so i just bought a new bass...its 6 strings and neck-thru, if that matters, and i wanna have it set-up by a professional, and i just have 2 questions.

1. how much will a set-up run me?
2. how long will it take? is it something they will do right there, or will i have to leave my bass with them?

Set up should cost less than $50 unless there's something serious to fix. Bring along a set of new strings if yours are old and they can be put on before the set up. Nows the chance to change to a different type of string if you've been thinking of it.

It depends on how busy the tech is on how long you wait. Sometimes it can be done while you wait, but if the guy is in demand you may have to wait a few days to get it back. One shop in Toronto routinely has you waiting 2 weeks. They do good work but are more expensive though.

When you take your bass in, tell the guy what you don't like about the way it's set up now. Play a few licks for him so he can see how hard you play. These things must all be taken into account. When you pick up the bass check it out before you leave the shop to make sure everything is the way you want.

Some of the guys out there aren't very good. Some are terrible. One music store in Toronto where many of my students bought new basses used to set them up for the new buyer for free. I used to have to redo it in many cases. They did terrible work, at least on basses. See if you can find a place where the pros go to get work done.

Prices for setups vary a lot. I've heard prices from $20 to $200. I watched as s "tech' did a twenty dollat setup. He sighted the neck by looking along the neck from the headstock, said "it needs a little relief", took out an allen wrench and turned the truss about a quarted turn, resighted it and said "perfrect". He measuered nothing. He did spend about 15 minutes talking to be bass owner about what he liked and didn't like about the way the instrument played. He was very patient. And the player was very pleased in the end feeling his $20 was well spent. He felt that the tech was a real expert and could tell just what the instrument needed by sighting along the neck and with his expert touch tweaking the neck just so.

My immediate thought was "what a ripoff'. But I got to thinking about it, and I think the player got a good deal. The tech was well known and had a good reputation. He works in a shop that is highly regarded. He is an expert. He gave his customer his undivided attention for over 15 minutes and he instailled a sense of confidence ina job well done. I know that if the player finds he setup less than his expectations he will go back for a quick tweak. And I know there will be no charge for the second adjustment. Could he have gotten the job done cheaper? Probably not. Could he get it done better - probably. Would he be happier with a better job - probably not - he had a lot of faith in the reputation of the tech. That's what made the difference.

Prices for setups vary a lot. I've heard prices from $20 to $200. I watched as s "tech' did a twenty dollat setup. He sighted the neck by looking along the neck from the headstock, said "it needs a little relief", took out an allen wrench and turned the truss about a quarted turn, resighted it and said "perfrect". He measuered nothing. He did spend about 15 minutes talking to be bass owner about what he liked and didn't like about the way the instrument played. He was very patient. And the player was very pleased in the end feeling his $20 was well spent. He felt that the tech was a real expert and could tell just what the instrument needed by sighting along the neck and with his expert touch tweaking the neck just so.

My immediate thought was "what a ripoff'. But I got to thinking about it, and I think the player got a good deal. The tech was well known and had a good reputation. He works in a shop that is highly regarded. He is an expert. He gave his customer his undivided attention for over 15 minutes and he instailled a sense of confidence ina job well done. I know that if the player finds he setup less than his expectations he will go back for a quick tweak. And I know there will be no charge for the second adjustment. Could he have gotten the job done cheaper? Probably not. Could he get it done better - probably. Would he be happier with a better job - probably not - he had a lot of faith in the reputation of the tech. That's what made the difference.

I agree with a lot of the ideas in this stroy, although this specific situation never happened to me.

I've paid as little as $20 and as much as $200 depending on what I needed from the setup. If you're talking a truss rod tweak and action/intonation adjustment, shouldn't be more than $40. May take up to a week, may be on the spot, depends on the store, policy, workload and how stoned the tech is.

I've also come home with instruments that play worse than when I left it there, so ask your musician friends in the area who they recommend, and find a good tech and hang on for dear life.