The Official How to Set Up your Bass Thread

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 07-01-2004, 01:08 PM

Ok maby this should go in the beginer section but newbs dont seem to post these type of questions there so... without further ado....

How to set up your Bass!

Dum de Dum Dum

1. Make shure you bass is in tune and has strings.

Action:

action is the string hight ie how high or low strings are from the finger board. low action means easier to play, but if you get agressive yuo may get buzz. the goal of most is the lowest posible acition without fret buzz. so to lower the action your bridge has adjustable saddles:

those things suporting the strings are saddles, each is adjusted up and down with two risers. on most bridges alen keys are used, allen keys come with most new basses, or you can get one for your bass at a music store or hardware store, some uses screw drivers. to raise action screw each riser up or down. duh. rais or lower the action until it suits you. do the same for each string. you should follow the curve of the neck on string hight.

next

The Bow of the neck plays a role in action and buzz, to strait of a neck = buzz to much bow, or relief as its called = high action. to adjust the neck lock at the head stock or bass of the neck for a hex socket. on some basses this is covered. remove the cover

headstock trus rod

neck bass rod:

so your most likely gonna need another hex toll larger this time again music store or hardware store.

to give the neck more relief turn counter clock wise ONLY IN 1/8 TURN in crements. let your bass settle before doing more. this will cause your bass to go flat so retune. give ite enough relief so it doesnt buzz.

if i need less relief turn truss rod clock wise AGAIN ONLY 1/8 TURN it is very easy to break a trus rod and ruin your neck, its very common so only turn it slowly, dont force it or it will break. this is why alot of people have others do this for fear of damaging there gear. yet if you know what your doing its ok and you save $.

contrairy to popular believe you dont want a neck that is perfectly flat, you want just a bit of bow or relief as stings vibrate more in the middle: so leave a slight bow. remeber to check relief in playing position. ie holding bass as you would normaly play.

if your frets still buzz above 12 fret in higher register, you need to raise the saddles, if the the frets only buzz below 12 in the lowe register you need more neck relief.

next intonation:

intonation is nore acuarcy. ie notes palying in tune all up and down the neck.
to adjust the intonation you adjsut the length of the strings. their speaking lenth. to adjsut the intonation you move the bridge sadles forwards and backwards. to do this you turn the screws on the back of the bridge that adjust the springs that push sadles:

to check intonation bust out a tuner tune your bass, then check the 12 the freet harmoic it should be the same as a freted 12th note ie on the E string 12 fret should read E, if the 12th is flat shorten the string but moving sadle towards the neck, if the 12th is sharp lengthen the string by moving the sadle away, this is hard and is usualy a compromise, buts its worth it if you like to solo up the neck.

Pickup Hight:

often overlooked the hight of the pickups is important for string to string balance and geting the proper tone. to raise and lower the pickups tighten and losen the scres the hold them in. raise them as close to the strings as posible but not so close that the magnets interfer with the strings causing wolfe notes or dead notes. make sure that when you fret high the strings dont touch the pickups.

heres how high you should set them:

i hoped this helped.

Left Shoe · 07-01-2004, 01:36 PM

nice job

Skit · 07-01-2004, 01:37 PM

Nice....I knew it all but nice

BTW whats that big plug socket on your bass for (last pic)?

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 07-01-2004, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skit

Nice....I knew it all but nice

BTW whats that big plug socket on your bass for (last pic)?

its where i plug in the talentirzer2000 it makes me sound like insert bass god here____ no mater how bad i play! Thank You NASA!

actualy its not my bass so i have no idea, i wish i had a sixer though

Skit · 07-01-2004, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove

its where i plug in the talentirzer2000 it makes me sound like insert bass god here____ no mater how bad i play! Thank You NASA!

actualy its not my bass so i have no idea, i wish i had a sixer though

Gotta get me one of those....

I have seen them type of leads but never actually seen a plug on a bass for them...weird..

Crapdragoon · 07-01-2004, 03:33 PM

Very nice work.

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 07-01-2004, 04:25 PM

thanks, i know its alitte rough around the edges and i cant spell at all so yeah. but i hope it helps. its important to know all alspects of your instrument...intimately

Kandyman · 07-01-2004, 04:27 PM

Very well done. I'm guessing that jack is for that third pickup near the bridge, kind of like a Roland one.

Catacombs · 07-02-2004, 03:57 AM

Already knew most of this, but nice work

JamieH · 07-02-2004, 05:45 AM

Yeah, i knew most of it reallty but its still all good.

And shouldn't this be in the lessons section?

badmonkeyfinger · 07-02-2004, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skit

Gotta get me one of those....

I have seen them type of leads but never actually seen a plug on a bass for them...weird..

it could be a midi converter thingy

YO_bass · 07-02-2004, 01:36 PM

quick question: for intonation and truss rod adjustments, should you detune the strings or even take them off completely or leave them tight and in tune?

Jamie · 07-02-2004, 06:26 PM

yeah, my guess is midi for that plug.

acexxxoasis · 07-02-2004, 07:32 PM

its a plug for midi so you can plug into like a syntesizer and control it I think

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 07-02-2004, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acexxxoasis

its a plug for midi so you can plug into like a syntesizer and control it I think

yessh i talked to my guitar fiend friend and he confirmed its a midi conections so you you can drive a roland synth board.

Dannyboy15 · 07-03-2004, 12:43 PM

bump...we should get this in the archive.

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 07-03-2004, 01:15 PM

yeah a mod could move it, i need to polish it up a bit.

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 07-03-2004, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YO_bass

quick question: for intonation and truss rod adjustments, should you detune the strings or even take them off completely or leave them tight and in tune?

for intonation your bass needs to be in tune, and while some disagree, trus rod adjustments should be made with strings in full tune, so as to acuaratly judge the effects of tightening and losening, unless you have a old fender(or reissue) with the rod in the heel and you have to remove the neck to adjust it, you should do it under full tension of tuning.

