maddog
Well-known member
Yes, we must know the identity of our new guru, "guitarafondio" so that we may properly show praise.
we must pay homage.
Jackie, you pinched my MP line
- Thread starter Iamjacksbass
- Start date
we must pay homage.
Jackie, you pinched my MP line
bovinehost
Administrator
Azzy,
The saddles make the strings move up and down.
(I am tempted to be a smart-azz and leave it just like that, but no, I'm not like that.)
Lower them all equally until the strings are on the fretboard and then raise each of them individually until the string feels right and there's no clack/buzz etcetera.
This is always easier late at night with some sort of alcoholic beverage for refreshment.
Jack
bovinehost
Administrator
PS to the original poster:
Youarewhosebass?
Jack
Youarewhosebass?
Jack
maddog
Well-known member
I am Jack's colon. I get cancer, I kill Jack.
not you Jack, some other imaginary made up Jack.
Fight Club is such a fun movie.
not you Jack, some other imaginary made up Jack.
Fight Club is such a fun movie.
adouglas
Well-known member
Well said.
It ain't rocket surgery....
....but it does take a bit of confidence in your own mechanical skills.
It takes a great deal of honesty and maturity to recognize when it's time to admit that you really don't know what you're doing, give up and let a professional do it.
Many (but not all) men are notoriously bad at recognizing exactly when this point has been reached. Many (but not all) women are notoriously bad at reaching this point in the first place. This is why men get to make all the stupid mistakes.
maddog
Well-known member
azzy_wazzy
Well-known member
Jack my love, I'm glad you know your limits!
I just don't feel happy playing about with it anymore - spent literally weeks making adjustments trying to get a nice low action and eliminate buzz, and I'm man (or woman!) enough to know when I'm beaten. Started with straightened neck and low saddles etc but no luck!
I'll pay someone to set it up how I want, and then just tweak the truss occasionally - I think I can handle that! This is my first MM bass and perhaps my only one for a while - he's gonna get good care taken of him - and I don't think my mauling the setup quite comes into that category!!!And now back to our regularly scheduled programme...
Aussie Mark
Well-known member
First time I saw his handle I didn't see the "b"
Iamjacksbass
Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2006
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- 15
You guys have been great, quick to reply, and not to mention helpful, all of you here I assume have a MM bass, and may know were I'm coming from. I love this thing and I'm just trying to make it is best. So to some it all up. If my string moves or clicks or makes a tiny sound when pushed on it meens I have relief, yes? If my string does not move at all it meens my neck is too straight, or backbowed, yes? If the string has to go a good distance to move then theres to much relief, yes? OK if all those are right then Im good to go.Well... almost. Also if someone could please answer this I would trully be good to go. My truss rod on my Fender has always been tight to loosen or tighten. So I think I would have a hard time knowing once I was getting resistance. My neck would be in a back bow if my truss rod were about to break correct? Basically without sounding awkward I just wanna know what else would be an obvious sign not to take anymore relief outta my neck, besides resistance from my truss rod since it tight moving in both directions, even when being loosened.
guitarafondio
Well-known member
Hit my profile and you'll see who I am!
What about for fretless bass setups...if you don't mind sharing the "factory" secrets with us? I've trying to get my Sterling back to "factory" with out sending it to the factory.
What Jon says!
Personally, on my fretless basses I might have slightly less relief. I like it to be almost totally flat - with just enough relief to be able to play it.
Yeah...I've adjusted the relief as low as it will go without buzzing in the first few "frets", basically following the procedure of fretting at the 3rd line, thumb fretting the 12th and tapping with middle finger - it's probably high enough to just slip a busness card or piece of construction paper through the gap. I also tried advice from Gary Willis' website, fretting 1st fretline, holding strings down with your upper arm / eblow just past the end of the fingerboard to create a straight line, and then I can slip a credit card under easily.
My only problem now is that I have slight buzzing past the 14th "fret" (upper fingerboard). I guess the thing to do would be to raise the saddles slightly - 1/4 - 1/2 turn at a time, each screw each saddle?
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tadawson
Well-known member
Sounds like you pretty much have it figured out. As to when a truss rod is about to break, I can't tell you, having never broken one . . . . Personally, I think you would have to make a hell of an effort to break a truss unless it were defective, so assuming no fault, I agree with what you say above - if you are not in a huge backbow, you should be OK.
