I realize this forum sees quite as lot of string action related posts, but doing a search I couldn't find any with this specific angle on the subject, so I dare start yet another action themed thread, as I am curious about other people's preferences when it comes to this.
So, do you happen to have a preferred action and relief that you tend to aim for and replicate as close as possible on all your basses, and if so what is that, a set of numbers that you try to approximate, or simply just as low as possible, any eventual minimum and/or maximum numbers you need to be within to be satisfied with a setup, and how does this match the setup of your main bass(es), if you got such?
Through trial and error, from since I started to do my own setups, I found out what works best for me, and that is that I tend to aim for 2mm (~0.0787") measured at the 12th fret for the low E string side, and then slightly declining towards high G string side where I aim for about 1.5mm (~0.059").
If I have to go any higher than that it is not a satisfying result for me, and even if I am able to get lower action I prefer to not go any lower than about a couple of mm'ers (1mm=~0.0394") less at most , since I dislike the feel of fretting being too effortless as much as I do it requiring too much force, as well as I think it's about as low as you can go before it, from my personal experience and in my personal opinion, starts to effect the tone negatively.
As it happens to be these numbers match pretty nicely with as low that I am able to go without any fret buzz whatsoever on my main Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro, just about 1.8mm (~0.0709") at 12th fret low E string side, and then slightly declining towards the high G string where the action is just about 1.4mm (~0.055") (and as with how the angle of the neck on my Mikro happens to be it is very close to the exact same numbers at 17th fret, and just ever so slightly higher at the last 22th fret, which is spot on 2mm low E string side and about 1.6mm high G string side).
As for relief I prefer my neck as straight as possible, and with the above set action on my Mikro bass I am able to practically get that, I think the relief on the neck of my Mikro might be about just 0.1mm (~0.004") or so (as in gap at 8th fret with low E string fretted at the first and last fret simultaneously), just barely there, to ensure that there is no back bow happening.
So, do you happen to have a preferred action and relief that you tend to aim for and replicate as close as possible on all your basses, and if so what is that, a set of numbers that you try to approximate, or simply just as low as possible, any eventual minimum and/or maximum numbers you need to be within to be satisfied with a setup, and how does this match the setup of your main bass(es), if you got such?
Through trial and error, from since I started to do my own setups, I found out what works best for me, and that is that I tend to aim for 2mm (~0.0787") measured at the 12th fret for the low E string side, and then slightly declining towards high G string side where I aim for about 1.5mm (~0.059").
If I have to go any higher than that it is not a satisfying result for me, and even if I am able to get lower action I prefer to not go any lower than about a couple of mm'ers (1mm=~0.0394") less at most , since I dislike the feel of fretting being too effortless as much as I do it requiring too much force, as well as I think it's about as low as you can go before it, from my personal experience and in my personal opinion, starts to effect the tone negatively.
As it happens to be these numbers match pretty nicely with as low that I am able to go without any fret buzz whatsoever on my main Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro, just about 1.8mm (~0.0709") at 12th fret low E string side, and then slightly declining towards the high G string where the action is just about 1.4mm (~0.055") (and as with how the angle of the neck on my Mikro happens to be it is very close to the exact same numbers at 17th fret, and just ever so slightly higher at the last 22th fret, which is spot on 2mm low E string side and about 1.6mm high G string side).
As for relief I prefer my neck as straight as possible, and with the above set action on my Mikro bass I am able to practically get that, I think the relief on the neck of my Mikro might be about just 0.1mm (~0.004") or so (as in gap at 8th fret with low E string fretted at the first and last fret simultaneously), just barely there, to ensure that there is no back bow happening.
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