GaryDaNoTrashCougar · 07-03-2004, 01:59 PM

If I have never messed around with my action, do you advise me to bring my bass to a music store to adjust it for me?

acexxxoasis · 07-03-2004, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0torBreath II

If I have never messed around with my action, do you advise me to bring my bass to a music store to adjust it for me?

yes I do

07-01-2004, 01:08 PM	#1
Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove Nobody here but us trees Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,765	The Official How to Set Up your Bass Thread Ok maby this should go in the beginer section but newbs dont seem to post these type of questions there so... without further ado.... How to set up your Bass! Dum de Dum Dum 1. Make shure you bass is in tune and has strings. Action: action is the string hight ie how high or low strings are from the finger board. low action means easier to play, but if you get agressive yuo may get buzz. the goal of most is the lowest posible acition without fret buzz. so to lower the action your bridge has adjustable saddles: those things suporting the strings are saddles, each is adjusted up and down with two risers. on most bridges alen keys are used, allen keys come with most new basses, or you can get one for your bass at a music store or hardware store, some uses screw drivers. to raise action screw each riser up or down. duh. rais or lower the action until it suits you. do the same for each string. you should follow the curve of the neck on string hight. next The Bow of the neck plays a role in action and buzz, to strait of a neck = buzz to much bow, or relief as its called = high action. to adjust the neck lock at the head stock or bass of the neck for a hex socket. on some basses this is covered. remove the cover headstock trus rod neck bass rod: so your most likely gonna need another hex toll larger this time again music store or hardware store. to give the neck more relief turn counter clock wise ONLY IN 1/8 TURN in crements. let your bass settle before doing more. this will cause your bass to go flat so retune. give ite enough relief so it doesnt buzz. if i need less relief turn truss rod clock wise AGAIN ONLY 1/8 TURN it is very easy to break a trus rod and ruin your neck, its very common so only turn it slowly, dont force it or it will break. this is why alot of people have others do this for fear of damaging there gear. yet if you know what your doing its ok and you save $. contrairy to popular believe you dont want a neck that is perfectly flat, you want just a bit of bow or relief as stings vibrate more in the middle: so leave a slight bow. remeber to check relief in playing position. ie holding bass as you would normaly play. if your frets still buzz above 12 fret in higher register, you need to raise the saddles, if the the frets only buzz below 12 in the lowe register you need more neck relief. next intonation: intonation is nore acuarcy. ie notes palying in tune all up and down the neck. to adjust the intonation you adjsut the length of the strings. their speaking lenth. to adjsut the intonation you move the bridge sadles forwards and backwards. to do this you turn the screws on the back of the bridge that adjust the springs that push sadles: to check intonation bust out a tuner tune your bass, then check the 12 the freet harmoic it should be the same as a freted 12th note ie on the E string 12 fret should read E, if the 12th is flat shorten the string but moving sadle towards the neck, if the 12th is sharp lengthen the string by moving the sadle away, this is hard and is usualy a compromise, buts its worth it if you like to solo up the neck. Pickup Hight: often overlooked the hight of the pickups is important for string to string balance and geting the proper tone. to raise and lower the pickups tighten and losen the scres the hold them in. raise them as close to the strings as posible but not so close that the magnets interfer with the strings causing wolfe notes or dead notes. make sure that when you fret high the strings dont touch the pickups. heres how high you should set them: i hoped this helped.

07-01-2004, 03:33 PM	#6
Crapdragoon 20 minutes / 40 years Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts Posts: 11,913	Very nice work.
	Digging: Secret And Whisper - Teenage Fantasy

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07-01-2004, 01:36 PM	#2
Left Shoe 13 Crosses For Mod '10 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Boston Posts: 20,586	nice job

07-01-2004, 01:37 PM	#3
Skit • Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: England Posts: 2,697	Nice....I knew it all but nice BTW whats that big plug socket on your bass for (last pic)?

07-01-2004, 04:25 PM	#7
Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove Nobody here but us trees Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,765	thanks, i know its alitte rough around the edges and i cant spell at all so yeah. but i hope it helps. its important to know all alspects of your instrument...intimately

07-01-2004, 04:27 PM	#8
Kandyman Set in my ways.. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Southwest Asia Posts: 1,242	Very well done. I'm guessing that jack is for that third pickup near the bridge, kind of like a Roland one.

07-02-2004, 03:57 AM	#9
Catacombs Poor bastard Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 94	Already knew most of this, but nice work

07-02-2004, 05:45 AM	#10
JamieH Jamie Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: England Posts: 30	Yeah, i knew most of it reallty but its still all good. And shouldn't this be in the lessons section?

07-02-2004, 01:36 PM	#12
YO_bass Wannabe bass nerd Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Evanston, IL Posts: 1,964	quick question: for intonation and truss rod adjustments, should you detune the strings or even take them off completely or leave them tight and in tune?

07-02-2004, 06:26 PM	#13
Jamie :O Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 10,789	yeah, my guess is midi for that plug.

07-02-2004, 07:32 PM	#14
acexxxoasis Mesa clubber Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Wisconsin watertown Posts: 3,333	its a plug for midi so you can plug into like a syntesizer and control it I think

07-03-2004, 12:43 PM	#16
Dannyboy15 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Lawndale, California Posts: 3,414	bump...we should get this in the archive.

07-03-2004, 01:15 PM	#17
Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove Nobody here but us trees Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,765	yeah a mod could move it, i need to polish it up a bit.

07-03-2004, 01:59 PM	#19
GaryDaNoTrashCougar Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,444	If I have never messed around with my action, do you advise me to bring my bass to a music store to adjust it for me?