I have a question about my bass

[Ziggy93]

Sup every one.
I was wondering if there is a way to lower the strings on my bass there really high up. At the middle of the fret board the strings are almost a half inch up from it.

So help and suggestions will be great.

~Ziggy

[becker4567]

On the top of the bridge, each bridge saddle (where the string passes over it), there are (usually) two tiny allen screws that are used to raise and lower each individule saddle. There are some good sites online that will show how to do it. Just be patient! It takes a little while to get it right (don't forget to re-tune when your done). Trial and error is the best way to learn to do it yourself, and the knowledge will last a lifetime.

[JxBass]

I usually suggest Fender's support site to help you with setup of your bass. It covers truss rod adjustment, string height, and intonation:

http://fender.com/support/basses.php

[mkrtu9]

that site was interesting^

[jdieh1]

Originally Posted by mkrtu9

that site was interesting^

As in there is something wrong with it or it is actually useful information?

I'm just wondering because I was planning on using it

[smithal3]

if you can afford spending 25-45 bucks, send it in to a repair shop for a setup. That way they can lower the action (the distance the strings are from the neck), set your intonation, and even adjust your truss rod.

[Engine207]

Originally Posted by smithal3

if you can afford spending 25-45 bucks, send it in to a repair shop for a setup. That way they can lower the action (the distance the strings are from the neck), set your intonation, and even adjust your truss rod.

+1 if you have never done anything like that before.

If you find a cool tech (like I did), he may even walk you through his procedure as he's doing it, so you can make minor adjustments yourself in the future. Set-up isn't rocket surgery, but there's no question that a little experience goes a long way...

[Ziggy93]

Cool thanks guys!

[Ziggy93]

Im trying to lower the action from the bridge and truss rod but the truss rod wont budge. The thing to adjust the truss rod is at the top part of the fret board but there is a metal plate at the back of the bass body do you think i need to loosen that before i adjust the top part?

[gjbassist]

It doesn't take much to turn the truss rod too much and screw up the neck. If you are not sure what you are doing then I really suggest you spend the cash to have a pro set it up for you!

[MrWalker]

If you do it yourself, don't turn the truss rod more than a quarter of a turn per day.
Also, if you tighten it, you should hold the bass between your legs and push the neck backwards to help it a little so you don't let the truss rod do all the work.

But as people say here, take it to a pro. You may end up damaging your instrument, and that will cost you a lot more than the 30-40 bucks it will cost you to get a guitar tech to deal with it.

The easiest way to damage it is to strip the truss rod. And without having a functional truss rod, your bass stays like that forever.... so go see a guitar tech.

[frootbooty]

Try loosening the truss rod a bit before trying to tighten it. That sometimes helps to get it moving, plus you don't want to tighten it if it is as far as it will go.
If there is a huge gap at the middle of the board, it shouldn't be as tight as it will go, however

[JxBass]

+1 on having a professional adjust your bass, especially if you're inexperienced in doing it yourself or if you're concerned that you might mess up.

I have a local luthier that I use for stuff that I don't want to attempt. Interestingly, I found out about the Fender support site from him

[lug]

Adjust the relief of the neck (via truss rod) before you adjust anything else.
some links to get you started:

http://www.weedhopper.org/Music/Bass...djustments.asp
http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup...ck_relief.html

[TFunkadelic]

I suggest you take the time now to read up on bass set up and maintenance. It's all really fairly straightforward and you won't damage anything as long as your patient and careful.

Knowing how to maintain your own instrument has several advantages; you don't need to keep seeing (and spending money) on a technician each time the weather causes your bass to shift. If something goes wrong with your instrument at a time when you need it, you can fix it yourself instead of taking it to the shop. Also, if your playing demands change and your technique dictates a different set up, you can quickly achieve that.

Lastly, and most importantly, you get your instrument set up how you want it, not the way a technician thinks you want it.

[embellisher]

Originally Posted by TFunkadelic

I suggest you take the time now to read up on bass set up and maintenance. It's all really fairly straightforward and you won't damage anything as long as your patient and careful.

+1

Moved to Hardware, Setup, & Repair, where there are tons of great threads on this.