Brandonh Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I just cant seem to get this thing perfect I am adding more relief to it and I think I am getting too much or something. But I don't know and whenever I seem to get the lower frets rights the higher ones won't even ring. Please help any bassic ways of doing it? any tips any good sites I am not worrying that I will break it I just need to get this think running again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuk Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 There's a setup Guide on the Fender wesbite: [url="http://www.fender.co.uk/support/basses.php"]http://www.fender.co.uk/support/basses.php[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 It's a bit tricky without knowing your starting point. How are you measuring your relief to know which way to adjust and by how much? Guess work or some more scientific method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizbat Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 If this helps , the more you turn the bolt clockwise the more the neck will bow backwards eg the middle part of the neck will appear higher than the ends!!! The best advice I can give is to take it to someone who has done trussrod adjustments before as you can make things worse if you are stabbing in the dark with such things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarnbass Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 well, just adjust in little increments. Eye the neck, does it bow back? You want it bowing forward just a little, not too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 (edited) There were a couple of great links that were stickied, but which seem to have disappeared in the the move here. They were [url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassm...etupmanual.html[/url] and [url="http://www.weedhopper.org/bass_guitar_setup.asp"]http://www.weedhopper.org/bass_guitar_setup.asp[/url]. I found them both more useful than the fender one in terms of understanding exactly whats going on when you adjust the truss rod (particularly the gary willis site). As Muppet says, it can be difficult to give simple advice without knowing how your bass is set up to start with, but the fact that it's buzzing higher up the neck suggests you need to tighten the truss rod. Edit: Wizbat, that's exactly what I thought happened when you adjust the truss rod until I saw the Gary Willis site! Edited June 27, 2007 by Musky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandonh Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 The Gary willis website says you have to help the truss rod out and place your knee on the back ect in order to tighten it. However I did not do that. Is that going to mess up my neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 [quote name='Brandonh' post='24242' date='Jun 28 2007, 03:07 AM']The Gary willis website says you have to help the truss rod out and place your knee on the back ect in order to tighten it. However I did not do that. Is that going to mess up my neck?[/quote] No, it shouldn't. The "stick yer knee in it" method is okay to help it out, but (again) you need to know what you're trying to achieve, or you really will mess it up! Personally, I adjust mine with the bass just laying on my lap, without any pressure bearing on the neck. Make only minute (8th of a turn at a time) adjustments. Remember that any changes take time to settle in fully depending on the shape, size and material of the neck in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 You really need to work out what the current situation is with your bass in order to work out which way to turn and by how much. Take a capo and put it on the first fret. Fret the E string at the last fret - you now have a straight line formed by the string. Now, with the string held down, how much of a gap (if any) is there between the bottom of the string and the top of the 7th and 8th frets? If you let us know we can at least give you an idea where to start. Ideally you need a feeler gauge to check this gap as it's quite small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krysbass Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 (edited) [quote name='Muppet' post='24272' date='Jun 28 2007, 09:06 AM']You really need to work out what the current situation is with your bass in order to work out which way to turn and by how much. Take a capo and put it on the first fret. Fret the E string at the last fret - you now have a straight line formed by the string. Now, with the string held down, how much of a gap (if any) is there between the bottom of the string and the top of the 7th and 8th frets? If you let us know we can at least give you an idea where to start. Ideally you need a feeler gauge to check this gap as it's quite small.[/quote] + 1 to this. According to Gary Willis, this gap at its widest point should be around the thickness of a credit card. Also, if it's the upper frets that are buzzing, then the truss-rod won't have much influence on this, because its the strings running over the body, between the upper frets and the bridge that are at issue. With upper fret buzz I've found that the bridge saddles usually need to be raised. If the required adjustment can't be obtained from the saddles, then the neck joint may need a shim inserting (assuming the bass has a bolt-on neck of course). Again, Gary Willis gives some detailed advice on doing this yourself. Edited June 28, 2007 by Krysbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 According to Dan Erlewine relief should be checked between 1 +17th frets and start point should be .012 to .015 at the 7th fret...... You can use a 6 string guitar top E string as a feeler.... get an old one from yer guitarist Some necks may need more depending on style and strings.... Adjustments should be small (1/8 turn for single action 1/16 turn for double action 'rods) and left for at least 24 hrs before deciding if its moved enough...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandonh Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 My truss rod didint turn perfectly smooth like my brothers guitars truss did. But I had a highly reccomended tech work on mine once before and he didint say anything bad about the truss rod being bad. Would you worry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandonh Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 (edited) Oh and now the action is really low and only with strong attack do any of them buzz Edited June 28, 2007 by Brandonh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Brandon - you seem not to be answering any posts. Can we take it you've now sorted yourself out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizbat Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Yeah I,d like to know as I,ve been thinking "oh my god , hope he don,t knacker it" As for sticking your knee under the neck!!!! the only bass that I,ve really ever encountered that the manufacturer ever advised that was rickenbacker with the early single truss rod 4001,s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandonh Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 Yes I got it thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebasshead Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 [quote name='wizbat' post='24683' date='Jun 28 2007, 11:36 PM']Yeah I,d like to know as I,ve been thinking "oh my god , hope he don,t knacker it" As for sticking your knee under the neck!!!! the only bass that I,ve really ever encountered that the manufacturer ever advised that was rickenbacker with the early single truss rod 4001,s.[/quote] Great advice here [url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/"]http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/[/url] for setting up Rickenbackers and a separate section under the Bass Guitar Maintenance section for all other basses. This guy's highly recommended on the Rickenbacker forums. Friend of mine bought a vintage switching tone pot for his 4003 and Rickenbacker didn't include a wiring diagram. When he emailed them to ask for one they just pointed him at the above site - canny recommendation ! Ric's really are very different to set up. Any Ric owners should read the advice on the link above but basically, for Ric's you adjust the rods with the strings tuned to pitch, and for the 4001 model NEVER, EVER tighten the truss rods to move the neck, always loosen the adjusters, move the neck manually where you want it and then tighten them to hold it in place. 4003's have stronger rods so you don't have to move the neck manually but you still do it with the strings tuned to pitch. You'd be aiming to set the neck up FLAT, no relief. Totally different to the majority of basses. Regards, Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandonh Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Whoah scary =/ I just talked to a once again highly reccomended tech and he told me that the correct way to do it is to take the strings of and then put a back bow on the neck then continue adjusting from there. This is the opposite of what I did for most of mine. I loosened the strings for most the times but then the finishing touches I just kept the strings tight. Now I also have been wondering why my truss rod feels a little sticky mind you I have my bass set up the way I like it now. But it feels a little jolty unlike my bros guitar which is smooth as silk. Is this becuase its a bass? Should I put a drop of household oil into the hole were I put the wrench in? The truss hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 I think that slackening/removing the strings for truss rod adjustments depends on the direction of the adjustment. If you need to reduce the relief (tightening the truss rod) then slackening the strings is a good idea as you're not fighting the string tension as you adjust the neck. However going the other way sometimes you need all the help you can get and the extra pull from the strings can be benficial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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