Help! Adjusting Action

[CFA]

OK, I searched the forum and couldn't find the answer to my question, sorry if this has been beaten to death but...

I've been looking to lower the action on my bass a little, and I was just wondering if I were to lay it on my lap with the E string closest to me, and G farthest away from me, will turning the truss rod towards me lower the action, or will turning it away lower it? And would there be any chance that the saddles would need to be moved from doing this (IE, lower action with Truss rod to near EBMM settings, and creating a buzz?) Cause I really don't wanna touch them, and I've read here several times not to touch them...

Thanks, and sorry again if this has been beaten to death.

 

[MrMusashi]

someone posted an excellent picture of this in the last thread asking the same thing..

check it out in this post:
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/34340-fret-buzz-truss-rod.html

or check out drewbixcubeds video on trussrods here:
Ernie Ball | TV

hth!

MrM

 

[adouglas]

Congratulations on not automatically assuming you need to touch the saddles. You shouldn't need to unless you're changing string gauges.

To reduce relief (lower the action) you need to tighten the trussrod. Holding the bass as you describe...and assuming it's a right-handed bass...you stick the appropriate object (screwdriver/allen wrench/whatever) into a convenient hole in the wheel and move it away from you.

Think of it like the screw-on cap on a bottle of soda...if you put the end of the headstock on the floor and stand the bass vertically, the wheel is just like that screw-on cap. Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.

 

[CFA]

Thanks, That's the picture I was looking for but I guess I didn't look back far enough. I'll still take a look at that video, I shied away from videos since I'm on dial up and it would have taken forever

Anyways, once again, thanks for the speedy replies.

 

[Frantic Slayer]

last time I touched the saddles I ended up taking it to my luthier the next day

 

[ausf]

I grew up with Rics so I've always had an unhealthy fear of truss rods and ruining necks.

That said, yesterday I decided to put my fears aside and take a stab at my Ray's truss rod (after reading and rereading everything I could find on EBMM as well as getting out the micrometer and feeler gauges). I've had it about a month and between my forced air heating and the wild temp swings we've been having here in the Northeast US, I noticed the action came up a bit.

It was amazing: the wheel turned, the action dropped and there was much rejoicing.

It's ridiculously easy.

Turn it towards the G to lower.