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07-05-2007, 06:08 PM
| | born lefty | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ashland, Oregon USA | |  Hot weather causing bass to sound wrong is a truss rod adjustment needed?
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Guys,
I just got back from an unexpected trip due to a death in the family. While I was away it became extremely hot here. I picked up my bass to tune up today and it sounds way wrong. The tuner says it's in tune but it sounds way too loud and sharp even unplugged. Doesn't sound like the same bass I left ten days ago. I am guessing that the truss rod needs adjusted. Should I let out a 1/4 turn of tension off the truss rod and see if that tames the harsh sound? TIA
p.s. Also we turned on the air conditioning today but the house was still in the low 70s from overnight.
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David Lefty Union Member #31
The Lefty Electric Bass FAQ http://tinyurl.com/2a27k3
In Montana they have signs over bars that say,"Before engaging your mouth, make sure your mind is in gear!"
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07-05-2007, 07:54 PM
| | born lefty | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ashland, Oregon USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Joshua  Don't mess with the truss rod unless the relief need adjusting. Do you know how to measure relief? At the top of the forum is a sticky thread about truss rods and action, in it I like the Fender setup guide link... |
Joshua,
Read through all the stickies first and yes, I have a idea about measuring relief. Is my idea correct; I haven't a clue. Hint: I have feeler gages by my gear.  It looks like there is much more space between the strings and the lower frets when I have the bass strapped on. The bass sounds terrible and it didn't happen last summer. However, I had Chromes put on last fall.
My plan of attack. Wait till morning and see if overnight in the A/C changes things. Secondly, make an emergency call to my instructor and see if he has a gig in town this weekend; otherwise drive over to his place which is forty-five minutes away.
Thanks for your assistance.
__________________
David Lefty Union Member #31
The Lefty Electric Bass FAQ http://tinyurl.com/2a27k3
In Montana they have signs over bars that say,"Before engaging your mouth, make sure your mind is in gear!"
|
07-05-2007, 08:41 PM
| | | | When you say that it sounds horrible, are you referring to the strings buzzing on the frets? Or is it something different? The more information you can post the more precise the replies will be. |
07-05-2007, 08:53 PM
|  | ACME, Line 6, SWR, QSC, Greco user/BOSE PAS abuser | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: South Texas | | Quote:
Originally Posted by avid My plan of attack. Wait till morning and see if overnight in the A/C changes things. Secondly, make an emergency call to my instructor and see if he has a gig in town this weekend; otherwise drive over to his place which is forty-five minutes away.
Thanks for your assistance. | Good idea!
Usually, a setup for a particular set of strings(tension!) is fine for a good while.
I'm in south Texas where basses go from indoors(71~75 F@ 45% relative humidity) to outdoor gigs(80~100 degrees F @ 90~100% humidity) at times(once per week lately, twice this week). Yeah, it ain't great for them but mostly they get un-cased over a period of an hour and then tuned...a couple of times throughout the course of a gig(mahogany and maple necks both).
One bass(Epi Goth Extreme) was left in it's case in our storage building which is kept at 80F or less and about 60% RH....for about 6 months with no ill effects.
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If you want to find truth, start by turning off your television. |
07-05-2007, 08:54 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: So Cal | | | Check the intonation. |
07-05-2007, 09:20 PM
| | born lefty | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ashland, Oregon USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by 202dy When you say that it sounds horrible, are you referring to the strings buzzing on the frets? Or is it something different? The more information you can post the more precise the replies will be. | It's not fret buzz. It just sounds hollow or thin instead of thumpy. The volume unplugged seemed waaay louder. I'll try again in the morning. Maybe the airline flight blew some %#@& out of my sinuses.
__________________
David Lefty Union Member #31
The Lefty Electric Bass FAQ http://tinyurl.com/2a27k3
In Montana they have signs over bars that say,"Before engaging your mouth, make sure your mind is in gear!"
|
07-05-2007, 11:29 PM
| | ACME, Line 6, SWR, QSC, Greco user/BOSE PAS abuser | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: South Texas | | Quote:
Originally Posted by avid It's not fret buzz. It just sounds hollow or thin instead of thumpy. The volume unplugged seemed waaay louder. I'll try again in the morning. Maybe the airline flight blew some %#@& out of my sinuses. | During your ride from the airport did the CD player or other stereo music sound strange? I've had that one before when my ears got "turned inside out" to the point of being painful on a flight that the plane had obvious pressure control problems....
The other things to check would be the cord and amp.
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If you want to find truth, start by turning off your television. |
07-07-2007, 11:25 AM
| | born lefty | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ashland, Oregon USA | |  Update
Guys,
I played my bass yesterday and it sounded fine. Not quite back to normal but close. I don't know if it was turning on the air conditioning, my ears recovering from the flight or...
Thanks for the replies and I will take it in for a setup and see what my tech thinks. If he has any interesting comments I will pass them along.
__________________
David Lefty Union Member #31
The Lefty Electric Bass FAQ http://tinyurl.com/2a27k3
In Montana they have signs over bars that say,"Before engaging your mouth, make sure your mind is in gear!"
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