# Bass Action (String Height)



## Konfyouzd (Jul 21, 2009)

Hey guys...

I know action is more or less a personal preference thing, but I was wondering if there is a general rule on how high action should be set on a bass. My action was a bit high for my liking and even lowering the action via the bridge saddles left the action a little high for my liking. So I shimmed the neck and the action is much more comfortable for me but I feel I could stand to get a bit lower.

Is it common for bass players to play with ridiculously low action? What I'm going for essentially is the bass equivalent to LOOOOW shred guitar action. Obviously it wouldn't be as close to the board as a guitar string due to the difference in string size, but fairly proportional to that.

Also, I am still in the market for after market bridges for my bass. Are there some bridges that will facilitate this kind of low action more readily than others?


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## knuckle_head (Jul 21, 2009)

No rules here - action is a purely personal thing.

Best bet for adjustments is this; set your saddle height so that you get the kind of action you like as you play between the 12th and 16th frets. If your bridge saddles are dropped all the way down consider re-shimming. If your saddles are extended way high consider removing the shims you put in. Once done, start playing open to 5th frets and make necessary additional adjustments at the truss rod. 1/4 turns at a go and give the neck a little while to adjust to new tensions - slow is good here.

Bridge selection won't determine how low you can get, and you do want some distance between the body and the strings - again, another personal thing.


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## SargeantVomit (Jul 21, 2009)

There is no rule. It really depends on how you play, where you pluck/pick, what kind of music you're playing, what kind of strings you like, etc. There are a hundred different factors. 

Shimming your neck should be the absolute last option. Set your necks relief with the truss rod, if that doesn't work (or god forbid you don't even have a truss rod) then look into other options. 

Set your string tension to the tuning you use, then set your truss rod, then adjust your saddles. I like just a little bit of buzz if you are playing acoustically and digging in a little bit harder than you expect to play. 

For a bridge, get a badass II, it's the most common aftermarket bridge.


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## TemjinStrife (Jul 21, 2009)

SargeantVomit said:


> There is no rule. It really depends on how you play, where you pluck/pick, what kind of music you're playing, what kind of strings you like, etc. There are a hundred different factors.



This is true, and while I have no hard-and-fast numbers I like to get my action as low as possible.



> Shimming your neck should be the absolute last option. Set your necks relief with the truss rod, if that doesn't work (or god forbid you don't even have a truss rod) then look into other options.



Some basses, just like guitars do need a shim to get reasonable action. My 1978 Fender P-Bass needed a business card folded in half at the end of the neck pocket to bring the strings to a reasonable level, as the neck was arrow straight and the saddles low, yet the action at the 12th fret was quite high.

He does have a good point though. Only shim if you find that by lowering the saddles till they bottom out or have a bad break angle and making sure the neck is straight (or has a very small amount of relief) you still don't have the action you want.



> For a bridge, get a badass II, it's the most common aftermarket bridge.



What kind of bass do you have? That will determine what bridges will fit it. The Badass II is a good drop-in for Fenders, but won't work on an Ibanez BTB or a Schecter C-4.

Also, don't be afraid of a little buzz/rattle, as it has become part of the "heavy bass guitar sound." However, if you're losing sustain or getting dead notes, something needs to be tweaked.


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## Cheesebuiscut (Jul 21, 2009)

Yeah I have this P-bass that needed a HUGE shim to get reasonable action and its still quite high for my taste.

The fretboard has relief left in it and the truss rod is maxed out so its pretty much stuck as is.

Bass will be the same as guitar though, flatten out your fretboard then lower the action from the saddle and as said don't be afraid of a little buzz.


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## signalgrey (Jul 21, 2009)

please dont sound like fucking fieldy. clacky clack clack. ugh. scooped mids on a bass. no thank you. it never sounds good. a warm buzz ok. a "clack" not good. and it sounds like shit recorded.


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## Cheesebuiscut (Jul 21, 2009)




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## Ramsay777 (Jul 22, 2009)

That clip still blows my mind! What a player 

Back on topic... I've always played bass with a pretty high action, why, I dunno  But I lowered it as low as possible without string buzz tonight and man I can play so much better now!  Feels a lot easier to play.

All I need's a 35" scale and I'll be a happy man.


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 22, 2009)

signalgrey said:


> please dont sound like fucking fieldy. clacky clack clack. ugh. scooped mids on a bass. no thank you. it never sounds good. a warm buzz ok. a "clack" not good. and it sounds like shit recorded.



never that, my friend 

basically i think--from what you guys have all said--that i need to redo the shimming. it's shimmed AND the saddles are ALL the way down and the action is ABOUT where i'd like it but like i said it could be a tad lower.

i just REALLY like the lower action for tapping and for that "walking" two finger technique (i still dunno what it's called... i just think of it as alternate picking even though it really isn't )



TemjinStrife said:


> What kind of bass do you have? That will determine what bridges will fit it. The Badass II is a good drop-in for Fenders, but won't work on an Ibanez BTB or a Schecter C-4.
> 
> Also, don't be afraid of a little buzz/rattle, as it has become part of the "heavy bass guitar sound." However, if you're losing sustain or getting dead notes, something needs to be tweaked.



i have an Ibanez SR305. and i rather like that slight buzz actually. i hear it a lot when wooten plays... i had just thought it to be inevitable since the strings are so damn big.


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## SargeantVomit (Jul 23, 2009)

Most guys that do a lot of bass tapping have their action so low that you need to have a very light fingerstyle technique to play it without tapping. Think about string tension too, gauges and tuning. Its all about compromise and finding the sweet spot for your strings and technique. If you are concerned about the feel of the strings on your right hand maybe think about getting a ramp, they really help. 

If your neck is straight as an arrow and your saddles are bottoming out and you"re still dealing with high action you probably should be shimming but maybe your nut isnt cut low enough. Getting an instrument setup "just right" is an art.

I play G&L, and their bridges rule too if the badass wont fit, the G&L bridges lock the saddles from moving side to side to increase sustain.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Jul 24, 2009)

I like mine uber low and slightly buzzy.

But it's just like with guitar, set it to taste, shimming if you need to.


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 28, 2009)

they should sell the Badass at GuitarPartsDepot.com or Stew Mac, right?


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