Lowering The Action On My Bongo

[HEWLIO]

The action on my bongo is quite high so i think i wanna lower it. What is an appropriate hight off the fret board for the strings and is this something i can do myself easily? Thanks

 

[MrMusashi]

...is this something i can do myself easily? Thanks

yes.. usually a small twist with a 3mm allen wrench in the trussrod wheel will take care of it..

read up on how to set up the basses here:
http://www.ernieball.com/faq_content.php?subjectcode=mm_basses

if you dont know what you are doing, please take it to someone who does. it will save you alot of grief (and probably money too)

MrM

 

[adouglas]

Really important rule:

Don't screw around with the bridge to adjust action height unless:

a) you're changing string gauges, or
b) you know for ABSOLUTE CERTAIN that you need to adjust the bridge.

The obvious thing to do when you want to adjust your action is to mess with the bridge, but that's wrong.

First you need to get the trussrod set right.

THEN and only then should you mess with the saddles.

In my experience, the trussrod is something that gets fiddled with a lot. The bridge is not.

I've owned my original Bongo for over three years. The strings I've used during that time are the same brand and gauge (EB Regular Slinkies) that the instrument shipped with.

I have not had to touch the bridge at all.

However, I do routinely tweak the trussrod...pretty much every time there is a singificant change in the weather (like seasonal changes).

Thanks to the trussrod wheel (right up there with the Greatest Inventions Ever in my book) I view trussrod adjustments as no more serious than tuning the strings. When it needs doing, it gets done.

I can pretty much tell when it needs a tweak by feel, but I also have a simple technique to check for sure. I fret with my left hand at the first fret. With my right thumb I press down at the 15th fret, and stretch my right hand to tap the string at the 7th fret. What I'm looking for is evidence that there is just a bit of clearance - the string does tap down on the fret - but as little as possible. It's a feel thing.

 

[HEWLIO]

Really important rule:

Don't screw around with the bridge to adjust action height unless:

a) you're changing string gauges, or
b) you know for ABSOLUTE CERTAIN that you need to adjust the bridge.

The obvious thing to do when you want to adjust your action is to mess with the bridge, but that's wrong.

First you need to get the trussrod set right.

THEN and only then should you mess with the saddles.

In my experience, the trussrod is something that gets fiddled with a lot. The bridge is not.

I've owned my original Bongo for over three years. The strings I've used during that time are the same brand and gauge (EB Regular Slinkies) that the instrument shipped with.

I have not had to touch the bridge at all.

However, I do routinely tweak the trussrod...pretty much every time there is a singificant change in the weather (like seasonal changes).

Thanks to the trussrod wheel (right up there with the Greatest Inventions Ever in my book) I view trussrod adjustments as no more serious than tuning the strings. When it needs doing, it gets done.

I can pretty much tell when it needs a tweak by feel, but I also have a simple technique to check for sure. I fret with my left hand at the first fret. With my right thumb I press down at the 15th fret, and stretch my right hand to tap the string at the 7th fret. What I'm looking for is evidence that there is just a bit of clearance - the string does tap down on the fret - but as little as possible. It's a feel thing.

Im quite sure that the truss rod isn't the problem and to me messing with the truss rod isn't something that i wanna do. id much rather move the bridge saddles around.
take a look..........

 

[Freddels]

Go here http://www.ernieball.com/faq_content.php?subjectcode=mm_basses
and scroll down to the "How do I set up my Music Man bass?" section.

 

[Black Lake]

Im quite sure that the truss rod isn't the problem and to me messing with the truss rod isn't something that i wanna do. id much rather move the bridge saddles around.
take a look..........

If you don't want to mess with the truss rod , take it to a shop to have it set up. Looking at your photo, the truss looks like it needs tightening to my vantage point. The previous posters are giving you good advice on the correct order to setting up your instrument. Repectfully, ignore it at your own risk.

 

[strummer]

Im quite sure that the truss rod isn't the problem and to me messing with the truss rod isn't something that i wanna do. id much rather move the bridge saddles around.
take a look..........

Umm, from that photo nothing can be assessed, and why are you quite sure the truss rod isn't the problem?
The advice you have gotten earlier is good advice, while moving the bridge saddles around isn't really a good idea until you've adjusted the neck.
The Bongo ships with a nice relief and comfortable action, and tightening the rod somewhat from factory spec will lower your strings.
Moving the saddles around, as you put it, won't help you achieve anything except a head ache, unless you know what you are doing. And since you a) ask here and b) don't seem to know what height you're after anyway, I strongly suggest you take the good advice given.

 

[Freddels]

What photo? I'm not seeing any photo.

 

[mynan]

Yeah, that pic is pretty much useless. I would tighten the truss rod first. It's the easiest adjustment to make and the easiest to put back if it doesn't solve your problem.

OTOH, the fact that you don't know that says you may want to take it to a professional.

 

[adouglas]

Im quite sure that the truss rod isn't the problem and to me messing with the truss rod isn't something that i wanna do. id much rather move the bridge saddles around.
take a look..........

Sorry, no photo visible.

Why don't you want to mess with the trussrod?

You won't break anything unless you're REALLY ham-handed about it. And thanks to that fabulous EBMM capstan wheel, adjusting the trussrod is an utterly trivial thing to do. I've even done it during gigs, on stage, between songs.

Don't be afraid of it...really.

It's a LOT easier to put the trussrod back where it was than it is to reverse a screwed-up bridge adjustment. One adjustment instead of many...each saddle has three screws to fiddle with, and when you move one it affects where the others should be set.

