You've obviously discovered the adjustability these things have due to ALEMBIC's feature set, especially the adjustable nut and the one-piece bridge.
I found that these features allowed me to experiment, turn my bass into a log once or twice, then restore it with just a few turns of the allen wrench back to fine playability. I took what I found out and was able to apply it to my other axes after I perfected it on the ALEMBIC. I'd have never had the patience to learn this on a Fender, saddle at a time, unbolt the neck, plastic nut, etc.
It's a skill that has served me well: They'll never darken a repairman's door unless they need major surgery. I'm always amazed at the genius built into these things on a very practical, user-friendly level, as I'm CERTAINLY not the most mechanical person out there ! Most guys are stupefied to find my ALEMBIC plays easier than their Les Paul or Strat, much less the usual PBass or Music Man.
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YOUR perfect action is like your idea of a perfect steak or a pretty girl: It's yours alone. There really is no 'right' set of numbers. The great thing now? When you put Elixirs on it, IF the neck reacts differently, now YOU know how to put it right back where you want it. To lift a line from the commercial, 'that's priceless'.
You'll fool around with this enough you'll know by feel IF it's moved, and you'll be sharp enough to 'eyeball'it back: It really will become that intuitive once your hands learn that feel.
And if you follow a similar evolution most of us did, as you learn to appreciate a lower action (and a generally lighter touch as you get used to it), you'll find you now longer fram the beJeezus out of your other axes like I once did.
Once more, remember, I'm not this smart. I got all of this from Dan Erlewine's excellent book,
The Guitar Player Repair Guide, available through StewMac or the usual suspects online or at the mall. If you're at all interested in getting 'under the hood'of your axes, I can't recommend it highly enough.
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These are expensive instruments, but what they've taught me about so many things puts me WAY past break-even. I can think of no other bass that would move my mind like these, and offer the value I've found in them.
J o e y
