Bridge saddles wont go lower but action still too high.

[jcburn]

Hey everyone. recently bought a Squier ADJV to mod. Not a bad bass and the sound is great. I usually do my own setups but with this one the G string saddle wont adjust any lower but the action on that string is still too high at the 20th fret (id say 2-3mm). What can I do to fix this? If I shim the neck pocket whats the correct way to do it. All the other strings are OK.
Thanks all.

[Slowgypsy]

Just checking that the neck is nice and straight? It almost sounds as if the neck has too much relief and needs a truss rod adjustment. Have you checked how much relief is in the neck? Also, if it's only the G string, but all the others are fine... does the neck have a slight twist to it? Sorry if this sounds basic to you but I haven't a clue as to how experienced you are with setups.

[jcburn]

Thanks for the reply mate. I do all my own setups but I am not a professional, so I guess I have some experience. The neck is fine - no twists and it is nearly straight with just a tad of relief. Its how I set all my necks up.
What the problem is is that with the G string bridge saddle all the way down (no more adjustment available) the string on the higher frets is still too high. No buzzing or anything - it could definitely go lower, just not physically possible. It's as if the neck has been routed too low in the neck pocket. The other strings are fine as the neck has about a 10" radius, and I use a taper wound B and E string, so they naturally sit lower in the saddle. I've had this problem once before and sold a bass because of it. Im sure a luthier could fix it in less than an hour, I am just a little skint at the moment and dont want to pay one!

[rlj4214]

Well... since the other parts of the neck alignment seem to be correct shimming the pocket to change the action height. Obviously more relief would be shimming at the neck end of the pocket. Less relief would be shimming the back of the pocket. It doesn't take much to make a big difference. While the best way would be to remove strings and go at it from there, as long as you loosen them so they don't make the neck smack you in the face when you take the neck screws out you should be fine. It really doesn't take much to change the action height on a bolt on neck.

Maybe I misunderstood, but this is a fairly straight forward adjustment if I did understand.

take care, good luck.

[SurferJoe46]

I find that when I need to adjust a neck, that new playing cards are one of the best shim materials I have found.

They are really dense material and won't squish out of place or lose thickness/dimensions when under pressure.

[Zooberwerx]

*Shim with beer can aluminum (lord knows you should have enough laying around) at the bridge-end of the pocket. Note: this does not correct relief. If your neck has some bow in it from the 1st thru 24th frets, that bow is still gonna be there after you install a shim. Shimming does change the orientation of two planes in relationship to one another.

*If you're really brave, grind some metal off the base of the G string saddle. Its a helluva lot easier and replacement saddles are readily available and inexpensive.

Riis

[tobie]

Originally Posted by jcburn

I use a taper wound B and E string

I've had the same problem with my B flatwound not bending enough at the bridge, thus staying a bit higher than the more flexible E, A & D flats. I'm now using .105's for both my B and E as a result. It works for me, although I sometimes feel the B has just a little too much slack.

I have not tried it but rather forcing the string down at the bridge by using a bit of pressure might have done the trick?

[Willicious]

OP,
I recently had this same problem with a used Classic 60s Jazz I bought off Evil Bay.

Did some measurements. Turns out the neck pocket was about 3/32" too deep. Must've been a Monday or Friday build.

Made a real nice, solid shim out of 3/32" birch plywood from the local hobby shop. Trimmed out w/box knife, sanded, drilled, works great.

http://www.midwestproducts.com/catal...d=15&sa2_id=25

[jcburn]

All great answers thanks guys.
Riis - do you think all musicians are alcoholics!!!
For the record when I replace my strings I alway press the string down on the bridge saddle - creates a more stable tuning too so thats a no go. Looks like a shim is the way to go. I dont think I have the balls to grind the bottom of the bridge saddle!
I will post when done - the playing card thingsounds like the go as I only have to make a 1-2mm adjustment.

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by jcburn

Riis - do you think all musicians are alcoholics!!!

