Total newb question even though I have been playing for 25 years.

[JayDawg]

Let me start by saying I am almost embarrassed to have to ask this question but I honestly don't know the answer. A few weeks ago I re-strung my Bongo's for the first time since owning them and buying them brand new. Props to Ernie Ball for making strings that lasted over a year and never really went totally dead. Anyway, After re-stringing the basses I put them away and have mainly been playing my Sterling a Stingrays since all of this. Well tonight I got out both of my Bongo's and on the BFR roasted neck, the string height off of the neck is ridiculously high and on the DDII Bongo it is a little higher than factory height. When I re-strung them, I did no adjustments at all, I just swapped out strings. So here is my dumb question of the day. Did I re-string the basses wrong? To be honest, in my 25 years of playing I have never had a bass with the tuners that Music Man uses. That is the only thing I can think of that would have caused the string height to change so drastically. Any help would be appreciated and I can post picks later if that will help too.
Thanks all!
Jay

 

[stu42]

What type of strings did you put on? If they're not the same gauge as the standard strings that could definitely have an effect on tension which could cause the issue you described.

According to the Bongo specifications page the Bongo 4 comes with these strings from the factory: 45w-65w-80w-100w (Super Slinky Bass #2834)

If you used the same gauge strings then you probably just need to adjust the truss rod to increase the relief. MrMusashi has a link in his signature that shows you which way to turn the truss rod to set the relief.

 

[bovinehost]

It's not unheard of to restring and find adjustments are needed. Happens to me all the time. Don't freak out! I restrung the Lambo Reflex two days ago and had to have a go at the truss wheel. Easy as pie. Wood moves, but don't let it scare you. Just flatten the neck a bit and see if things resolve themselves.

 

[JayDawg]

I re-strung them with Ernie Ball Super Slinky's, the same kind that came with the bass.

Jack, do you think it is the truss rod that would need to be adjusted though? The intonation is still spot on and the neck does not seem out of whack at all. My thinking is adjusting the bridge string height. I can see the specs being a little off I just can't see how though they would be off this much from a re-string. I'm half tempted to take the strings off and re-do it again to see if I goofed on something.

 

[bovinehost]

Stay clear of those bridge saddles! In general, I do not fool with saddle height, and neither should you. I'd get a small screwdriver or a nail (careful with those pointy ends!) or perhaps a very stiff drinking straw and crank the truss wheel a quarter turn and revisit it in the morning. The neck had tension on it with the old strings, then it had none when you took them off. Then you put the new strings on. Tension returned, but wood is organic and it doesn't always do what you think it would (in this case, return to where it was). But it's not hard to fix.

Trust me. Turn the wheel 1/4 turn and let it sit. If it needs another 1/4 turn, do that, too.

It will be okay.

 

[JayDawg]

I will do that. I just compared it too my other basses and all of the strings are approximately 1/8 higher than the string height of my other basses. Another stupid question but which way should I turn the wheel? It seems a lot high towards the body of the bass. but closer to normal at the headstock of course that is to be expected because it is a lot closer to the nut.

 

[T-bone]

or perhaps a very stiff drinking straw

Okay that's a new one.

tbone

 

[JayDawg]

I freaking love EBMM! I know there was a how to video and through the magic of search I found it on here. I guess I need to turn the wheel clockwise. Thanks Jack for your help as well.

Here is the video if any other future searchees have the same issue I did.

 

[bovinehost]

I am often perfectly full of doo-doo, but sometimes I'm not. Who knew?

 

[Movielife]

That wheel is pure awesome!

 

[fly]

I am often perfectly full of doo-doo, but sometimes I'm not. Who knew?

no worries Jack.......you just keep doin' that doo-doo that you do.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

no worries Jack.......you just keep doin' that doo-doo that you do.

Jack I think Sting wrote a song for you...... Da Dooo Dooo Dooo........

 

[toomanyslurpees]

Does stiff discribe the straw or the drink?

 

[laneline]

Ok certainly not as multi dimensional as the straw, but i have found my trusty nail driver to be a perfect truss rod adjustment tool.
It's has structural rigidity so it won't bend or break and a good handle so you don't lose your grip, and hey I didn't even mention leverage. Just thought I'd throw this into the mix.

 

[OldManMusic]

Jaydawg, Colorado at this time of year can really mess with necks. I did a gig last night in Dillon, a few thousand feet above Denver, and had to give the neck of my roasty Bongo a little tweak at the pub. Thats the beauty of MMs truss rod. I carry a tool like Laneline pictured and it takes less that 10 seconds to make it right. Glad you found the secret of the neck tweak!

 

[J Romano]

Jack, nobody does the who-doo doo-doo like you do!!!!!! Love your posts!!!

 

[JayDawg]

Jaydawg, Colorado at this time of year can really mess with necks. I did a gig last night in Dillon, a few thousand feet above Denver, and had to give the neck of my roasty Bongo a little tweak at the pub. Thats the beauty of MMs truss rod. I carry a tool like Laneline pictured and it takes less that 10 seconds to make it right. Glad you found the secret of the neck tweak!

I checked the neck this morning and the action was still pretty high. I gave it another 1/4 turn and am going to check it again pretty soon. Does anyone know how far the wheel will go before it stops?

I also understand about the Colorado weather too. I keep all of my basses in my bedroom where it is pretty much climate controlled and the temperature stays within 5 degrees year round.

What is weird though is I restrung all of my Music Man basses the same day and it was only the Bongo's that had higher action afterwards? Maybe it's just a coincidence but I thought it was odd. I will let everyone know what happens in a little bit.
Thanks again for your help,
Jay

 

[JayDawg]

Alright, I have another question now. Since my DDII Bongo was also slightly high in the action, I just adjusted it's truss wheel. The wheel on it moved a lot more easily and the action adjusted to where it needed to be almost instantly. On the BFR Bongo, the wheel has been a lot harder to turn and I have seen very little results. Is that common? I then went and checked my other Music Man basses and gave them very slight tweeks just for comparison and they adjusted closer to the DDII Bongo. With them, I only did 1/8 turns because everything seemed good on them. On the Sterling I did a 1/4 turn because the neck did seem a little off after checking it but it had I been playing it I would have never noticed anything. But it too straightened up almost instantly.

 

[oddjob]

Is that common?

Every bass is different. I had a R.Red Bongo that I had to adjust every week... I haven't touched the wheel on Kermit since '05... go figure.

 

[JayDawg]

What about the tension turning the wheel? Are they all pretty consistent or are some harder to turn then others? I just went back and checked all of the basses and their tuning and had to re-do some minor tuning on all of them but that was to be expected. I did notice though that the BFR's action did finally lower a little bit. It still seems high to me compared to the other basses but not as bad as before. My fear though is over adjusting and breaking something. Especially on that bass. Not too many Bongo 4H BFR Roasted Necks out there. I only know of 4 made.