Lakland 44-01 question

[zero_cool]

Hey guys, I'm having troubles with my Lakland 44-01.. I just got it so it has never been played on other than by me. When I took it out of the box and began tuning it I immediately heard a very bad fret buzz.

I turned to the saddles and raised them quiet a bit, more than I'd like; that helped a little bit but there is still a massive buzz around the top 5 frets.

I am thinking I should maybe try adjusting the truss rod. What do you guys think? What should I do?

[Craig_S]

Was it just shipped to you? If it was, let it acclimate for a day or so. If it still gives you an issue, have it set up by a reputable tech. That is, if you don't know how to properly set up a bass.

[JustOpenYourMind]

The neck probably moved a little during shipping due to climate changes, it probably only need a truss rod adjustment. Buzz on the first five frets means that there is not enough relief on the fretboeard, loosen the rod a bit and it should be ok.

If you never done please do yourself a favor and read the sticky but please don't go and waste your money paying some guy fifty bucks for something that will take 2 minutes to adjust.

[Craig_S]

^ You would need to tighten--not loosen--the truss rod. Buzz in the upper registers means there is too much relief.

Edit: I'm assuming the "top" frets are the frets closest to the body.

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Buzz in the upper registers means there is too much relief.

No it doesn't. Buzz in the upper registers can be caused by a number of things, but too much relief is not one of them. A popular misconception.

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by zero_cool

Hey guys, I'm having troubles with my Lakland 44-01.. I just got it so it has never been played on other than by me. When I took it out of the box and began tuning it I immediately heard a very bad fret buzz.

I turned to the saddles and raised them quiet a bit, more than I'd like; that helped a little bit but there is still a massive buzz around the top 5 frets.

I am thinking I should maybe try adjusting the truss rod. What do you guys think? What should I do?

How much relief are you seeing? A capo and set of feeler gauges would be helpful. No capo? A willing accomplice with at least one hand will suffice. No feeler gauges? Go drop $4 at AutoZone / Pep Boys for a set.

Riis

[Craig_S]

Originally Posted by Turnaround

No it doesn't. Buzz in the upper registers can be caused by a number of things, but too much relief is not one of them. A popular misconception.

You're saying the curvature (concaveness) of the fretboard has nothing to do with buzz.

IME, there are three things that cause this: Too much relief (now questionable), too low saddles, or high frets.

Assuming this is a new Lakland, I'll also assume it has been set up properly at the factory. With that, the first thing that jumps at me is shipping and climate changes causing the neck to move. Pretty common, I believe.

How about we get an expert in here to give us an answer.

[JTE]

Well, if you don't know how to troubleshoot, then don't start turning screws. WHY are the strings buzzing? Low saddles, incorrect neck relief, incorrect neck/body angle, rising tongue on the fingerboard? Figure out the problem, then correct that problem.

So, read the stickies on set-up and repair. Get a copy of Dan Erlewine's "Complete Guitar Repair". Put you bass in its case and read the sections in the book about proper set up so you understand how the bass works physically AND you understand the trade-offs involved in making set-up decisions. Then read it again with your bass in your hands, but all tools safely locked up where you won't be tempted to use 'em. Only after that, get the tools out and start working on one thing at a time.

John

[zero_cool]

Hey guys, thanks for all the input. I adjusted the truss rod and it sounds great now. Thanks