vinbob Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Hi Guys, Just after some advice. I have just bought a 2nd hand fender precision which i love, but the action is real high to what i am normally used too. As in on this bass the E string is far off the fret board and decreases on each string, with the G string being quite close. Should they not all be the same amount of the fret board? Also if i get someone to set it up for me do i have to have new strings fitted or can i use the ones on as i think they sound okay to me. Any advice would be appreciated. Many Thanks Vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 My advice would be to get googling & teach yourself how to do your own set ups. There's tons of info out there & there's nothing more satisfying that getting things exactly as you like them, IMO you'll never get close when you pay someone else to do it Whereabouts are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) Some basic info on Fender's site: [url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/support/articles/bass-guitar-setup-guide/"]http://www.fender.co...ar-setup-guide/[/url] And some practical info here: [url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]http://www.garywilli...etupmanual.html[/url] You don't have to change the strings, but it may be an idea if you don't know how old the current strings are. Edited July 16, 2012 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayPH Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Be careful paying for a setup. I paid a guitar shop £35 for a setup and it was atrocious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 There`s a thread on here about recommended luthiers, if you don`t want to try the setup yourself. Me, I set up my backups, but leave my main basses to the very capable hands of Terry Chapman, of TJC Guitars, in Stevenage, Herts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinson Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Terry does indeed do a lovely setup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I have said it many times before but get a set of metric and imperial allen keys £7 from Maplin for box with every size you will encounter, do some reading, ask on here etc and you will soon get the hang of it. A mate does my fine tuning of the intonation as he has an awesome tuner but I get it all how I want and the intonation as close as I can, its much easier If you can fiddle about all night until you get it how you like. You can always keep a note of what setting you found best too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I'm a fairly cautious person but will quite happily do my own set ups. I've paid for set ups and they were very good, but as I'm quite happy to do it myself then... Even tweaking the truss rod isn't a big ordeal, it's more confidence then anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinbob Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Thanks for all the feedback, I think I will give it go myself then, I had a load of Allen keys but none of them fitted, so thought it must have been specialist tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Good videos on the bass player website if you want to have a go yourself (first on a series): [url="http://www.bassplayer.com/video.aspx?bctid=54313772001&bclid=27964998001§ion=2"]http://www.bassplayer.com/video.aspx?bctid=54313772001&bclid=27964998001§ion=2[/url] If you still can't get a decent action once you have tried to set it up, it may well need the frets dressed (best take it to a tech for that)....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funky8884 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Is the Neck Twisted ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apa Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1342460584' post='1735555'] Some basic info on Fender's site: [url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/support/articles/bass-guitar-setup-guide/"]http://www.fender.co...ar-setup-guide/[/url] And some practical info here: [url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]http://www.garywilli...etupmanual.html[/url] You don't have to change the strings, but it may be an idea if you don't know how old the current strings are. [/quote] Big +1 for Garry Willis. A Edited July 16, 2012 by apa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinbob Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Thanks everyone, Job done it seems, lowered the action to where i want it and feels much better, and intonation is all good. So fingers crossed i think I've done it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gub Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 For getting the intonation spot on I use a clip on tuner on the headstock , cost me about £10 and it switches to violin and guitar , I put it in guitar mode and use the harmonics at the 12th , seems to work fine ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 As further watching material Elixer strings have a channel on YouTube. They have 4 vids there with John Carruthers going through an in complete setup (including nut slot depth - something I've yet to do on my basses, but is sorely needed, especially my USA P). It's a bit 'one size fits all' but would be a good starting point I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 [quote name='vinbob' timestamp='1342465006' post='1735686'] Thanks for all the feedback, I think I will give it go myself then, I had a load of Allen keys but none of them fitted, so thought it must have been specialist tools [/quote] If it's American, they'll need to be imperial. The truss rod is either 3/8 or 5/16 (ths of an inch) Can't remember the saddle grub screws, but 1/16 seems right- about 2mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I do my own setups... but once paid to have one done.... it was so nice when it came back from the shop. Mind you I wasn't as good at my own setups then! Refret on the warwick some point soon, it will be nice to have that back fretting nicely everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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