Stingray action

[1039greenday]

Hello. In October i ordered a stingray 4, ( honeyburst, black pickguard, maple fretboard ) and i was told that it should ship on Wendsday . One of the things that made me decide on a stingray was the action. It was just so sweet and low ( right up against the frets on everyone i played ). I was wondering if the action is like that off the bat? also, when you got yours, was it necessary to get it setup, how bad was it?

Anyway, i cant wait

 

[jongitarz]

They leave the factory with the string height set at 3/32 at the 12th fret measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string

 

[Morrow]

....and I can add mine played like a dream first time right out of the case. Hope your experience will be the same.

 

[bass thumper]

....and I can add mine played like a dream first time right out of the case. Hope your experience will be the same.

I'm glad you guys had good success from the start. I didn't though. I got a new SR4 from the box last week and it is way off. I had questiosn on this so I posted a new thread. So not to take up thread space here, my thread is ; Help! Ruler or feeler gauge to adjust string height?

 

[Aussie Mark]

Ruler or feeler gauge to adjust string height?

I don't measure. I just adjust until the action suits my playing style and doesn't buzz.

 

[dlloyd]

I'm glad you guys had good success from the start. I didn't though. I got a new SR4 from the box last week and it is way off. I had questiosn on this so I posted a new thread. So not to take up thread space here, my thread is ; Help! Ruler or feeler gauge to adjust string height?

ruler.

 

[jongitarz]

I don't measure. I just adjust until the action suits my playing style and doesn't buzz.

I agree with Mark. I have said several times here before, don't worry too much about string height....use it as a guidline. Go by what feels best for you.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Jon's right (As usual). If you're a hard puller, a low action might not suit your playing style, so there is no single string height measurement that will suit everybody. I recall having this discussion here before.

 

[jongitarz]

Thanks Mark..I just want to add here that everybody should learn to set up and tweek their own instruments. It's better than living with a guitar that somebody has set up to where they think you want it. It's not rocket science. Learn it.

 

[tkarter]

I use a ruler. Not to set it up but to know where it was after I set it up so I can do it again and even put the same action on another bass. That is when the next bass will take the same setup.

My SR 5 came off the shelf setup from EB. It was great. Couldn't ask for a lower action than what it had. It and I have been able to maintain that no problem.

To get one out of the box with a real high action I would think someone else worked on the setup other than EB.

Jon says he dint touch my bass so there is some other talent at setup there at EB too!!




tk

 

[prickly_pete]

I have had no problem getting nice low action with all of the EBs I've owned. One of the things that seperates EBs from other basses is the great fretwork from the factory. Get the neck fairly straight and lower the action to where you like it; prettly simple really, don't over complicate it

 

[Ben Clarke]

I like the action pretty high. I think it comes from playing the doghouse for so long. I find that my chops adjust, and my tone is much more versatile and consistent with higher action.

That said, all benefits are lost on an instrument that requires high action. It's kind of like headroom...

 

[Tom F]

I've had pretty good luck with my new (and used, for that matter) EB instruments. The SR4 I just picked mup had sat in GC for almost two years and all it took was a quarter turn of the truss rod to get the action unbelieveably low (with no buzzing, I might add). The bridges still had the proper height.

Every other EB I've been able to get setup to my specs with a minimum of trouible. I certainly can't say that for many other brands.

 

[japhy4529]

i have a question for the EB gurus.. i just picked up a used stingray (4 string). this is my second stingray bass and i am now experiencing the same issue i had with my first ray. the problem is that i have major string buzz on all 4 strings from the 1st through 6th frets. oddly enough, this is the same exact problem i had with my last stringray (which i ended up returning to the store). the weird thing is when i was in the music store the bass was fine. that night i changed the strings and put on a set of EB hybrid slinkys. i took the bass to a gig that night and all was fine. however, when i played the bass yesterday i noticed MAJOR string buzz on the 1st and 2nd fret of the G String. so, today i picked up the bass and i now have buzz across all 4 strings up to the 6th fret. Please help! Otherwise, I really enjoy this bass.

Thanks in advance.

- Tom

 

[Moondog]

What does the neck look like? is there any relief?
your fret buzz <6 fret may be attributed to the
new strings you put on. putting on a different
string w/a different tension will have an affect
on the neck. try a small trussrod adjustment:
less than 1/4 turn counter-clockwise. you do
not need a new bass!

 

[sabb0]

setups

i agree with mark
i think everyone should learn how to set up their own basses
you cant extract the best from your instrument if you dont understand it properly

 

[JB1]

Agreed 100%

I have to say I never have issues with mine & I have used a variety of different strings. I don't get too fussed with rulers & heights, if it buzzes I'll get it up on the table and find a way to stop it. I'm luckier then some in that I have 2 SR4's so I can compare the buzzing one to the good one & go from there

 

[bovinehost]

Never owned a feeler gauge.

Don't want one.

Come play my basses and BEHOLD the power of cheese!

I mean, not cheese. Something else.

Let me think a minute.

 

[dlloyd]

Never owned a feeler gauge.

I used them for a while... now I'm lazy and rely on it "just kind-of looking right"...

 

[todd4ta]

If I have the right wrenches available (which is made easier on EB basses with the trussrod wheel adjuster), I can do a pretty good setup in about five minutes.

If the basic things on the bass are in good shape (the neck isn't warped, the nut is cut correctly, the frets are level and the trussrod works) it really just takes two basic steps to get the bass into the playing condition you prefer. The strings should be tuned before making these adjustments, and retuned after each major adjustment.

First, you need to set the correct relief on the neck. I prefer my necks to have just a touch of relief (probably about 0.010" if I measured it with a feeler gauge, I just go by feel). My quick and dirty method is to hold the bass in playing position (I'm right-handed), I use my right elbow to fret the string (A-string, doesn't really matter) at the last fret (fret 21,22,24 depending on the bass), and then use my right hand to fret the same string up on the first fret. With my left hand I tap that same string on about the 9th or 10th fret to see how much relief there is. If the string is on the fret with no gap, the neck has no relief, so I would turn the trussrod counter-clockwise (orientation is from the body looking down to the headstock) just a 1/4 turn or so and recheck it. If the gap between the string and fret is more than the thickness of a matchbook cover, the relief is too much for me, so I would tighten the trussrod about 1/4 turn (clockwise). It's important not to rush the process with trussrod adjustments, make small adjustments, retune the strings, and wait a little while for the neck to settle.

After the relief is set, the Second major step is to adjust the string height (action) by raising or lowering the bridge saddles. I use a small metal ruler that has 1/32" markings. With the strings open (not fretted), I measure the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the last fret. I typically start with around 3/32" on the E string down to 1/16" on the G string. I then may try to lower them a little until I get some string buzz.

After the relief and string action are set, I adjust the height of my pickup(s). With the E & G strings fretted on the last fret, I like to see about 1/16"-3/32" between the pickup or polepiece and the bottom of the string. I think if you get closer, you may experience a condition where the pickup magnet will have too much pull on the strings.

The last step is to set the intonation for each string. That involves getting each string in tune, then fretting at the octave (12 fret) and checking the tuning. You have to move the bridge saddles forward or backward with the intonation screws depending on whether the octave is flat or sharp. From memory, I think you move the saddles towards the pickup if the octave is flat, and away from the pickup if the octave is sharp. (I could be backwards, correct me if I'm wrong).

I can set the relief, action and pickup height in five minutes. The intonation may take just a little longer to get exactly right.

I'm sure everyone has there own slight variation on doing a setup, but this is mine and it gets my basses where I like them. It's important that the bass be in playing position, because if it's tilted the setup won't give you the desired results.