First time getting my bass setup.

[The1bassist06]

I have owned my Warwick Corvette double buck for about 2 years now. Its still the exact way from when I bought it brand new.

So when I go into the music store do I just say I want to get my bass setup?

This might be a dumb question but are they gonna ask how do you wanna it setup? Because I don't have anything in mind, but I have heard a lot of people say that if you get your bass setup correctly it will sound a lot better . I would like the action lowered some though.

Will they raise or lower the pickups? I don't exactly know anything about this but I have also heard that this improves your tone.

[carlos840]

I would really advise you to read a bit about setups and to do it yourself!
With a bit of common sens you cant really damage anything and its really easy to do!
Only you knows how your bass should be setup and your idea of a perfect setup could be really far from a Tech's idea of a perfect setup!

I personally always do my own setups and the few times i had a tech do things on my basses i had to tweak it to my liking afterwards!

Regarding your "how do you wanna it setup" question, this is once again very hard to answer, your "medium high" could be a lot higher or lower than the tech's "medium high"!

Raising or lowering the pickups doesnt improve tone, it changes the output of the strings (closer=louder) so you can have even string to strings output and to some extent changes the attack (closer=more attack).
The key is to find the right middle ground, since to far will loose you output and to close could give you a distorted sound and cause your strings to hit the pickups when played!

[john grey]

Raising or lowering pick-ups is generally not common. The pups are set at a general position to achieve the most efficient, yet appropriate tonal quality from the string vibration. Unless the pups are actually too high & are getting struck by the stings while playing, or distorting, they are not frequently altered. There are exceptions however; but that's not too common.

Please go to someone who has real experience in a setup. Someone who simply assembles a Bass may do more harm than good and the cost is the same. Look to a music store but not generally a large commercial "car salesman" type place but a smaller, more personal shop. You will get much better quality for your money.

A "setup" is simply the fine adjustments made to a stringed musical instrument to facilitate playing for a particular individual's taste. If YOU like a lower action (string height from the fret-board) or a higher action; that can be achieved. Items such as intonation are checked as are fret height and consistency.

On a personal level I suggest you read a little before-hand so you're familiar with all the adjustments that COULD be made to determine if it's worth your while to even do so!
You know that it's playing / practice that really makes the difference and that a man (or woman) with good hands makes almost any instrument sound righteous.

If your bass feels good to you ---- LEAVE IT ALONE! PLAY and have fun with it. That way you'll be a fine well rounded Bassist. IF there IS something that has been bugging you about the "feel" of the instrument, then of course take care of it.

If you don't feel like experimenting and learning on your own Bass that's a very good reason to taking it to someone who has worked on stringed instruments for many years. However please read about what a setup can achieve and what it cannot. It cannot make you a better player. Only appropriate practice, playing, and study can do that. There isn't a magic adjustment that could ever take it's place. However lower string height may make playing more comfortable or things like that, there are not too many other things that can be achieved if you are well on your way to knowing that instrument.

-=My opinion only YMMV=-

[Slowgypsy]

And I'll advise you differently than the two previous posts!

If you've played the instrument for 2 years without really making any adjustments, you've simply gotten used to how it feels. It's possible that it was setup really well from the beginning, and that it has kept its adjustments... but... I seriously doubt it. You live in Michigan according to your profile. The temp/humidity swings in all the northeast are wide. And those swings have large impact on an instruments settings.

I advise you to ask around in your area and find a good/competent tech/luthier to give your instrument a once over and total setup. The reason is, at this point you're so used to your instrument you might not have a "feel" for how it should be. Get it properly setup and then you'll have a new standard for how the instrument should play and feel. It will be money very well spent as it's going towards your musical eduction.

[ga_edwards]

Your Warwick should have come with tools and an owners manual that has a very good and detailed setup guide (it also details the factory setup, including p/up height). I suggest you dig it out and read up, or download the pdf from Warwicks website.

[SallyGrowler]

I do all my own set-ups which usually occurs whenever I re-string or if I've played in circumstances where there was dramatic shift in temperature or climate (I play a few outdoor gigs every spring... )

my Fender J-bass has never required a set-up after 10 years of playing the same string guages. go figure.

My Stammy 8 requires set-ups every string change and a once over after climate flux gigs - it has a very light finish - almost unfinished compared to the Fender. It's not hard to tweak it back to where I like it and now I know my bass better than any repairman.

I suppose the density of the finish lends to the durability, but I'll leave that for debate.

A set-up for me usually consists of re-string and a clean-up. a proper string wrap around the post lends itself to a good set-up. The need to change string height has been limited - usually after the first year of playing. Intonation has been consistent and adjustments are minimum for me, but I know how to do it if it needs tweaking.

If you feel that a "pro" will give you the optimum trouble-free set-up of your dreams, please consult with several "highly regarded" players in your area for a recommendation.

If you can't find references, ask the repair guy for a list of references - it's not out of the question. Ask them what they thought of his set-up/repair services and why they are repeat customers.

Ask the luthier/repairman what his "set-up" entails. Chances are you may not need the "works".

Don't just gove it to him and say "set-up".

