which is all wonderfully reassuring. Moduluses share the stability, with perhaps 90% of the fretting quality (still usually excellent), with the less than honourable exception of some of the very early ones, which make up for being bannanoid with exceptional tone. With all of these, the dynamic stability, i.e. rigidity of the neck, plus the absence of constant truss rod fiddling, make a seriously low action achievable without constant niggles about whether it'll still be the same when you come back to the bass.

But the Alembic series wooden necks, and others, get terribly close. Whether this is down to multi-laminate construction, which must help, and/or using genuinely seasoned, not cut down a couple of weeks ago, timber is open to question. I imagine both play their part. It's extraordinary how some wooden necks move seemingly hour by hour (not thinking MM here particularly.... well I am actually) and others, Alembic, top end Yamaha (thinking TRB-Ps here) are utterly rock like.

Anyway, your mileage may vary, each to their own, etc, but my faves in this respect all seem to come from Northern California. Hmm, I suspect this is an entirely different discussion

B.

(have had two Zons, four Mods, three Stati, one Steiny, four Alembics, + the rest)

[EBS_freak]

Further to any other answers, most quality basses should be able to go low - but some fret dressing may be required to get it to it's optimum. Also, if you want really low action, you generally want a flatter radius to stop strings choking off.

My Lakland is stupidly low to the point where most people can't play it... GBs even lower! I do play with a very light touch though.

[bnt]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='244465' date='Jul 21 2008, 02:52 PM']It's a set up thing. Low action's no good if you're an energetic player though - you'll just get mush and buzz. My gig basses are set up higher than the ones I play at home.[/quote]
Energetic player, low action... you pretty much described John Entwistle right there. His choice of basses through the years can be seen as a quest for low action: Fender, Gibson, Alembic, Warwick, and finally his Status Graphite Buzzard.

I think it's a bit of both - a good low setup can help avoid mush and buzz if you're energetic but sensible. I mean, I'm not one of those players who regards any kind of string rattle as a problem. I would happily go to heavier strings if I could get a consistent low action. Which means that, much as I love the Tune look, I think there's a graphite bass in my future, such as a Zon Legacy.

[Gamble]

[quote name='Alemboid' post='244905' date='Jul 21 2008, 10:50 PM'](have had two Zons, four Mods, three Stati, one Steiny, four Alembics, + the rest)[/quote]

And judging by your avatar, a very cute kitten! awwwww........

[Paul Cooke]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='244045' date='Jul 20 2008, 09:02 PM']I used to own a Tanglewood Warrier the action I could get on that was stupidly low and the sound was great too for the price, but it isn't really a high end bass if that is what you are looking for.[/quote]

I have a Tanglewood Warrior IV... the action when I got it was stupidly low... I've had to raise it quite a bit as I like to use nice "fat" rest strokes... with plenty of finger pad meat...

[Alemboid]

That was a good three years ago that picture, and she's grown a bit since then. Still plenty of awwww... evident though

B

[quote name='Gamble' post='245723' date='Jul 22 2008, 10:19 PM']And judging by your avatar, a very cute kitten! awwwww........[/quote]

[stingrayfan]

Does she have a low action?

[Kev]

i have 2.5mm action on my stingray, iv never tried to get it any lower after i initially set it up coz tbh thats absolutly perfect for me, i play too aggressivly to have it any lower without buzzing i think

[6stringbassist]

[quote name='Gamble' post='244805' date='Jul 21 2008, 09:01 PM']I had a thought about this.....

When setting up my MIM Jazz 5 I can take all the height adjustment grub screws out of the bridge and it still has a higher action than I'd like. I don't think I've got the neck scooped to any great degree, although I might well buy a 24" steel rule to use as a straight-edge for setting up to soon. It seems almost as if the neck is set too far into the body. I've played around with trying to angle the neck by putting shim between it and the body at the join, but I think I've only ever tried that to raise the action (with the neck set straight) in the past. I did take it to a music shop (which has closed now) and ask to have the frets dressed, only to be told "Nah, probably just needs a bit more relief on the neck" then charged £15 to put on a set of strings I supplied.

So what I'm thinking is:

1. Make sure I've got the neck pretty damn straight (using a straight edge) and check for un-even frets.

2. Put packing under the neck/body join, not to angle the neck but just to raise it up into the strings and more in line with the bridge saddles.

Any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations?[/quote]

Save your money, you already have a straight edge fitted to your bass, hold a string down at the 1st fret, and use your elbow at the end of the neck.

[ped]

Yeah! Good tip. I prefer an extremely low action and zero relief on my carbon neck as I play extremely lightly and really like a bit of clank when I dig in. Luckily my bass neck hasn't moved since 1988 and I haven't adjusted the bridge for many years (since I started using Elixirs)

Cheers
ped