Bridge Adjustment Question

[bassphreak]

I've recently picked up a MIM Jazz V 5 string on trade. It needed a good deal of adjustment, but I'm almost there. I've replaced the strings, adjusted the neck and now it's in respectable playing shape.

However, I'm running into an issue that I have not experienced before. The bass as the stock bridge (L 5 screw design). I have raised the saddles about as high as they can go and the action is still what I consider very low. I still get a lot of buzzing and 'clanking' from the frets at different places. I've never had a problem when I can't get the action HIGH enough. The saddle screws are near the end. Generally the saddles on any bass I've had are very low.

I'm not sure what other adjustments I can do. I've considered replacing the bridge, but not sure what 'drop in' bridges are available for the MIM Jazz V.

Thanks.

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by bassphreak

I've recently picked up a MIM Jazz V 5 string on trade. It needed a good deal of adjustment, but I'm almost there. I've replaced the strings, adjusted the neck and now it's in respectable playing shape.

However, I'm running into an issue that I have not experienced before. The bass as the stock bridge (L 5 screw design). I have raised the saddles about as high as they can go and the action is still what I consider very low. I still get a lot of buzzing and 'clanking' from the frets at different places. I've never had a problem when I can't get the action HIGH enough. The saddle screws are near the end. Generally the saddles on any bass I've had are very low.

I'm not sure what other adjustments I can do. I've considered replacing the bridge, but not sure what 'drop in' bridges are available for the MIM Jazz V.

Thanks.

Check the relief of the neck. It's possible it has too much back bow to it, i.e. the truss rod is too tight.
Try setting the action to a reasonable level of comfort at the heel. I.e. the last few frets should sound the way you want.
Then check for buzz up and down the neck. If one or more of the strings "frets out" on some part of the neck you may have too little relief. Looking down the neck can give you an eyeball of where it is, i.e. if it's got a visible bowing to it in one or the direction and can help you gauge where to start (i.e. tighten or loosen rod).

"unscrewing" the rod loosens it and thus adds relief ("forward bow") to the neck, tightening it flattens it out.

That's where I'd start. Agreed, usually you can't get the freaking action _low_ enough much less not high enough

LS

[JTE]

Yeah, don't start jerking the bridge around until you have the relief correct. IF the relief is right, and you still can't get the action up where you want it, then the neck/body angle can be adjusted too.

John

[bassphreak]

Thanks both for the responses. The relief seems fine to me. I had to add relief when I got the bass. I still had buzzing up and down the frets when I had the saddles to low. I raised the saddles and the buzzing is mostly gone. I'm letting the new strings settle.

How do I check the neck/body angle? I've not done that before. Thanks.

[lug]

Originally Posted by bassphreak

Thanks both for the responses. The relief seems fine to me. I had to add relief when I got the bass. I still had buzzing up and down the frets when I had the saddles to low. I raised the saddles and the buzzing is mostly gone. I'm letting the new strings settle.

How do I check the neck/body angle? I've not done that before. Thanks.

You might want to look in the neck pocket to see if the previous owner shimmed the neck. If the relief is correct, that's what I'd check next.

[bassphreak]

Thanks again for the suggestions.

When checking over the entire bass I noted that the neck and bridge screws were not fully seated. Never thought to check.

My guess is the previous owner had taken apart or modded at some point. With the screws tight and fully seated, the action is now what I would expect. I've been able to start dropping the saddles. I've also had to tighten the neck to compensate for the increased tension. It's settling nicely. I will likely need to make another 1/4 turn tighter, drop the saddles and I'll be good to go. Tx.

[lethargytartare]

Just to reinforce what lug said -- generally, when the saddles are raised to their max, there's probably a shim or the neck is pitched too much. If the saddles are bottoming out, the neck could use a shim.

There's also always a chance the nut could use some attention -- but that's whole separate discussion, and irrelevant if you've got the bass playing as you like it!

Cheers!

ltt

[BottomE]

Wow - now check this out.

I have a MIM Fender Jazz 5 string. It was in pretty bad nick when i got it (last week). I took it apart, cleaned the neck and frets etc restrung. The action was all over the place so i decided to lower it as much as possible and then adjust from there.

I have adjusted the bridge so that the bottom B and top G cannot go any lower and there is still no fret buzz or anything. Shouldn't there be some kind of fret buzz when the bridge is as low as possible?

Reading the previous comments could it be that the neck needs a twiddle on the truss?

[Senator]

Originally Posted by lug

You might want to look in the neck pocket to see if the previous owner shimmed the neck. If the relief is correct, that's what I'd check next.

+1

I had the neck shimmed on my MIM Jazz V when it was set up.

[lethargytartare]

I'd agree that once bottomed out, there should be some buzzing, but hey, if the saddles are bottomed out and the action is perfect, then it's fine. If they're bottomed out, and the action is too high, then I'd shim the neck.

When the saddles are bottomed out, all the saddle screws are exposed, and when I play, that messes up my right hand (more so on guitar), so I shim the neck primarily so I can get the same action, but have the saddles higher. I will also shim the neck if the action across the board is not quite consistent (ramp up or drop off at the heel usually).

Before you do anything severs, measure the action at a few points -- say, 1st, 5th, 12th and 20th frets (with the saddles bottomed out) -- post that, and folks here will have more specific input for you.

Cheers!

ltt

Originally Posted by BottomE

Wow - now check this out.

I have a MIM Fender Jazz 5 string. It was in pretty bad nick when i got it (last week). I took it apart, cleaned the neck and frets etc restrung. The action was all over the place so i decided to lower it as much as possible and then adjust from there.

I have adjusted the bridge so that the bottom B and top G cannot go any lower and there is still no fret buzz or anything. Shouldn't there be some kind of fret buzz when the bridge is as low as possible?

Reading the previous comments could it be that the neck needs a twiddle on the truss?

[BottomE]

Thanks for that.

Shimming the neck does sound a bit severe but i do think that the action could come down a bit.

How do i measure the action? (sorry for being a noob).

[lethargytartare]

There are different techniques, and different tools -- google, or search this forum group (setup and repair) -- plenty of explanations. And if you put in a shim while the saddles are bottomed out, you'll know you've made progress if, when tuned up, they're hitting the frets.

Shimming is not severe -- it's actually very simple and safe. You'll be surprised how LITTLE you need to use to make a big impact. I typically use a 1/8th - 1/4th inch wide, almost full-pocket-width strip of 100 grit sandpaper. Other stuff I've used: the plastic that comes in the collar of new dress shirts, business card stock -- there's better stuff to use (search these forums), but I just tend to use what I have on hand, and you just want something that's the right thickness, but won't compress too much. So, remove neck, put shim behind neck bolts (that is, the ones closest to the pickups), retighten, tune and check action.

[JTE]

I used to use cut up guitar picks for shims. They were easy to find (I managed a guitar store) and cheap, and pretty consistently sized so they were perfect for shims.

John

[BottomE]

Why am i such a scaredy cat? The thought of taking the neck off fills me with terror! My inclination is to take it to someome else to do it but another of my personalities wants to do it.