I've made the mistake in the past that a "set-up" from a pro was the only way to go. I took word of mouth that 'Joe Schmoe Master Luthier" was the only game in town.
I was wrong and this guy was a hack. I don't care if he serviced keith Richards or not. **** work is **** work.


Beware of guys that say "you need a fret-job" or "you need your frets dressed".

If your bass doesn't buzz and the relief on the neck is to your liking any work done to the frets is unneccessary and will be difficult to reverse (will call that a re-fret).

Doing your own set-up is easy and it is not time consuming.

The manufacturer of your instrument (thanks to the wonders of the internet) could provide you with tips and specs for a set-up.

Plenty of literature and links in TalkBass that will answer most if not all of your questions.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by SallyGrowler

I do all my own set-ups which usually occurs whenever I re-string or if I've played in circumstances where there was dramatic shift in temperature or climate (I play a few outdoor gigs every spring... )

I have some basses like my Ibanez that require neck adjustments for no reason at all! Same string gauges, not too drastic weather changes, etc. So it does happen.

I can't imagine having the bass the same for two years. Does that mean the strings were never changed?? Works fine for flats, but round wounds start to get indistinct and warbly in pitch when they are old due to metal fatigue.

[The1bassist06]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

I have some basses like my Ibanez that require neck adjustments for no reason at all! Same string gauges, not too drastic weather changes, etc. So it does happen.

I can't imagine having the bass the same for two years. Does that mean the strings were never changed?? Works fine for flats, but round wounds start to get indistinct and warbly in pitch when they are old due to metal fatigue.

No no no lol, I change my strings every 3-4 weeks and every couple string changes I use my dunlop 65 cleaning kit on the fretboard. Im just not to savy on the doing setup stuff.

Is guitar center a good place to go to get your bass setup? I seem weary of going there for it.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by The1bassist06

No no no lol, I change my strings every 3-4 weeks and every couple string changes I use my dunlop 65 cleaning kit on the fretboard. Im just not to savy on the doing setup stuff.

Is guitar center a good place to go to get your bass setup? I seem weary of going there for it.

OK, I thought when you said it hasn't been changed since you got it you also meant the strings. Don't laugh, I see that a lot!

I have to say be wary of GC. You have to take it on a store by store basis, but here in NJ, there's one in Springfield, and I had a customer who took a guitar there that had a dented fret, and they charged him $200 to do a partial refret, and they didn't... they just did a bad job on leveling the frets. You could still see the dent, and that fret buzzed. I ended up doing the partial refret they never did.

[Slowgypsy]

Originally Posted by The1bassist06

Is guitar center a good place to go to get your bass setup? I seem weary of going there for it.

My short answer is... no.

[john grey]

You are being exposed to various opinions (including my own) and it's totally natural that you question whether or not some adjustment should be made on your instrument. My opinion is study the subject until you feel very comfortable with what a setup can provide you with and then - make an educated decision on if that's a significant agenda for your particular circumstances.

I advise that you don't change something simply to change it. I know that sounds like an extremely exasperated & obvious statement but in a Forum such as this one you naturally hear all sorts of information and individuals who make various changes in their musical instruments. Some may be needed and some not.

Use this for your personal education prior to any decision you make: take your time. You can always make those changes in a few more days or a week. Yet armed with the knowledge of what it may provide for you and what it can't, you'll make a decision that you won't regret. My only agenda is that you don't get into that trap of constantly changing things and limiting your comfort level my looking for the "Holy Grail" of the "perfect Bass". The more you feel comfort with any changes you do (or don't) make the higher your comfort level and the more you play.

There are many people here who know and have experience with setups. Yet everyone is an individual & has individual experiences. Look for what is logical in your case.

It is my only my OPINION that the large Retail Guitar Store that has a serious emphasis on SALES is not the best choice for finding and individual who has experience meeting your needs, is ethical, and understands fine intricacies of a stringed instruments. The repair person at these places many times is simply familiar with working on instruments they sell, & bringing that instrument to THEIR specs. There is MUCH more to a setup than that. It's about meeting YOUR needs.

[chadhargis]

I read and watched lots of videos on doing setups. I went to the local Home Depot and bought what I needed to do a complete setup.

The only thing I won't mess with is something I can't put back the way it was. I keep track of how many turns of a screw I make (or fractions of a turn) and I measure my strings before adjusting them. That way I can always go back to the way it was. I've experimented quite a bit with the action on my basses, and I find that I'm a "medium" action sort of guy. I don't play hard, but my right hand technique can be a bit sloppy at times and if I set my action too low I'll get "string clack" when I do right hand muting. I also don't want any buzz should I dig in a bit.

I recently took a bass I put a Warmoth neck on to a local luthier to get the nut filed down. That's something I don't have the tools for, and have no way of "going back" if I file too much. I left that up to the pros. They filed the nut, adjusted the trussrod, set the string height, and I provided new strings for them to slap on before they did all that work. It cost me a whopping $56. Well worth the money. These guys do work for some of the big players in town, so I'm hoping their mojo rubbed off on my bass while it was there.