- Tim
Iamjacksbass
Member
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- Nov 30, 2006
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- 15
Gracias. It's good to know I know what I was doing for the last 3 years It's just I have a beautiful bass sitting in my room, and I would hate to see it not set up perfectly. Actually I do have one more question. My friend has a very poorly set up Fender P-bass. Seeing as he knows I know what im doing he trust me to adjust his bass, which is pretty flattering. His neck was in bad shape he had accesive relief up the wazoo. I usually go by the rule no more then a 1/4 to 1/2 turn, but this my friend necks was so bad that those turns didnt take all the bow outta his neck. I did end up adjusting his neck the way he likes it. Which is pretty much the way I like it. But is that normal I meen granted this was a very decent sized bow in his neck, but to have to make almost what seemed a 3/4 turn.
It's just I have a beautiful bass sitting in my room, and I would hate to see it not set up perfectly. Actually I do have one more question. My friend has a very poorly set up Fender P-bass. Seeing as he knows I know what im doing he trust me to adjust his bass, which is pretty flattering. His neck was in bad shape he had accesive relief up the wazoo. I usually go by the rule no more then a 1/4 to 1/2 turn, but this my friend necks was so bad that those turns didnt take all the bow outta his neck. I did end up adjusting his neck the way he likes it. Which is pretty much the way I like it. But is that normal I meen granted this was a very decent sized bow in his neck, but to have to make almost what seemed a 3/4 turn.Iamjacksbass
Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2006
- Messages
- 15
Gracias. It's good to know I know what I was doing for the last 3 years It's just I have a beautiful bass sitting in my room, and I would hate to see it not set up perfectly. Actually I do have one more question. My friend has a very poorly set up Fender P-bass. Seeing as he knows I know what im doing he trust me to adjust his bass, which is pretty flattering. His neck was in bad shape he had accesive relief up the wazoo. I usually go by the rule no more then a 1/4 to 1/2 turn, but this my friend necks was so bad that those turns didnt take all the bow outta his neck. I did end up adjusting his neck the way he likes it. Which is pretty much the way I like it. But is that normal I meen granted this was a very decent sized bow in his neck, but to have to make almost what seemed a 3/4 turn. Not exactly sure though, when I set up my bass i know I crank a check, and repeat until my neck is in good looking shape.
It's just I have a beautiful bass sitting in my room, and I would hate to see it not set up perfectly. Actually I do have one more question. My friend has a very poorly set up Fender P-bass. Seeing as he knows I know what im doing he trust me to adjust his bass, which is pretty flattering. His neck was in bad shape he had accesive relief up the wazoo. I usually go by the rule no more then a 1/4 to 1/2 turn, but this my friend necks was so bad that those turns didnt take all the bow outta his neck. I did end up adjusting his neck the way he likes it. Which is pretty much the way I like it. But is that normal I meen granted this was a very decent sized bow in his neck, but to have to make almost what seemed a 3/4 turn. Not exactly sure though, when I set up my bass i know I crank a check, and repeat until my neck is in good looking shape.
tadawson
Well-known member
The Fenders I have dinked with tended to like a bit more relief than my MM gear, but the process is similar. If it was that far out, loosening string tension, tightening the truss to get you close, let it sit for a day, and then final tweaking would be what I would do. Taking the string tension off lets you more the neck more on the initial adjustment without putting undue stress on the trussrod. I think the key is to let it settle for a day before final adjustment, since things will tend to settle in with a bit "more" of a change that what you though you initially dialed in . . .
- Tim
- Tim
Iamjacksbass
Member
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- Nov 30, 2006
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- 15
Yea, it was pretty bad. I corrected it, and as far as I know his truss rod is still in good working order. Any of you who have broken a truss rod? Just outta curiosity if it broke what would happen as far as its function? I meen obvioulsy the truss rod would no long effect relief in the neck, but how would the truss rod act, would it be loose and never stop turning like if you strip a screw or would it be tight and just wouldn't move? I've never been put in this situation before because I usually adjust till the neck is pretty straight then check the relief. I've never overdone it as far as I know cuz every truss I used, on my Fender, or even my old Yamaha is still fully functional. Like said I've never overdone it, and hopefully never will, because even though my SR is my main bass now, I know Id still go through a deep state of depression even if it was my Yamaha.
