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Adjusting the Neck on a Stingray 5

backagain1

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2004
Messages
391
Location
Indiana
I understand that if I get fret buzz from the 1st through the 5th frets, I need to add more "relief". What is relief and how do I add it?

Thanks,

backagain1
 
Relief is a forward bow in the neck. It is obtained by turning the truss rod wheel counter clockwise. If you are holding the bass as if you were playing, turn it up towards you. Do this a bit at a time.
 
Do I need to loosen the strings before I turn the trussrod to adjust the neck?

Thanks,

backagain1
 
If you are new to EB basses understand. QC and customer support is as good as it gets with EB.

The basses are awesome and with the cutomer support. Well they just rule.



tk
 
New to EB Basses, Photo

Yes, I am new to EB basses. I played my Stingray 5 for the first time last night. VERY NICE!!! I still have a lot of experimentation to do, as far as the different sounds. I've got that great deep bass I've been looking for when I play the low notes, but I need to do a little more experimentation to get the sound to cut through the mix when I move up to the next higher octave.

By the way, how do you get the photo to appear below your user ID, on the left side of your post?

Thanks,

backagain1
 
Not a StingRay 5 question but one about a Bongo 5 (close enough)...
I tried my own set up on it (I am tired of shelling out the cash for it) and have come to a bit of an impass. I can get the string height to where I like it but it buzzes at 3-7 range. I add relief and then the strings are too high... I adjust them down and it buzzes again... I don't want super low action, but I don't want the strings a mile off the fretboard either (by the way the factory setup on the Kermit, the Bongo4, was incredible - and that is what I am aiming for). Any ideas on what I doing wrong??? I have to missing something here, but I have run the instructions several times with the same results (I feel like such a newbie asking this - you would think after 15 years I would actually have learned by now how to do my own work :rolleyes: )
 
>>>>I can get the string height to where I like it but it buzzes at 3-7 range.

IMO, the truss adjustment mainly eliminates buzz from the 1st up to the 4th (maybe the 5th) but buzz up at the 7th would indicate string height or perhaps the strings themselves. Perhaps try a heavier guage. Have you changed the strings recently.

>>>> I add relief and then the strings are too high

Sounds like you're adjusting the truss too far, at the one time, for the relief to critically affect the action (string height) although the adjustment does affect the height to some degree. The truss adjustment is very responsive. Each adjustment on mine is about 1/4 to 1/8 th of the distance between the two holes on the truss wheel.

My rule of thumb for adjustment is (in play position):

*straight neck (no relief at 6th while depressing 1st and 12th).
*adjust strings for no buzz from around 4th to last frets.
*begin adding relief (small increments) to eliminate any buzz from 1st to 4th frets.

For me that ends up being around 3/32" height at the 12th and paper/credit card relief at the 6th while depressing 1st and 12th at same time (play position).

Have to remember also that no two Basses are going to be exactly the same.

.
 
oddjob said:
Not a StingRay 5 question but one about a Bongo 5 (close enough)...
I tried my own set up on it (I am tired of shelling out the cash for it) and have come to a bit of an impass. I can get the string height to where I like it but it buzzes at 3-7 range. I add relief and then the strings are too high... I adjust them down and it buzzes again... I don't want super low action, but I don't want the strings a mile off the fretboard either (by the way the factory setup on the Kermit, the Bongo4, was incredible - and that is what I am aiming for). Any ideas on what I doing wrong??? I have to missing something here, but I have run the instructions several times with the same results (I feel like such a newbie asking this - you would think after 15 years I would actually have learned by now how to do my own work :rolleyes: )

Check the neck for a shim or lack of one.
 
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