can not get the action correct on my geddy jazz

[stanger503]

so i bought the bass for a steal last spring. needed a set up and i was already use to outrageously high action so i brought it home and gave it a little truss adjustment and the saddles and it played like a dream. i thought the action was still slightly high but very playable being i really attack and dig into the strings when playing.
so here's my dilemma. I've recently wanted to lower the action so i can also tap on the same bass. i know this is possible but i can't seem to get it. the truss rod is so da*m hard to turn but now i think I've over adjusted it haha.
I just attempted another setup tonight so I'll let it set for a day before checking it again but this is getting annoying having to take the neck all the way off to adjust this and put it all back together several times only to get nowhere's. not to mention the possibility of stripping the heads of the screws or spinning them out.

so I'm sure you want numbers to work with. no gauges in the house right now so my best guess for 1st fret and last fret neck relief was roughly a little more than a credit card in the middle.

i now get buzz all throughout the neck but mainly from fret 15 on up. before my recent setups, my buzzing problem was still from 15 up, which i rarely played up that high but some newer songs have opened up that area as well as wanting to tap in that area.
i may need to relieve the neck a tiny bit more but i still feel i will get buzz on the high notes.

help is much appreciated as I'm sure this has been covered(obviously) but i feel like this is slightly a unique case and would like an answer pertaining to this exact instance. thanks in advance for the help and let me know if you need any other info to diagnose and help me out.

[Ski3223]

1) What would be your best guess at the ACTION at the 12th fret? Sounds like your relief is fine, now it's up to the saddles.

2) What gauge strings are you using?

3) Are you getting constant buzz when playing softly as well or just when you use your preferred technique? (digging in)

[stanger503]

12th fret is very close to an 1/8". my E string the saddle is too low i think, i tinkered with that too tonight and that's causing my buzz there but it seems to have improved a little bit since a few hours ago.
string gauge i believe is medium lights? if i can remember roto's.
If I play softly on the gda strings there isn't much of a buzz but playing normally (not digging in) up high still produces some buzz, playing with my style (digging) the notes are almost inaudible...unplugged anyhow. I know I'm being picky about this but I've never been able to get my action exactly where I'm happy with it. and definitely not low enough to tap with.
I don't know why but i just have a bug up my a$$ right now about being able to tap and it's bothering me I can't haha

[JLS]

Sounds like you have both a maxed out trussrod, as well as a pretty serious ski jump. This is not a happy neck.

[Ski3223]

Hey, nothing wrong with being picky. I'm extremely picky with my set-ups.

Yeah, I agree might be the ski-ramp issue. BUT, you also just might have the saddles too low. Just raise them till you get no buzz and see if it's "playable" for you. If not, re-evaluate your options.

Check for: High frets (eyeball it, usually obvious), "ski-ramp" (sort of an S shape, good bow up to about 12-15th fret then flat), backbow, NO bow at all (sometimes happens after the set-up "sets in"), saddles too low.

Another thing with using light strings... I'm counting on my superiors here to help me with my fact checking... The lighter the gauge the wider the string's vibration arc, so you'll get less buzz with a higher gauge. Consequently, you'll be able to pull a lower set-up (following my logic at least...). If all the other issues check out okay, consider a heavier gauge to accommodate your heavy style.

[john grey]

Originally Posted by JLS

Sounds like you have both a maxed out trussrod, as well as a pretty serious ski jump. This is not a happy neck.

That was exactly what I thought of reading this thread.
All too often a poor neck can be "disguised" by both raising the action and deepening the relief. The statement you said about tightening the trus-rod was somewhat of a "red-flag" to me. If you got the Bass at a really good price, you may want to invest in some serious work but I would do what I could to eliminate light-weight issues like a slightly raised fret, etc.

Many times this gets down to what you are willing to spend vs the depth of the problem. IF the Bass may have been exposed to strikingly wide variations in temp and humidity I would go slow. The idea of keeping it an a profoundly tight trus setting may not be in you best interest. Moderation may revel more to you as time goes on. A good straight edge and time may revel inconsistencies with both neck and frets. Go slow and read a great deal of past posts; please don't rush any potential repair that may entail warp or serious problems w/ neck.

[stanger503]

I was considering moving to full mediums or med heavy because we do play dropped for a bit. I assumed it would be worse but the logic makes sense when you think about it. It kind of looks like a but of a change right at the heel of the neck but I'd have to put a straight edge on it to know for sure.

[stanger503]

so tonight's inspection report.
I adjusted the saddles to very minimal buzz but I think if anything it's up higher than when i started. I might have to put a tiny bit more relief into it maybe? this is really starting to bum me out. before anyone says it, there are zero pros in my area that I have been able to locate because believe me I would've done that immediately upon purchase.
guess maybe I'll have to deal with it unless there's any other suggestions of something I didn't try/think of?

[THand]

Is there a shim in the neck pocket?
Do you have a fret rocker?

[Ski3223]

Originally Posted by stanger503

so tonight's inspection report.
I adjusted the saddles to very minimal buzz but I think if anything it's up higher than when i started. I might have to put a tiny bit more relief into it maybe? this is really starting to bum me out. before anyone says it, there are zero pros in my area that I have been able to locate because believe me I would've done that immediately upon purchase.
guess maybe I'll have to deal with it unless there's any other suggestions of something I didn't try/think of?

Maybe some good pictures could help us diagnose the issue? Maybe we can see something wrong that just isn't easy to explain in words.

[john grey]

For pictures to be of significant use, they need to be almost macro photography and sighting down the neck with a known straight-edge for comparison. A string may twist with a warp and confuse the eye.{So make sure they are not twisted prior to picture taking}.
Take your time with any pictures, use known straight comparisons (rulers along side neck), and write a dialog of strings, etc. - restore Bass to original condition.

You may or may not be able to repair it y yourself but you may be able to determine the issue with a degree of security. It IS possible that someone dropped a problem in your lap: you need to be prepared for that possibility.

{Another route to go would be to replace the strings with lighter set and make sure they are not twisted.} Get a shot of nut and bridge also.

[walterw]

try tightening the rod until you get "business card" rather than "more than a credit card" gap. then, you should be able to raise the saddles for string clearance off the higher frets while still having a reasonable feel.

if the nut is hard to turn, spin it all the way off and smear some candle wax and maybe a pinch of 3-in-1 oil into the threads.

(this all assumes no actual problems with "ski ramp" or anything.)

finally, look at the nut; if the strings open over the first fret are way higher than they are if you hold the first fret and look at the second fret, then the nut slots are too high.