How do you prefer your string action, and what is the action and relief on your main bass?

[Baloney Balderdash]

Just out of curiosity really, how do you prefer your string action to be, and what is the action and relief on your main bass (if you got one, otherwise about average of your most played basses)?

 

My main is a lowly, but very much beloved,  Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass, with a just 28,6" scale length.

I have swapped out the cheap stock pickups with some of higher quality, but otherwise I was lucky to get an as good as perfect bass from stock, well beside from the absolutely horrifying bad setup it came with, as well as the stock strings were pretty crappy as well.

 

Measured from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the low E string the action is just about 1.9mm (5/64" =/~ 0.075"), and just about 1.4mm (1/16" =/~ 0.055") on the high G string side, with as good as no relief in the neck, something that perhaps translates to something like an about 0.2mm (1/64" =/~ 0.0079") gap or so between the top of the 8th fret and the bottom of the low E string when it is fretted at first and last fret simultaneously.

 

No fret buzz whatsoever on any of the strings no matter where on the fretboard they are fretted when played acoustically with a light touch, though certain strings fretted at certain frets does result in a slight buzz when digging in a bit harder, but again only when played acoustically, when the bass is actually amplified there is absolutely no hints of fret buzz anywhere to be found, though still adjusted sufficiently low for allowing me to force out some clanky attack if desired. 

But I do kind of have an idea about this kind of setup being about as low as you can go before it starts to affect the tone negatively, to some extend choking the string vibrations, no matter how perfectly leveled the frets might be.

Though Regardless if this idea is actually true or not I prefer to be able to feel at least a slight amount to resistance when fretting the strings, for me to be able to feel that I am actually playing, as well as giving me a slightly more focused awareness of the fretboard and my playing.

 

Preferably, for the sake of easy comparison, measure the string action at the 12th fret and the relief at 8th fret, like I did.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Baloney Balderdash

[hooky_lowdown]

[Baloney Balderdash]

5 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

Yes, I have noticed you like posts to be kept as short and pointless as possible, so this one is for you:

 

It got action and relief. 

Does yours too?

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Baloney Balderdash

[hooky_lowdown]

1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

pointless

Your word, and yes your posts are pointless. Why use ten words when you can use a hundred?!?

[Reggaebass]

There’s a bit of reading here Baloney that might be of interest to you , I remember posting a few pics there 🙂

 

[Nebadon2000]

I have exact same settings on Action but .010 relief. Feels good/right for me, I consider these settings Low but not super low like many enjoy.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

anything under about half an inch makes me feel like I'm winning