Getting a low action on Fender Jazz Bass

bmurf · #1 12-30-2009, 01:56 PM

Hello to all.

A friend of mine has a 24 fret Tanglewood bass, on which the action is very low and smooth. It is a joy to play. NO fret buzz either. I very much like it .

I myself have a Fender Jazz Bass (American) from 2006. It is very nice and I love it to bits. I will have it forever.

However, I would like the action to be a little lower, since I'm going to move back up to 45s strings (i've been playing super lights for a while).

Is it possible to have a similar action to that Tanglewood AND have no fret buzz? I tried to set up my Squire Precision (my first bass) in such a manner, and could not avoid serious fret buzz when I achieved the desired low action.

If anybody could tell me some helpful things, I would, as always, be very grateful.

Thanks all, and a happy new year to ye.

Bmurf

rollcall · #2 12-30-2009, 01:57 PM

straighten the neck. put a shim in and raise the saddles

thobbinghotrod · #3 12-30-2009, 02:00 PM

Sounds like you need a fret level. The tools to do it cost about the same as having it done. Personally I'm going to have one done soon by a respected luthier. After I get it back I'm going to study what he has done and possibly buy the tools to do it myself.

bmurf · #4 12-30-2009, 02:01 PM

Jaysus rollcall, swift reply! cheers.

What's a shim? And how do you mean "raise the saddles"?

Not to seem like an idiot or anything, but I've been checking a few sites and there seems to be a lot of different terminology out there for the same things, so I'm a wee bit confused. Do you mean turn the screws in the bridge so that the saddles move farther away from the neck?

thanks dude

85vf500rr · #5 12-30-2009, 02:03 PM

I don't know why you couldn't get a low action. I've got a 2005 MIA Std Jazz and it has a nice and low action with medium gauge strings and no buzz.

Read up on how to set up a bass here: http://www.jerzydrozdbasses.com/akcn...ide_ver100.pdf

If you don't feel comfortable tackling it yourself, take it to a good shop and have them set it up with a low action. The neck on my Jazz seems to be super stable, so I don't see why you should have any trouble geting yours set up.

mytmous · #6 12-30-2009, 02:15 PM

^ This

That article is very well done.