Could this even happen?

[thisSNsucks]

So I have a year old stingray. From what I remember, the action was nice and low when I got it. I played it a bunch and then put it away for a while. I decided to break it back out the other day.

When I took it out I noticed that the strings were high off the fingerboard. I said it must be the neck. When I went to tighten the neck I realized it had already been tightened all the way. I never touched the rod on this bass before so it must be that way from the factory. I decided to do the dan erlewine clamping method.

Worked great but the strings are too high. The E string Saddle is sitting on the base of the bridge plate and the others arent far off.

Is it possible that all of a sudden the neck needs to be shimmed? I've shimmed necks before using thin maple veneers, business cards etc. but usually they needed to be that way from day one, not just all of a sudden. Any Ideas?

[Warfrat73]

Are you sure it's tightened all the way? Can you turn the trussrod at all? Sure it's not just stuck, sometimes a bit of varnish/nitro can get in there and seize it up and it needs a bit of persuasion.

[lonote]

WD-40

[whitedk57]

Have you looked down the length of the neck to see if its straight or bowed? If its bowed and the trussrod doesn't move, I'd try again or take it to get set up.

[thisSNsucks]

Ok here's the update guys. Last night I went home and loosened the strings to take the tension off the neck. I loosened the truss rod a quarter turn then tightened it a bit (like I always do). For some reason with the strings slacked it was easier to turn.

Normally I do all trussrod tweaking with the strings tuned to pitch (when possible) Anyway after I tightened the rod I tuned the strings back up and the action was fine and the relief was spot on.

My guess is i screwed up somehow the first time I adjusted the rod. I dont know how, but I probably did something backwards. Anyway my Ray is playing perfectly now, Thanks!

PS to lonote, Dont use WD-40! I hear it's no good on guitars and basses. I use vaseline on the threads.

[whitedk57]

Originally Posted by thisSNsucks

Anyway my Ray is playing perfectly now, Thanks!

Ahhh!!!! All is good in EBMM land.

[thisSNsucks]

Originally Posted by whitedk57

Ahhh!!!! All is good in EBMM land.

Yeah I had my doubts about it being the bass. I've had about 7 EBMMs in the past and this was the first to give me any issue, if you could even call it that.

Now let me ask another question. Is it easier to adjust the truss rod when there is no tension on the rod? it would make sense to me if it is, cause thats what seems to have happened here.

[bluestarbass]

Now let me ask another question. Is it easier to adjust the truss rod when there is no tension on the rod? it would make sense to me if it is, cause thats what seems to have happened here.

Yes its easier. I always used to slack the strings before Id do anything with the truss rod. Im not sure if this is right or not but when i was doing setups if the neck was bowed back after adjusting the truss rod id tune the strings up so the tension would help pull the neck forward. If the neck needed to come back some id wait a few hours before I tuned the strings back up. I always loosened the strings, but that was becuase I was setting up tons of guitar, most of them being really subpar learning models, and you have to use every trick in the book to move those things around.

[RobertUI]

If you read that Gary Willis setup page, he recommends adjusting the truss rod when strings are taught, but you set the bass on the floor, put your knee at the neck joint (where it meets the body) and flex the headstock slightly, to take some tension off the neck, and then make your adjustments. This is how I've been doing it for about 18 years. Just food for thought.

[Matthew Bryson]

I play a stock Geddy Lee jazz bass. I only adjust the rod with no tension on the neck. (neck adjusts at the heal and must be removed to adjust the truss rod)

[lonote]

Originally Posted by thisSNsucks

Ok here's the update guys. Last night I went home and loosened the strings to take the tension off the neck. I loosened the truss rod a quarter turn then tightened it a bit (like I always do). For some reason with the strings slacked it was easier to turn.

Normally I do all trussrod tweaking with the strings tuned to pitch (when possible) Anyway after I tightened the rod I tuned the strings back up and the action was fine and the relief was spot on.

My guess is i screwed up somehow the first time I adjusted the rod. I dont know how, but I probably did something backwards. Anyway my Ray is playing perfectly now, Thanks!

PS to lonote, Dont use WD-40! I hear it's no good on guitars and basses. I use vaseline on the threads.

I use WD-40 to lubricate all kinds of things on my basses. I can't imagine using vaseline but we all have our own ways of doing things.

[thisSNsucks]

Yeah everytime I read articles on setups it usually says to adjust the rod with the strings on if possible. I know on the old fenders (and RI's) you have to take the neck off to adjust anything. I'm sure adjusting the neck with the strings slacked wont hurt, and it seemed to make turning the nut easier in my case.

Oh and the whole WD 40 thing was discussed on the EBMM forum not too long ago. I'm sure its ok for certain things but most of the guys seemed to be against using it, maybe just cause its messy i dont know.

[Stuggi]

Originally Posted by thisSNsucks

Yeah everytime I read articles on setups it usually says to adjust the rod with the strings on if possible. I know on the old fenders (and RI's) you have to take the neck off to adjust anything.

That's one reason why I love my RI75, it has the trussrod nut at the peghead, and it's the big bullet shape too! With the microtilt, you never stop tweaking.