Based on your comment, it's apparent that you don't have a truly clear understanding about how all this stuff interacts. No disrespect meant...the relationship of trussrod to bridge adjustments not obvious until you've done a lot of setups...and in my case, screwed up a lot of setups by adjusting the wrong thing (i.e. the bridge, because that's the intuitive thing to do).

So how can you be "quite sure" that it's not the truss rod? Have you checked for proper relief? Do you really know from first-hand experience what proper relief looks like?

With all respect, doing the job correctly is not a matter of what you'd rather mess with. It requires that you adjust the appropriate item on the bass, in the appropriate sequence.

The sequence is ALWAYS
- Tune to pitch.
- Check relief and set correctly by adjusting the trussrod. Re-tune if necessary (likely).
- If (and ONLY if) the trussrod adjustment did not solve the problem, adjust saddles so the strings are at factory spec height above the fretboard. Re-tune if necessary.
- If (and ONLY if) the intonation has been thrown off by the saddle adjustment, re-intonate using the saddle adjustment screw. Re-tune if necessary.
- Repeat the ENTIRE sequence as needed until everything is right.

- When you're done, check the pickup height and adjust to factory spec if needed. Make sure the pickups are not too close to the strings or the magnets will dampen string movement.

Sure, it's possible that your trussrod is dead-on and that your bridge is all messed up. We don't know what's been done to this bass. But if the action is too high and the bridge has not been screwed with since it left the factory, the odds are overwhelmingly high that all you need to do is tighten the trussrod.

 

[maddog]

truss rod first.

bridge saddles second.

Neck relief plays into string height. Not saying the saddles don't need lowering but necks shift more than saddle screws turn themselves. To do a proper setup you really need to make sure the neck is where it should be first. Then lower the saddles.

 

[HEWLIO]

Well the action is fine in the first 4 frets but the rest is extremely high. Im used to playing a 70's stingray with very low action and i think i want it back that way. But with my bongo of course. i dont know i think im ganna have it set up by one of my dads friends that know what hes doing cause i dont wanna hurt my bongo

 

[MrMusashi]

unless the relief in the neck is correct there is no point in adjusting anything else...

too much relief and lower the saddles = high in the middle (around 12th) and buzzing at the high ones (20th upwards)

too lil relief and lower the saddles = buzz from the middle of the neck and all the way up to 24th (depending on how low you adjust it and how much backbow you got)

these are general rules and might not apply to your case.. which is why you should have somebody professional to check it for you. perhaps you could give eb customer service a call. they would probably have more luck helping you out since you can check the instrument after their instruction?

hth

MrM

 

[adouglas]

i dont know i think im ganna have it set up by one of my dads friends that know what hes doing cause i dont wanna hurt my bongo

Good for you. It is a wise and humble man who knows when it's time to call in a professional (or at least someone who knows what they're doing).

But I think you should tag along, watch him do it and have him explain what he's doing, so you can do your own setups in the future. You might want to print out this thread and show it to him to see what he thinks.

Knowing how to do your own setups is an essential survival skill, in my opinion. You never know...it might come in handy after the apocalypse, in case you happen upon a well-armed band of survivalist musicians willing to trade food and shelter for service as an instrument tech.

Seriously, though... it really is important to understand how this stuff works. At the very least it will take the mystery out of things and give you the confidence you need to keep your own bass in perfect playing condition at all times. It'll also save you hassle and money over time.

Make sure you print out the FAQ referenced earlier in the thread and take it with you so your dad's friend knows what the factory specs are.

Good luck! A well-set-up bass is a true joy.

 

[philthygeezer]

...wish I new about the trussrod first rule before I started messing with my bridges. I've got a fair bit of tweaking to do on a couple of basses because of it. Fortunately I've done a lot of messing about and don't screw up half as often now.

Truss rod wheel is the greatest invention known to humanity. I never turn more than a half turn in a day. It takes time for the neck to settle in after a truss-rod adjustment. As long as one doesn't go cranking away there is little to break, and one can only learn by doing.

I cut my own hair the other day too!

 

[maddog]

action at the first 4 frets being fine doesn't necessarily indicate neck relief is good. To check relief, fret at 1st and 12th at the same time. Then check string height at 6th fret. Should be resting on the fret or at most be able to slip a business card between the fret and the string. If there is a larger gap you have too much relief and the trussrod needs to be tightened. This will also have the effect of lowering the overall action.

After doing this and the action isn't where you want it, then try lowering the saddles. And remember to check intonation at every step.

And as adouglas stated, you should learn to do setups on your own. Gigging and such, you never know when you might have to make adjustments to your instrument.

 

[strummer]

Get it to a tech, a real one, you need thelp with that bass!

 

[LoEnd]

And as adouglas stated, you should learn to do setups on your own. Gigging and such, you never know when you might have to make adjustments to your instrument.

+1 on that, life has been easy ever since I figured out how to do my own set-ups. Now if something is off a bit I just fix it, and I set it up to how I like it, not how some tech thinks it should be.

+ I play in a weird tuning anyway (drop B), so it helps.

 

[HEWLIO]

I finally had it ste up properly a few weeks ago. My dads friend tightened the truss rod. Its Sooooooo much better. The strings are much looser, its easier to play. And i should be able to do it myself if it ever needs it again.

 

[strummer]

Great to hear you got it sorted, and I won't even mention the "I'd rather move the saddles around..." ;-)