Fretboard action... to change or not to change?

[iverson763]

Hey, when i bought my bass, i had no idea what a set up was. about 2 years later, i learnt that you can change the action of the strings... took me a while, but realised it =)

Well , i was comfortable with the high action and my friends advised me to stick to it.

Now i'm toying with the idea of lowering the action again, to give my fingers a break... advisable?

 

[The-Warlord]

If you are comfortable and used to what you have, don't change.

 

[pooo]

You could always have the action lowered and see how it's like, and if you'd like it or not. If not, then just raise the action back up to the level where you are used to.

 

[dude]

after you lower the action, the next time you change strings, will the bass still be in low action?

 

[echoist]

after you lower the action, the next time you change strings, will the bass still be in low action?

assuming that u used the same string gauge/type, the action will remain the same.

i mentioned same string gauge/type because, if u were to use a thicker gauged string, the neck will bend more, thus u have more relief and higher action. and conversely if u used thinner gauged strings, the opposite will happen.

Now i'm toying with the idea of lowering the action again, to give my fingers a break... advisable?

there is no harm in trying. who knows, u might prefer the lower action more, and the results might make u play better. and like pooo mentioned, u can always revert to the original set-up if u don't favour it.

but be aware, do not lower the action "too much", as it can result in string/fret buzzing or a less "nicer tone".

 

[stillwater]

iversion, just try it... everyone's gotta start somewhere...
u're used to playing high action cos u never had a chance to get used to a low action b4...

u'll never know, it might just be the factor to improve your playing... or sometimes "deprove", if it ended up sounding all buzzy :lol:

 

[cherns]

How low you have your bass setup is a matter of preference - but it should never be to the point of buzzing. When it starts to buzz, it means it's too low.

As far as I know, how low the setup of your bass can go depends on 2 things
1) how skillful you are at doing setups
2) how well crafted the bass is

 

[rottenramone]

..

Always tinker around with your instruments, even to the point of when you feel like its gonna screw up. Otherwise, how would you learn to really master your instrument?

Although I don't claim to be an expert, I do my own setups with a few simple tools. If you read up enough, tweaking is a relatively easy job.

 

[3notesAbar]

Another thing to note:

Whether we like it or not, most guitar necks are made of wood, and wood will BEND eventually. So, what we're comfortable with now, may become a chore to play in say 2 years. Learning to tinker with your gear like Rottenrambo said is very sound advice!

 

[visa]

best to start out on a cheapo though. >_> I'm not going to tweak around on like a fender jazz bass I save a year for

 

[fgl]

Tinkering....very very true...I remember..one minute I was tinkering, next I wa servicing other ppl's axes...imagine...

its fun doe 8)

 

[rottenramone]

..

My first time at actually unbolting and straightening a neck... A Mexican Fender Precision Special. I was so nervous, had to be careful. but I followed the steps and everything worked out in the end.

Don't worry, won't snap or anything one lah.

 

[iverson763]

Woa... thanks for the replies. shall try that out year end during the school holis... heh

 

[cherns]

One thing you might want to keep in mind - Your bass isn't as fragile as you think it is

 

[dude]

is there like a tutorial on how to lower the action or smth?