Just measured my action.

[Painy]

Just got my Squier Vm P5 from having a new Nordstrand NP5V pickup fitted (which need some routing etc. to make it fit. The bridge saddles had shifted a little during the process though so I gave it a bit of a set up to get it back to where I like it.

I like my action to be what I've anyways thought of as being super low but thought I'd measure it this time and see how it actually compares to others on here. 

At the 12th fret it is currently at 1.4mm under the low B through to 0.8mm under the G with no dead notes anywhere on the fingerboard. 

How does your action compare? 

[Hellzero]

This is very low. My low action goes from 1,5 mm under the C string (on my 6 strings basses) to 2 mm under the B string at 12th fret. That said on a P-Bass, a higher action means better dynamics. I set my newly acquired Fender Precision Bass AVRI '57 at 2 mm under the G string to 3 mm under the E string at 12th fret. This is just terrific sounding with new Ernie Ball flatwounds cobalt. Thanks @HazBeen for the tip for these strings. The pickup is also far away from the strings which gives also better dynamics. I'm now in the process of raising the action on all my basses as that very P-Bass effect is something I really like.

[Newfoundfreedom]

How do you even measure point anything of a millimeter? 

[ped]

9 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

How do you even measure point anything of a millimeter? 

Feeler gauges are the normal technique 

[Reggaebass]

I found having my action as low as I can get it 1.5 to 2 mm allows me to play with a lighter touch and it’s easier for me to mute in my style of playing   

[Hellzero]

11 hours ago, ped said:

Feeler gauges are the normal technique 

Or Allen keys.

[Lozz196]

Mine is about 3mm on the E at 12th fret. I`m quite a hard-hitter as play punk, so need both some fret-buzz but also some room so that the strings don`t choke.

[PaulWarning]

I set my P up in line with Fender recommendations, 2.5mm at the 17th fret on the E string, they should know they built it, I would think too low an action means a very light touch all the time which will take the dynamics out of your playing, plus I very rarely go down the dusty end so lowering the action has less effect anyway, apart from loads of fret buzz

[Twincam]

Depends on the bass. Every bass sets up and plays slightly different. Thats even with the nut correctly adjusted. Level frets and correct amount of neck relief. So there can be slight variations. Plus different strings react differently to low, average or higher setups.

My playing action is about average so 2.3mm - 1.9mm E to G. Approx .011 relief. Nut should be adjusted so when fretting at the 3rd fret, the gap between top of first fret to bottom of the strings is approx .004 (standard paper thickness) any lower and you risk back clank on fretted notes to the nut, which is horrible and wrong. I like the pickup set to just brush my finger tips and no higher i will then adjust for string balance. My dynamic playing isn't very good. I can play with a soft to average touch, after that I just snatch at the strings so I can't lower my action much. And ive noticed better players can make fret buzz musical, I can't.

People I've did and still do setups for will normally like a lower action than my own preference I've noted. It's not always the case many are fine with manufactures specs. Fewer still want a higher setup. And some even want two basses setup different one lower/higher than the other.

I do hear a tone difference in low to high setups neither one better or worse just different and I think they both have there place. Which is another good reason to have multiple basses 😁

[Painy]

Just to explain my reasoning behind setting the action so low in case it's of interest. 

It's not actually about ease of playing for my left hand (although it certainly doesn't hurt). It's actually about trying to achieve a particular sound.

I used to play with a medium high action and then dig in hard to get the harmonics to ring out as the string kind of bounced off the frets but a few years back I started to feel the onset of arthritis in my right hand. I found that playing with a lighter touch helped avoid a lot of discomfort (not to mention helping with speed) but at the expense of a lot of the articulation in my sound. Bringing the action down really low allowed me to get that brightness and articulation back without the need to dig in. I've also l learnt to control the dynamics with techniques other than just playing harder - for example striking the strings with my fingers (think more Steve Harris' style than John Entwistle's 'typewriter' thing) rather than plucking at them. 

 

[4000]

9 hours ago, Painy said:

Just to explain my reasoning behind setting the action so low in case it's of interest. 

It's not actually about ease of playing for my left hand (although it certainly doesn't hurt). It's actually about trying to achieve a particular sound.

I used to play with a medium high action and then dig in hard to get the harmonics to ring out as the string kind of bounced off the frets but a few years back I started to feel the onset of arthritis in my right hand. I found that playing with a lighter touch helped avoid a lot of discomfort (not to mention helping with speed) but at the expense of a lot of the articulation in my sound. Bringing the action down really low allowed me to get that brightness and articulation back without the need to dig in. I've also l learnt to control the dynamics with techniques other than just playing harder - for example striking the strings with my fingers (think more Steve Harris' style than John Entwistle's 'typewriter' thing) rather than plucking at them. 

 

I've just been toying (again) with light strings - 35 to 95 - for this very reason. If you listen to Stu Zender on Too Young To Die, for instance, there's a real buzz/rasp/pop to the note, whilst maintaining a fairly fluid tone. I play very lightly for the most part and simply can't get that with heavier strings, certainly on the basses I currently own. Stick 35s on (coincidentally the gauge he used) and Bob's your uncle. 

[ped]

Agree with you @Painy and @4000

I like a super low action - but I find the most important thing is very little relief in the neck. This means I can play with a super light touch, and by altering the way I pluck the strings, and position of my right hand, I can go from a clear round note to a raspy burp sound. This has been married to the careful use of a limiter in my signal chain which gives everything a defined 'edge' at which point the clank cuts in.

I haven't ever measured my action but I like it lowww - especially the G string which I always have lower than the rest. Normally at a bash people pick up my bass and it's choking everywhere - and when I pick up someone else's bass I feel really slow and numb on it!

[Painy]

4 hours ago, ped said:

Agree with you @Painy and @4000

I like a super low action - but I find the most important thing is very little relief in the neck. This means I can play with a super light touch, and by altering the way I pluck the strings, and position of my right hand, I can go from a clear round note to a raspy burp sound. This has been married to the careful use of a limiter in my signal chain which gives everything a defined 'edge' at which point the clank cuts in.

I haven't ever measured my action but I like it lowww - especially the G string which I always have lower than the rest. Normally at a bash people pick up my bass and it's choking everywhere - and when I pick up someone else's bass I feel really slow and numb on it!

+1 on the neck relief being key. I set mine as close to being completely flat as possible without actualy being flat if that makes sense. 

If I press down the string at the 1st and 12th frets and then tap the string above the 7th, I can feel and hear the string click against the fret but can't actually see the gap unless I look very closely from the right angle and with the light behind it. 

Obviously it only works if the nut is cut properly though. 

Edited September 6, 2018 by Painy

[4000]

3 hours ago, Painy said:

+1 on the neck relief being key.