AndyFraser65 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hi to you all, I'd like to have some opinions from you bass experts :-) Since a couple of years now, I put away the guitar (which I played for over 25 years) to devote myself completely to the electric bass... I started to adjust my bass with an action as low as possible to begin with, then, I start to raise it up gradually to get a much better and full-bodied sound. My favorite bass is my T-Bird Classic Pro IV, great for the price and I love his sound... I kindly ask you: what are the "standard" values to consider for an "optimal" string action ? Epiphone provides no clear guidance (like Fender does) on adjusting neck and bridge for optimal action and I'd like to come with you and with your experience ... Many thanks in advance for all your advice and experiences ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I've never measured it in all my time as a bass player. I basically make sure there's "some" relief (less than a mm, but "some"). Then for each string I wind the saddle down until I get fret buzz at the dusty end of the bass. Then I raise it gently until that goes away. That's "optimal" for me, might not be the same for you though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFraser65 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi neepheid and thank you for your reply ;-) I realize that there are no "scientific" rules on how each musician should regulate their own instruments, i'm very curious about the opinions of other bassists especially on how they setup their Epiphones ... I confess that, as a guitarist, I never particularly liked Epi guitars while I find Epi basses absolutely fantastic as compared with the price: really hard to find something better than a T-Bird or a EB-03 at these prices ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Epiphone provides no clear guidance (like Fender does) on adjusting neck and bridge for optimal action and I'd like to come with you and with your experience ... Many thanks in advance for all your advice and experiences ;-) epiphone actually does provide their set up specs in their owners manual http://images.epiphone.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Media/Manuals/EpiOwnrsManul.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Here's a Stew-Mac video that may help you. Dan is setting up a Fender, which is a completely different animal - but the basics are the same; your Epi will be much easier to set up. I like a fairly straight neck and low string height, but it's all about the action you're most comfortable with. There are several good videos on YouTube that are worth watching. I hope this helps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtKzL3n0fgc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 One of the factors in setting optimal action for either guitar or bass depends on your playing style. If you like to dig in with pick or fingers and play hard, a somewhat higher action will be optimal. A lower action will be better suited to a player with a lighter touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Roundwounds usually call for stiffer action and more neck relief than flatwounds. Critical can be string buzz between nut (sic!) and 5th respectively 7th fret when fretting at 6th respectively 8th fret. Vibration propagating to "the other side" through the string core can cause this, in particular on the lower strings. Raising action is useless in this case, the only solution is increasing neck relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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