Help! Musicman Stingray Set up

[Funkstag]

Hey I recently bought myself a Stingray for Christmas . So I did the same as what I did when I got my first bass... which was get it 'professionally set up'.

Ever since it was returned and given to me I have noticed that there is a large amount of fret buzz on the lower strings. I also noticed that the way in which the bridge is set up in different to anything I've ever seen on a bass. This is the main reason I've come here looking for help.

I find it interesting that the bass saddles are highest on the E string and get lower to the G string (picture to help explain). I've seen all the bass guitars @ my local guitar shop and they are all set up in the opposite way, highest at the G string and lowest at the E string. My BIG question is 'does this effect the bass in ANY way?'

Also I saw that the bass saddles on the E and G string are also curving inwards (picture to help explain). I thought this might be because the neck of the bass is also curved the most for those strings but it doesn't hurt to ask: 'Does this also effect the bass in any way?

Thanks in advance

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Hi and welcome.

Doesn't look right to me.

IMO the string saddles should sit straight on the bridge.

The saddles will be in different positions for different strings but I have doubts about the way the intonation has been adjusted.

 

[KevinM]

The Musicman.com website has a FAQ section that has specs for your set-up. You can measure them yourself to see if they're correct. That set-up does look strange to me but if you're getting fret buzz the proof is in the pudding.

 

[supadave]

No. That smells of wrongness. It almost looks like its been set up backwards. Take it back and get him to sort it coz it doesn't look like any setting I've seen before.

 

[njhammer]

Yikes. 2 words spring to mind: A$$ and Backward.

 

[bovinehost]

Bring that to me. I have a screwdriver and everything.

Agreed with Rod Trussbroken et al.

 

[maddog]

I sense a book needs to be written.

or a video made.

 

[Musicman Nut]

Hey I recently bought myself a Stingray for Christmas . So I did the same as what I did when I got my first bass... which was get it 'professionally set up'.

Ever since it was returned and given to me I have noticed that there is a large amount of fret buzz on the lower strings. I also noticed that the way in which the bridge is set up in different to anything I've ever seen on a bass. This is the main reason I've come here looking for help.

I find it interesting that the bass saddles are highest on the E string and get lower to the G string (picture to help explain). I've seen all the bass guitars @ my local guitar shop and they are all set up in the opposite way, highest at the G string and lowest at the E string. My BIG question is 'does this effect the bass in ANY way?'

Also I saw that the bass saddles on the E and G string are also curving inwards (picture to help explain). I thought this might be because the neck of the bass is also curved the most for those strings but it doesn't hurt to ask: 'Does this also effect the bass in any way?

Thanks in advance

I set all Music Man or any other Bass to the radius of the fretboard, If the board is curved the strings will be curved, if the board is flat the strings are set up Straight across the board. Been doing this for 45 years and it's worked well.

 

[KevinM]

I set all Music Man or any other Bass to the radius of the fretboard, If the board is curved the strings will be curved, if the board is flat the strings are set up Straight across the board. Been doing this for 45 years and it's worked well.

I was comparing my SR5 to the pics shown last night and they look close but mine followed the fretboard radius pretty close and the arc was smooth. The second pic shows a sudden change from A to E that looks like it would effect the string gap at the board.

 

[maddog]

the only way to know if intonation is good is to hook it up to a tuner and check it. For the quick and dirty check, tune the open to pitch then fret at the 12th (octave) and see how sharp or flat. I think the factory does a couple other spots to find the best balance since notes go sharp as you fret up the board.

 

[strummer]

Internet diagnosis may be weak, but that bass is set up by a hack.

 

[maddog]

at least the saddles aren't all the way down to the bridge plate.

 

[Funkstag]

Thanks for all the replies. I definitely know what to get repaired now. I would love to try do it myself but I don't have the allen key to fix the saddles :|

 

[strummer]

1/16", and I bet it's less than $1 at the local hardware store.

 

[Funkstag]

thanks for the size, ill go and buy one today

 

[danny-79]

Internet diagnosis may be weak, but that bass is set up by a hack.

+1 Agree, it doesn't look right at all .

 

[bass cowboy]

Good luck. It does indeed look like a clusterf@%K from the pics.