How low is low?

[T-Bay]

A lot of discussion on here have comments about preference for low or high action. From playing other people's basses I have realised that my low is pretty low compared to some others. So I was wondering how other people measure their set up and what do people count as low or high?

[JapanAxe]

Personally I use quite a light touch in the picking fingers, so I go for a pretty straight neck and low action. Are you looking for measurements here btw!?

[PawelG]

Neck straight, but not so straight, slight relief. For me low is the lowest I can get without the strings buzzing anywhere. The lowest I've had was a Manne Newport Satin Bass, that was around 1.3mm on the E string, above the fret where the neck joins the body. My P bass is just over 2mm and that is low for me too.

[Guest Jecklin]

I want lower!
My neck isn't really stable enough to have the relief as straight as I'd like so I live with it being just a tad higher.

Once summer is out of the way I think I'll be able to straighten then neck a bit more. However the truss rod seems to effect the lowest positions far more than the middle so I may get the fingerboard planed in due course (it's a fretless).

I have no idea what my action measures at any more though. I go by feel rather than what a ruler says.

Edit just measured out if interest and the damn neck has moved again giving a little more relief. I thought my playing felt different today.
At 21st "fret" I have the E at 1.5 mm and just less than that at the half string octave.
The other strings are set increasingly lower - ie the G is around 1.2mm at the 21st

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1497559471' post='3319168']
A lot of discussion on here have comments about preference for low or high action. From playing other people's basses I have realised that my low is pretty low compared to some others. So I was wondering how other people measure their set up and what do people count as low or high?
[/quote]

If I get an occasional slight buzzing I know its spot on. If you really want ultra low action listen for the buzzing through headphones/IEMs - its surprising how much acoustic buzzing you can you have before it comes through in any appreciable volume through the pickups.

Setting the action higher than necessary to eliminate buzzing is completely pointless (IMO).

[bazzbass]

low enough to get fret buzz when digging in hard. Listen to isolated bass tracks from Geddy and JPJ, fret buzz is actually good.

[SpondonBassed]

How low is low? No lower than the belly of a racing snake I'll wager. Oh wait, I've just thought of a few people who might actually be...

I tend to go by feel as mentioned by another member above. I just looked at my main guitar, the Steinberger, with a rule so this is approximate; For the low B it's around 2mm at the 12th and about 2.5mm at the 24th but it needs a bit of a tweak to get a slight buzz out from the B in the 7th to 12th area. I changed to flats and made slight adjustment to the saddles at the time. A couple of months on with the strings bedded in somewhat, a neck relief adjustment and saddle re-check is due.

[gary mac]

On ones with a 9.5 radius fret board, I like about 2.4mm on the E @ 17th fret and 2.0mm on the G.

[AdamWoodBass]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1497590149' post='3319240']
low enough to get fret buzz when digging in hard. Listen to isolated bass tracks from Geddy and JPJ, fret buzz is actually good.
[/quote]

For a Jazz bass, my thoughts exactly. Low enough to get that gritty buzz when you dig in but not so low that it chokes a note. When I'm playing fairly busy or technical stuff I use a Jazz so the lower action is appropriate. If you push down the string on the first fret with your left hand and then use the little finger of your right hand to push down the string on about the 14th fret the distance between fret and string around the 5th or 7th fret should be about the width of a credit card. That's how I have mine setup anyway.

For a P-bass I have a slightly different philosophy on action. I have it a bit higher to achieve a kind of "bouncy" feel but that's because I use a P-bass for a very different sound to a Jazz bass, mainly for when I'm playing less "busy" stuff and more basic groove stuff.

Also important to consider pickup hight when adjusting action if your pickups have exposed pole pieces. The sound of a string clanging off a pickup pole is something that really grates on me! I tend to try and keep my pickups low enough that when I do dig in even when I get super excited they don't clatter against the pole pieces. You lose a bt of output especially on a passive bass but at least you don't get that nasty pop.

[Guest MoJo]

My preferred settings: A tiny amount (.008" / 0.2mm) of relief. String clearance, 2mm at the 17th fret on the E down to 1.8mm on the G, play with a light touch

Edited June 16, 2017 by MoJo

[chris_b]

My preferred setting is. . . . as low as it goes without buzzing. Whatever that is. It'll probably be different on each instrument.

I have 4 basses. 2 were Pleked when made and they are still very good. I've had the frets levelled on the other 2 and the action is even and now lower than they could have gone before. All 4 play beautifully.

If the action is too low for your plucking technique then you'll compromise your tone. Very low needs a very light right hand technique. If you hit harder the strings will have to come up.

[Lozz196]

I set mine with a slight bend/relief in the neck, and about 2.5/3mm at the 12th fret. Most of my work is open strings up to 8th fret so I can dig in nicely and get some fret-buzz when needed.

[Ghost_Bass]

For me is as low as i can get it without buzzing, i set my neck straight as a ruler. For other people's basses i usually add a bit of relief and leave the strings a bit higher than i would use them as i'm a very light player and know that others may/will dig harder.

[Freddy Le Cragg]

Mine is whatever my bass came set up as when I bought it 12 years ago.

[Monkey Steve]

I typically like a slightly higher action that the basses come with when a professional has done the set up or as they come from new. If it's too low then the pickups will distort thanks to my somewhat aggressive Entwistle style string hammering technique - more to do with being too close to the pickups than the fretboard, but also because I'll do a bit of slapping and popping and need to have room to get under the strings.

[SpondonBassed]

Dear Aunt Bay,

Following some recent lumbar discomfort my doctor has recommended that I take a rest from bending over backwards whilst trying to satisfy punters' incessant requests for Iron Maiden's Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Mustang Sally. So that my back heals with no loss of mobility she has suggested that I take up limbo dancing as a hobby so that I can get right back into playing the bass on discharge from her practice.

My concern is that I might have to become a slapper if I set my action sufficiently high to practice limbo with. I already have a dubious reputation for hanging around on street corners as it is.

[Elfrasho]

Mine is set medium I'd say. It can go lower but I like a bit of grab to the strings which I feel you lose if you go mega low. I tried my mates bass (who is outstanding) and his action was high. I read somewhere (from a techguy) most basses can be set up the exact say you like as aslong as theres no fundamental problems with the neck or the actual design.