Fender P Bass woes

[Wes D]

So I just bought a new Fender Precision for $400.
I played it in the store and it sounded excellent! The strings didn't rattle there was hardly any buzz the neck looked plum and everything.
However once I get home I plug it in and bleh, everything just goes down the tubes, strings rattling everywhere sound is all different from when I played it in the store.

Now I'm a noob only been playing for like 4 years off and on, do I just need to give it some time to adjust to the temp and humidity in my house or should I bring out the Allen Wrench and tinker with the truss rod or is it something else?
Thank you.

[jenderfazz]

Where does it rattle/buzz? First frets, last frets? Or specific frets? How low are the strings set? Does it buzz only when you play hard?

That'll give us a better idea of just what is wrong with it.

[Wes D]

Its at standard tuning right now nothing fancy. I'm not playing hard just very easy plucking
And it tends to rattle around more or less on the A and D strings but that is where you can hear it the most its buzzing and rattling on all of them really.

I'm not sure what you mean by "How low are the strings set"
Sorry I dont know much about the mechanics/lingo of basses.

[202dy]

This is not an unusual phenomena. In the store we pluck politely and decide we like the way a guitar plays. We get it home and dig in and find out that the low comfy set up we had at the store is rattling all over the place. When you buy a sofa you should lay on it in the store if lay on it you will do at home. If they ask you to leave do not buy there. Same goes in the music store. Of course, if part of your act is to stab your guitar with steak knives you may find it to be prudent to eliminate that part of your routine. If you have pick marks on your current guitar from playing hard you won't make any friends at the music store by doing that, either. Most other techniques are reasonable.

As far as the sound changing, it is not unreasonable to expect the sound to be different in a 2000 sq. ft. music store full of carpet, gig bags hanging on displays, and guitars angled on every wall that reflect the sound than in one's bedroom or basement studio. That is why an equalizer should be part of everyone's rig, be it in the amp or an outboard device. That will give us the big room sound.

All of this said, it is time to take measurements and begin to discover if your bass has any problems.

[Wes D]

So should I adjust the truss rod or no?

[rllefebv]

Originally Posted by Wes D

So should I adjust the truss rod or no?

I'd say "No... not unless you know what you're doing"

Of course, the only way to learn is to research and "do"... If you decide to adjust the rod, do so in small increments, (starting with an eighth of a turn), let it sit overnight and check it again... Your neck is wood, and it takes a bit of time to acclimate. We've had a bunch of rain here in Portland lately, so that may be messing with your setup...

Here's a stupid question... Are you playing and hearing the buzzing through an amplifier? I know, I know... But sometimes we listen to a bass through an amp in the store and all is well, but then practice unamplified at home and hear rattles, buzzes, and whatnot... Alot of this extra noise is simply due to playing a bit harder while unamplified. May not be the case, but just a thought...

Out of curiosity, where did you buy the bass? Before rushing into an adjustment, try taking it back to the store and see if the onsite guys would be willing to have a look at it...

-robert

[202dy]

It is impossible to advise you given the information that you have given here. There is a great sticky at the top of the forum that details truss rod adjustments and measurements. Here is a quick synopsis of measurements.

Action is measured at the twelfth fret from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. In the USA it is measured in 64ths and in millimeters in most of the rest of the world. Average setup is 6/64" on the bass side and 5/64" on the treble.

Relief is the gentle curve that allows a string to vibrate in it's elliptical pattern without rattling against the frets. It is measured at the seventh fret with a precision straight edge and feeler gauges. Average relief is approximately .012" (twelve thousandths). Most people do not have these tools. Many folks on this forum will tell you to fret an outside string at the first fret and the fret where the neck joins the body and insert business cards in the gap between the string and the seventh fret. Most will tell you that good relief is one business card of thickness. Obviously this method is not as accurate as the first.

Please read the sticky and take some measurements and post them on this forum. Someone will help you in short order.

[tjh]

this is one of my pet peeves ... we have a Schmidt Music in this town, and when you pick a bass off the wall it is almost unplayable because of such poor set-up ... you start to fiddle with adjustments, or ask them to set it up for you and they look at you like you are nutz ... I would take it back to the local store you got it from, and see if they will do anything for you as far as simple set-up ... if they balk at all, consider that before your next purchase from them, and then move on ... ask around on who is good in your area (ask some pro's, not your buddy across the street) and pay the 40-50 bucks to have then set it up right for you, while you watch and learn what and why ... it will be money well spent ... good luck

[Arthur U. Poon]

Originally Posted by tjh

Ask around on who is good in your area (ask some pro's, not your buddy across the street) and pay the 40-50 bucks to have then set it up right for you, while you watch and learn what and why ... it will be money well spent ... good luck

+1.

I'm thinking nothing vital is wrong with your bass, it just needs a seup. You can call the store where you bought it and ask if they do setups. Oftentimes most stores will do one for free. If they don't have an in-store tech, find a reputable tech in your area and take it in or a setup. Hopefully the tech will let you watch the process. If so, ask lots of questions. You may even consider buying a new set of strings and ask the tech to restring your bass before he does the setup.

[Wes D]

I think i figured out the problem.
Its the strings really, at the store I was playing on this MASSIVE amp and my jeans were flapping around. The strings I just realized are these Nickel Wounds bright sounding type.
I took the E string off my old Ibanez and put it on my Fender and BAM, it sounds perfect.
So I am going to acquire some new strings in the future that dont have that bright tin/Nickel sound to em.
Thank you everybody for your input though I still learned a lot.

[jsbass]

I taught myself how to set up a bass. Mostly learned by tinkering around and a bit of help with the threads here. DO NOT GO NUTS ON THE TRUSS. That is the single thing that can truly mess up your bass if used incorrectly.

[BigDaddyRob]

Originally Posted by 202dy

Average relief is approximately .012" (twelve thousandths). Most people do not have these tools.

A dollar bill is 0.004" thick, so if you use a three dollar bill, you will have 0.012".

[nofrets5]

IF you decide to give the truss rod a go on your own, YOU MUST DETUNE ALL THE STRINGS, TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE VERY LOOSE.

You don't have to do this on a guitar, but basses and 12 string guitars have too much tension to adjust a truss rod without serious string slack, and you can get bump in your neck as opposed to a smooth taper/proper neck relief.

If you do this, adjusting your neck is pretty foolproof. Detune, and work in quarter turn increments. Turn a quarter, then retune and check your action for buzz, acoustically and then make sure you don't hear it thru the amp (unless you like that tone)

It sounds like your neck needs less relief, meaning (if I have things right) you need to get the string higher from the fretboard, in which case quarter turns COUNTER clock wise should be the way to go. All in all for the first proper set up, I'd go to the best person you can find, so you have an optimum starting point, then you can adjust the neck as needed, or as the seasons change, which seem to be the common time necks go goofy.

[202dy]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyRob

A dollar bill is 0.004" thick, so if you use a three dollar bill, you will have 0.012".

Is that a brand new three dollar bill or one that you've carried around in your pocket for a year or two?