Bongo Setup help needed

[djaxup]

Hi Guys,

proud owner of a 4 string HS stealth Bongo here, and i think i need to change the setup of the bass that the music store did. The action seems to be, well, too low, because it does clank quite a bit with that E string when playing a tad faster and harder, while it also feels a bit high, especially the lower tones, ie the first few frets. They are quite hard to hold down appropriately and slow down the playing. So i guess the truss rod needs adjustment, but i never did that before.

Intonation is superb, that compensated nut works wonders. But theres one thing bugging me. The tone seems to go "boooiing" if you know what i mean. Especially when plucking a tad harder. You can notice that quite obviously when checking the intonation, the tuner takes some time to settle, more than expected. But it can also be heard, pluck the string, again especially the E-String, and it goes Boooinnn.... and then holds that note seemingly forever. But it does change pitch in the beginning, i hope you understand what i mean, english is not my first language sorry about that.

About string height, i don't like it when it buzzes and clanks a lot (it seems to hurt sustain), and since i can't practice loud at home this really makes my ears bleed. I know the standard tips&tricks about setting a bass up, but maybe someone can give me pointers here.

Strings are Ernie Ball .45 - 1.05.

Thanks in Advance.
Timm

 

[adouglas]

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/38077-bongo-set-up.html

This has been covered many, many, many times. Please try the search function and if you still have questions, then ask.

 

[Mogee]

In all fairness you couls spend a couple of hours using the search function. This thread was very helpful to me.
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-basses/38077-bongo-set-up.html

 

[djaxup]

This thread is helpful indeed, though it more or less covers the "I know the standard tips&tricks about setting a bass up" section. I just like to give an overview of the problem as a whole. I´m sorry if it wasn't written too clear that the main problem here is the boooooing part

As i am still pretty much a rookie i don't have too many basses to compare to, but the old precision bass my friend lent me didn't have that "problem". If you tell me that this is all fine and normal, then I'm all ok with that and won't waste more thoughts on this.

I´m a bit nervous about all this. I went to a luthier's workshop two weeks ago that was mainly about how to set up a bass or guitar (and the basics of building instruments), and the guy there told me that the fingerboard looked kinda strange to him. He checked it with an iron ruler and it did, well... i don't have the english word for it, like a seesaw (i think you call it teeter-totter in the states)? You know, both ends of the iron ruler would not touch a fret at the same time. This was only on the last few frets (~20-24, only where the e string is).

So i went to the shop where i bought the Bongo and their luthier (a young guy, the luthier who did the workshop was above 50 and worked for a good 20 years in that job, while the other is, well, barely 25 years old) said: all fine! As long as three frets in direct succession don't have that effect, theres no problem. He took a short metal thing that looked a bit like a cutter knife blade. Measurement was always to (imo) look if one of the frets was too high and standing out. While the other measured a longer area, not much - maybe 4-5 frets at a time (wich is a small lenght given that the last few frets have so little space between them)

So who's right? I tend to think that it should all be allright, but i'm not utterly conviced. Right i now i hope i can get rid of that uneven attack sound by obtaining a correct setup. I'll go through your tutorial once more adouglas and see if that helps. Thanks.

 

[five7]

teeter totter=truss rod adjustment. boing sound=pickups too high. Both very easy to adjust thanks to the masterminds at musicman.

 

[koogie2k]

Send Customer Service and e-mail or give them a call. They will get you sorted out.

 

[djaxup]

ah pickup height! I dindt take that into account, thanks a lot!
I´m absolutely sure that EBMM customer support is great. My timezone is far off yours though. Need to take a look when to call then

Thanks guys for the help.

 

[jerimy77]

I have been playing Bass for about 16 years and being a not so wealthy kid when I started, My first bass guitars were Bassically JUNK so I had to learn how to set' em up myself. I checked out a book at my local Library that told me to check truss rod adjustment Fret the E string at the first and last fret, there should be a buisness cards thickness between the E string and the eighth Fret. That has allways been my practice ever since. It works for me, but if I am wrong someone please point me in the right direction.

 

[tkarter]

Don't dime the volume and play it in a band setting.

imho

tk