No, but I've seen Australians drink beer (Exmouth / NorthWest Cape / WA) and I couldn't keep up....and I'm German!

Best of luck with the project-on-hand...sounds like you have things well under control.

Riis

[VroomVroom]

[Tangent]

Riis, I'm disappointed. I had the impression that all proper Germans...and Australians...drank their beer out of fine glass bottles, which as we know does not a good shim make. Aluminum (sorry....allow me to go all continental on you for a second...ahem: al-you-mih-nee-uhm) is for us domesticated 'merican sloths.



[/Tangent]

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by VroomVroom

[Tangent]

Riis, I'm disappointed. I had the impression that all proper Germans...and Australians...drank their beer out of fine glass bottles, which as we know does not a good shim make. Aluminum (sorry....allow me to go all continental on you for a second...ahem: al-you-mih-nee-uhm) is for us domesticated 'merican sloths.



[/Tangent]

Its easier to crush an aluminum can on your forehead, what can I say?

I read this somewhere and it holds true: the Australians have more euphemisms for throwing up than they do for getting laid. The boot...the technicolor yawn...etc.

Riis

[Tim Skaggs]

One of the best and easiest to obtain shim materials is 150 - 220 grit sandpaper. A strip about 1/2 inch wide the full width of the neck heel works great. The rough surface also resists neck shifting in the pocket. If you need a really thick shim, cut the width twice as wide and fold the shim in half with the sanding surfaces against the neck and the body. This really provides good resistance against neck shifting.

I would take a good straight edge and check the neck for relief carefully before I pull it off and start shimming. Another way; with the bass tuned to standard pitch, capo at first fret and hold down the E string at the 17th fret. Check the relief at the 8th fret and look for .012" - .020" of clearance.

Good luck.

[jcburn]

Hey Vroom - you definitely have the pronounciation correct. I wonder why its different eh?
Euphemisms for throwing up...
Going the spit
Worship the porcelain god
Having a yak (think of the noise involved)
Chucking your guts...
Maybe we need to start a new thread!!!
Thanks all!

[seanm]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I find that when I need to adjust a neck, that new playing cards are one of the best shim materials I have found.

They are really dense material and won't squish out of place or lose thickness/dimensions when under pressure.

Great idea. I have always used business cards in the past, but playing cards sound like a more stable idea.

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

*Shim with beer can aluminum (lord knows you should have enough laying around) at the bridge-end of the pocket.

No beer can aluminum here.... I take it back to get my refund!

[jcburn]

Originally Posted by seanm

No beer can aluminum here.... I take it back to get my refund!

Sensible man - might even be recycled into
kramer necks...

[blipndub]

you may also have to bring the nut down a little in that g string slot. oftentimes folks overlook the role of the nut slots in impacting action. you can by slot files or you can even use the string itself as a makeshift file to deepen the nut slot some.

I personally don't like shimming the neck because you often have to 1) raise the saddles too much 2) raise the pickups accordingly which can make the whole fit of the bass feel off. I know shimming is something that fender even did at the factory so it's definitely the most common cure, but it's not without drawbacks, particularly if it's only one string.

On the bridge side I have given up on high mass bridges for this reason, the big saddle barrels make shimming almost a necessity. i've pulled the saddles on Gotoh 201's and replaced them with smaller traditional saddles for just this reason.

[jcburn]

Thats a cool idea too mate. I happen to have a Fender deluxe 5 bridge that looks like it might do the trick. Might do that first and see how it goes.

[not_jason]

I've shimmed a couple of necks, and it can make a huge difference to make an instrument more friendly to set up. As far as adjusting pickup height and all that goes, I don't see the big deal. In my opinion, those are things that almost always need to be tweaked on any new bass anyway (at least in accordance with my tonal preferences). I figure they make the heights adjustable for a reason.

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by not_jason

I've shimmed a couple of necks, and it can make a huge difference to make an instrument more friendly to set up...

It will also alter the the string height relationship to the body itself which may require an adjustment in right hand technique.

Riis