just got brand new OLP bass, action question

[guitaratheart]

hello im a guitar player at heart but have really been playing alot of bass and last nite i went a bought an OLP bass, i guess they work with ernie ball, its a 5 string, they gave me a boxed version and not the one i was playing on display, when i got home the action was sooo low that all you could here anywhere was buzz, after researching i started making slim adjustments(while the bass was laying across my work bench, im just nervous that if i ge the action to high ill bust the thing!! so far so good tho from frets 5 and on i can hear the notes, i just wanna make sure im all set with just raising the saddles . also, would raising the bridge be something i also should be doing?? again also, do i need to compensate and raise the pickup too??

thanks so much im anxious to start using my new ampex svt plug in for protools i just got !
gary

 

[cdb]

Start with the saddles. i wouldn't touch the bridge. You might also check the relief on the neck, and adjust the truss rod accordingly.

 

[guitaratheart]

ok, saddles now will they get like super tight when they are the highest they go? how will i know ive gone to far, ive been a guitar player for 13 years so its not like i njoy super high action, i just want the notes to work on frets one thru 5

and also, should i adjust in any particular order? like b - g or b - g? does it make a difference, this bass is so beautiful i just dont wanna **** it up!

 

[adouglas]

Hold on there a sec...start with the trussrod, not the saddles! Raising the saddles isn't going to help you if your relief isn't set properly.

1) Set relief (which you're going to have to do a couple of times a year at least, as the weather changes).
2) Adjust string height with the saddles if necessary (which you should only have to do once, unless you change string gauge).
3) Intonate (again, just once unless you change string gauge and/or brand).

Don't worry about breaking anything. You can't really do anything irreversible unless you try hard (yes, you CAN snap the trussrod or strip screws, but it takes real, um, "dedication" to go that far).

There are MANY threads about setup, and it's covered in the FAQ on the EBMM website. It's also all over the Internet. And in many, many books that you'll find at your local library or bookstore. Do some digging. It's not hard to find.

Not sure what you mean by "raising the bridge." Isn't that the same thing as raising the saddles? Surely you don't mean removing the bridge and putting a shim under it? (If you do, IMHO you probably don't understand what's involved in a proper setup.)

Finally, if you really truly don't know what you're doing (no harm in that), you might want to have a professional do it. Setup is not rocket science, but it can be frustrating if you don't know how things interact.

 

[cdb]

Note:
I had an OLP MM3 long ago, and when I got it there was virtually no set up done on it, ever. The saddles were flat on the bridge plate. I am assuming this is the case here... I raised 'em slightly and it was playable. Then i sold it.

 

[guitaratheart]

cdb -

yeah looks like the exact same thing happened to me...

once it was playable, did you not like it ? the one in the store was a delight to play, but i guess anytings better than the old fernades i have!

adouglas -
thanks for the speciic info, i know what im doing, im just a very cautious person,

hey if anyone ever wants to give me some feedback on the music i make go ahead

bandspace.com/bands/4131/ thanks again for all the help!

 

[NoFrets80]

cdb -

yeah looks like the exact same thing happened to me...

once it was playable, did you not like it ? the one in the store was a delight to play, but i guess anytings better than the old fernades i have!

adouglas -
thanks for the speciic info, i know what im doing, im just a very cautious person,

hey if anyone ever wants to give me some feedback on the music i make go ahead

bandspace.com/bands/4131/ thanks again for all the help!

i had an OLP once too... got me curious about the "real thing" and once i got my first SUB, i was sold. OLPs aren't bad, but once you play a true EBMM, all bets are off, and you're in love with the true tone. the OLP did record well, all things considered. it was a bit too dark and honky sounding though.

good luck with the setup... should be fairly easy.

 

[PocketGroove82]

check the bass FAQ on the main EBMM site for exact "factory" setup.
If you're gonna eyeball the saddle heights, then have your 3 middle string saddles a little higher than your low B and high G string (assuming you use standard tuning).

then it's all about the little wheel and intonate.

booyah, guitar convert!

 

[guitarafondio]

I agree with starting at the truss rod. When I set up any of our basses at EB, I start with the truss rod. Then I adjust the saddles. What ever adjustments you make you'll have to re-intonate.

 

[todd4ta]

Also, be sure you have the strings tuned when you're making the adjustments. A little hard to do if the strings are laying on the fingerboard, but obviously the relief and action will be different if the strings aren't tuned properly.

 

[cdb]

cdb -

yeah looks like the exact same thing happened to me...

once it was playable, did you not like it ? the one in the store was a delight to play, but i guess anytings better than the old fernades i have!

adouglas -
thanks for the speciic info, i know what im doing, im just a very cautious person,

hey if anyone ever wants to give me some feedback on the music i make go ahead

bandspace.com/bands/4131/ thanks again for all the help!

I just didn't like the tone, it wasn't right for me. The neck was the best part of that bass... I changed the pup, and fiddled with it, soldered a new cap on it, but after all that-- i just needed somethng more hi-fi and versatile. The guy I sold it to was very happy. But I am old and -- let's say-- particular. I think the bass records well, actually... i did some demo trax at home with it, so you should be ok with that