String Height.

[Norris]

Anyone got a ruler I can borrow? ;-) I don't like mine too low

[Twincam]

[quote name='stoo' timestamp='1426651363' post='2720329']
[b]If you have fret buzz from 1-5 but not higher up the neck, then the conventional approach would be to raise the bridge and tighten the truss rod a little to straighten the neck to compensate for the extra string height higher up the neck[/b]
[/quote]

Errrm no. If your straightening the neck you risk then getting fret buzz all over the place and raising the bridge will create a low action in the lower frets and a huge action in the higher ones if you want to compensate for the straight neck.

If you have fret buzz from frets 1 to 7 when fretting then you need more relief, loosen the truss rod.

The actual conventional approach is. Buzz in lower 1 to 7 frets needs more relief loosen truss rod. Buzz in higher frets from 7th onwards needs bridge raised and a lower relief tighten truss rod.

You need to find a balance, if you can't get a good action then you may have high frets, a wrongly cut nut, uneven fret board/warped neck. Or even just your playing too hard.

[discreet]

Personal taste of course, but I find that people tend towards a low action because they think it's the right thing to do and any bass on which it is difficult to attain said low action is in some way deficient. I think a very low action is overrated myself. I've tried lots of different string heights over the years and favour a medium to high action. I find that if the string isn't allowed to vibrate as much as it wants to when you pluck it, you lose a lot of tone, clarity and volume. Strings need room to 'breathe'. Having said that, I prefer a slightly lower action with flats... mainly because it's easy to achieve without losing tone.

Edited March 20, 2015 by discreet

[gjones]

I've played with really low action in the past but as the ambient temperature changes so does the action on your bass and that's just more hassle than it's worth. I've known some very good pro bassists who had, what I'd call very high action, but it didn't hold them back. In fact Vail Johnson, who is a member on basschat, says that low action is the enemy of good tone. And who am I to argue with that ........especially when he can play like this.


https://youtu.be/fWSqLD6gdrI

Edited March 20, 2015 by gjones

[cameltoe]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1426891233' post='2723282']
Errrm no. If your straightening the neck you risk then getting fret buzz all over the place and raising the bridge will create a low action in the lower frets and a huge action in the higher ones if you want to compensate for the straight neck.

If you have fret buzz from frets 1 to 7 when fretting then you need more relief, loosen the truss rod.

The actual conventional approach is. Buzz in lower 1 to 7 frets needs more relief loosen truss rod. Buzz in higher frets from 7th onwards needs bridge raised and a lower relief tighten truss rod.

You need to find a balance, if you can't get a good action then you may have high frets, a wrongly cut nut, uneven fret board/warped neck. Or even just your playing too hard.
[/quote]

Yes he had that the wrong way round!

Buzz in lower frets (1-5 or so) usually means the neck is too straight, discounting any problems with fret levels or loose frets.


Didn't Jamerson play with an action you could park a bus under?

Tone, yes definitely better with a higher action, no question.

Comfort… not for me.. needs to be low.

I read a lot on here about action and I don't know if i'm mistaken, but it seems like pick players prefer a higher action than finger players?

[stoo]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1426891233' post='2723282']
Errrm no.
[/quote]

That'll learn me not to be posting on here at silly o'clock in the morning while slightly off my noggin on painkillers......<checks clock> Oh....

Apologies for any confusion caused by my brainfart!

[ubit]

I the past,I'm always had super low action because I thought that's what you did. I thought good players would have super low action just the same as guitarists. I used to play with constant fret click, which would transmit through the PA .eventually, I realised that if I raised the action a bit, my sound would clean up. Now I play with the action set pretty high, although, I will bring it down until the buzz appears, then back it off again. As for measurements, just play what feels right!

[Wolverinebass]

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1426881010' post='2723165']
I've had the frets levelled on on every bass I've had to get the action as low as possible. I also like minimal relief, almost a straight neck, so the action is close to the same across the whole neck. There is nothing I hate more than a bass with increasing action the closer you get to the bridge- as soon as you get up to fret 10 or so the action is double what it was on fret 3 or 4.
[/quote]

I agree with this totally. My 12 has the problem you describe though it's not too high until the 15th fret. I seriously need to get a new nut made as the nut end is amazingly low. Thankfully all the rest of my basses are less than 1mm at the 12th fret. Sod digging in. I'd like my hands to work properly in 20 years.