my action is HIGH!!!!!!!!

Masterbasser71 · #1 04-15-2006, 06:06 PM

My Fender P-Bass's action has to be set really high to keep the upper registers from buzzing. The bridge is high. Lowering it brings buzz to the frets. So I keep it high. Is it my bridge? Or is it my truss rod? The opening is located near the nut, but I don't know what to use from there. (allen wrench, screwdriver?) Its a 2003 Mexican Fender Standard. What do I do? I'm starting to hate playing the thing.

kitcar765 · #2 04-15-2006, 06:20 PM

Nick man · #3 04-15-2006, 06:29 PM

Bring it to a qualified tech and watch what they do.

keyboardguy · #4 04-15-2006, 11:33 PM

Go here:

http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass...tupmanual.html

Regards,

Mike

Figjam · #5 04-16-2006, 09:35 AM

Sounds like you need to tighten the truss rod, too much relief (since it buzzes in the upper registers).

phxlbrmpf · #6 04-16-2006, 10:42 AM

Something Mr. Willis' setup guide doesn't mention so it confused me a bit: you need to adjust your neck so the fretboard has slight bow that looks like this if you hold your bass and look at it:

(

This is called convex bow. If it looks like this

)

you will have to set your action really high to keep the strings from buzzing.

jim1457 · #7 04-16-2006, 04:02 PM

Thanks to samurai 24 for posting this in a different thread.
http://www.fender.com/support/setup/basssetup.php
It's the Fender set up specs.

Then again if you can't figure out whether it's a screwdriver or an allen wrench,

maybe you should take it to somebody.

demolition · #8 04-21-2006, 07:06 PM

self procolomation at its best(worst ?)

Bayou_Brawler · #9 04-21-2006, 08:44 PM

yup i would also suggest taking it to a professional and asking if you can watch what they do and how they do it....that's how i learned.

Lorenzini · #10 04-22-2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phxlbrmpf

Something Mr. Willis' setup guide doesn't mention so it confused me a bit: you need to adjust your neck so the fretboard has slight bow that looks like this if you hold your bass and look at it:

(

This is called convex bow. If it looks like this

)

you will have to set your action really high to keep the strings from buzzing.

True! But, that is not always the case.
It depends on WHERE it's fretting out.

If in the high registers, you probably have a looser truss rod

If in the low registers, you probably have a convex bow - a tight truss rod.

But checking the relief answers all questions!

Masterbasser71 · #11 04-25-2006, 03:24 PM

Thanks for all the help, guys!

Coward Of Reali · #12 03-31-2008, 01:28 PM

I thought it would be silly to start another thread about this but,

I have a squire VM fretless with high action. I cant seem to find an allan wrench in my town that will fit in the screws at the bridge. Their either too small or too big. Anyone know the exact radius I should be looking for?

BuffaloBass · #13 03-31-2008, 02:06 PM

I had to file down a 2mm to 1.5mm , or was it 1.5mm to 1mm or something like that. Hopefully you have a cheap one thats not case hardended, but it's a one minute job. Beleive they are 1.5mm .

Have no idea what your board radius is, I cheat and use a depth guage off the bottom of the string, or a machinsits scale if I am roughing it.

PilbaraBass · #14 03-31-2008, 03:32 PM

1.5mm is a standard size in a metric allen key set...

every bass I've ever owned (7 so far) + 2 electric guitars... used a 1.5mm

InRodweTruss · #15 04-01-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demolition

self procolomation at its best(worst ?)

I'm pretty sure it's a play on words....like master-DEbater...

Coward Of Reali · #16 04-01-2008, 02:13 PM

Well I found an 1.5 allan wrench for my jazz....now the badass bridge on my p-bass is giving me trouble. Anyone know the size for those?

InRodweTruss · #17 04-01-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coward Of Reali

Well I found an 1.5 allan wrench for my jazz....now the badass bridge on my p-bass is giving me trouble. Anyone know the size for those?

A 1mm I think. I just put one on, and it came with an allen. Now my action is high...

My next move is shim the nut and straighten the neck. If that doesn't work, it'll probably come down to a neck shim......(blast!)

greencow · #18 04-02-2008, 12:07 PM

I'm going to continue in the same topic.

Own a Yamaha rbx 270. I recently decided to get into some slap and pop and when my teacher asked me why I was having some problem with popping the strings I told him it was a bit hard to pull the string hard enough to touch the fret.

So I am going to have to move my strings(the high end strings are of heavier gauge. I use 50-105 flatwounds.) a bit closer to the fretboard. Does anyone know what size screwdrivers I need for adjusting the intonation of the strings and raising/lowering the pickups.

Actually the pickups are my main concern. I am afraid that if I dig in a bit heavier on the strings they will hit my P-pickup. And how does the distance between the string and the pickup affect the sound? I can't take it to a repairperson because the nearest one lives about 100 km away and I feel like it is about time I learnt how to adjust the bridge and the pickups on my bass.

Maybe I should just take the bass with me to a hardware store and ask them to give me the exact size screwdrivers :

crazyguy832 · #19 04-02-2008, 02:44 PM

The closer the string is to the pickup, the louder (!!!) and beefier (~~~) the sound will be.

As far as what size screwdriver... small.

XD

Sorry I can't tell you more than that. You can buy a cheap set of screwdrivers for a couple of bucks... just snag a bunch of phillips' in different sizes and go for it (they'll be useful later sometime, most likely).

greencow · #20 04-04-2008, 09:27 AM

Does anyone have any experience with adjusting a Yamaha rbx270 series?