I am an idiot, bass repair, took bridge off without destringing

Thangfish · #2 09-10-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blonderake

I was unscrewing the plate on the back that connects the bridge to the main part of the guitar while it was still strung,

I don't know what kind of bridge has a plate on the back.
Why didn't you post pictures of it?

It looks pretty normal in the one picture. Is it bent or what?

Trevorus · #3 09-10-2008, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thangfish

I don't know what kind of bridge has a plate on the back.
Why didn't you post pictures of it?

It looks pretty normal in the one picture. Is it bent or what?

He is probably referencing the neck plate.

**bassman314** · #4 09-10-2008, 04:22 PM

Bridge - where the ball-ends of the strings are

Neck plate - where the neck connects to the body. Is that what you lossened?

deekay911 · #5 09-10-2008, 04:26 PM

Did you just loosen the strings or take them off altogether? To be sure you should remove them entirely - take the neck off again and make sure the mating surface to the body is still clean and undamaged so it still sits flat on the body.Screw it back on tight, then restring it again. If the action is still high, then you may want to tweak the truss rod a little to make sure it is still good and see if you can adjust the strings down a bit by straightening the bow on the neck...

Thangfish · #6 09-10-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevorus

He is probably referencing the neck plate.

Hah... silly me.
I guess the pictures make slightly more sense than I originally thought!

Ok, take the strings off!

Take the 4 screws out that hold the neck on.

Remove neck.

Inspect neck and pocket for splinters or chunks of wood (are DiPinto's wood?) sticking up and clean out the mess. Probably bunged up the screw holes. Check screws for straightness.
Reassemble.

locolobo85 · #7 09-10-2008, 04:28 PM

You loosened the neck with the bass fully strung and tuned up to full tention?

Wow! You should consider leaving well enough alone from now on.

However, if you got it put back together correctly, there's no reason the action should be raised up. I guess it is possible that the neck is seated incorrectly or you maybe stripped the screw holes. Nothing that can't be reasonably fixed.

Did you turn anything else? Like maybe the truss rod adjustment or change any of the bridge settings?

Don't crap bricks. It's unlikely you killed it or anything. It just may take someone with a little more experience to get it back to where it should be.

Jim Carr · #8 09-10-2008, 04:29 PM

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT loosen the "bridge screws" on your "car's tires."

Thangfish · #9 09-10-2008, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT loosen the "bridge screws" on your car's tires.

:trys not to laugh:

Pilgrim · #10 09-10-2008, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thangfish

Take the 4 screws out that hold the neck on.

Remove neck.

Inspect neck and pocket for splinters or chunks of wood (are DiPinto's wood?) sticking up and clean out the mess. Probably bunged up the screw holes. Check screws for straightness.
Reassemble.

That's the ticket. Chances are that you have some wood burrs or splinters sticking up in the neck pocket and preventing the neck from seating properly. Take them out and you'll probably be OK.

And work hard on THINKING before you act. Like my dad said in practicing carpentry, "No matter how many times you cut it off, it's still too short."

lowendblues · #11 09-10-2008, 04:39 PM

Yeah,,you really dont wanna go unscrewing the neck even with the strings at a very low tension. Chalk that up as a good learning experience.

After looking at that last pic, it looks to me like your neck isnt fitted back to neck pocket tight enough.

Take the strings off completely, and refit the neck to the pocket, then tighten the neck screws real good. If after restringing, your action is still to high, look around for a small rectangular piece of wood, business card ect... this could have been a shim put in the bottom of the neck pocket to give your bass a better action.

Thangfish · #12 09-10-2008, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thangfish

Reassemble.

Maybe I should add:
When you reassemble it, get all 4 screws started first, before you start tightening. Just before they snug up, check that the neck is aligned in the pocket. It is not abnormal for there to be a SMALL amount of lateral play before the screws are tightened.

blonderake · #13 09-10-2008, 04:43 PM

blonderake · #14 09-10-2008, 04:48 PM

LP75 · #15 09-10-2008, 04:53 PM

This makes my head hurt.

locolobo85 · #16 09-10-2008, 05:01 PM

I'd leave the pick-ups alone. They most likely have foam on the back. That's why you can push them in. If you screw them down the foam collapses, if you loosen the screws the foam will push them out (at least for a while).

slyjoe · #17 09-10-2008, 05:06 PM

Uhh, this may not be the right time to ask, but why were you taking the neck off anyway?

blonderake · #18 09-10-2008, 05:08 PM

biohazed · #19 09-10-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slyjoe

Uhh, this may not be the right time to ask, but why were you taking the neck off anyway?

was going to ask the same question.

As fars as your Pups .. leave them the way they are .... they are fine

p.s. I have that same screwdriver and tuner

Parabolic Box · #20 09-10-2008, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blonderake

Now that everything is apart though, I have had trouble with the action being too low on the E string, would it be in my best interest as a beginner to have the action a bit higher. It seemed like there was less clacking when I played it after it was ****ed, although it was harder to use my fret hand having to press down more.

Take it as a challenge to fret properly and play without smashing the strings.

No more tinkering with what you know not of, mmkay?