1981 Fender Precision setup help please

[Paolo85]

1 hour ago, dyerseve said:

I still dont get it - why would you want to know how much you need to change it at the 12th fret - that only services half of the fretboard...

Typically I never measure the action when setting up any of my basses, I just keep going lower until fret buzz intervenes. Then I raise the action a fraction at a time until there is no fret buzz on the last few frets as they are always the last to buzz.

I have only measured the action on this occasion to compare it to what others are achieving with their P basses 

Well, for most people that's the half of the fretboard that actually gets used. I suspect that's also the reason why, reading around, I am under the impression that, if they have to chose, many people would try to get the neck very straight above all, and then play with the saddles. Relief does help lowering action (here I mean it in general) overall. But with a fairly straight neck one can sacrifice "average action" across the neck a bit, getting a better action toward the headstock a worse one in the dusty end.

I would be among those that prefer a somewhat straight neck on paper. And I measure string height either at the 12th or at the 15th fret (which I find tend to be almost identical in most cases). I do not try too hard to keep the neck straight only because if I keep a bit of margin then I

do not have to adjust the truss rod too often.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Paolo85