Lowest action without buzzing

[JwUoNoG]

I thought I had a semi-decent idea of how to setup my instrument, but I've been struggling lately. I'm not sure how much truss rod adjustment I need, or how much I need to lower the saddles.

If my action seems to get slightly higher around the 7th fret and up, do I fix that by tightening the truss rod, or lowering the saddles? It seems that if I lower the saddles, it makes the action more even across the neck, but then my first 5 frets seem to buzz, which would lead me to think I need to loosen my truss rod.

Then it starts all over again!

[Rickett Customs]

Originally Posted by JwUoNoG

I thought I had a semi-decent idea of how to setup my instrument, but I've been struggling lately. I'm not sure how much truss rod adjustment I need, or how much I need to lower the saddles.

If my action seems to get slightly higher around the 7th fret and up, do I fix that by tightening the truss rod, or lowering the saddles? It seems that if I lower the saddles, it makes the action more even across the neck, but then my first 5 frets seem to buzz, which would lead me to think I need to loosen my truss rod.

Then it starts all over again!

Use the saddles for your action, use the truss rod for relief tension on the neck. Think of the truss rod adjustment as way to adjust the buzz on the fingerboard, of sorts (tighten to make the neck bow, loosen to do the opposite). Finding the balance between the two is the key. Do not by any means, adjust the truss rod while the strings are tensed and do not turn more than a 1/4 turn at a time. There will be others who can probably find a better way to explain it than I.

[bass player 48]

Originally Posted by JwUoNoG

If my action seems to get slightly higher around the 7th fret and up, do I fix that by tightening the truss rod, or lowering the saddles? It seems that if I lower the saddles, it makes the action more even across the neck, but then my first 5 frets seem to buzz, which would lead me to think I need to loosen my truss rod. Then it starts all over again!

I agree with the part in bold.

I don't understand what you mean by "then it all starts over again"?

Your saying that you'll have to lower the saddles, it'll buzz in the first 5 frets, so you'll loosen the rod to add relief, which will have the effect of raising your action, so you'll have to lower the saddles some more? If that's what you're saying - I agree.

If you want to avoid messing with the saddles, then the truss rod, then the saddles again, then the truss rod again, then the saddles again...

You should measure your relief first. You can fret a string at the first fret, and at the fret where the neck meets the body and see how much relief you have. Usually the thickness of a credit card or less is fine. It sounds like you may find you don't have enough relief. Adjust the truss rod untill you have the appropriate ammount of relief.

Then set your saddles to the string height you prefer and all should be good.

[JwUoNoG]

Well, I guess, like Alembicplyr said, I can't find that balance of neck relief and saddle height.

I'll try that first-fretting method.