new AM Dx PBass setup question - first few frets

Art Araya · #1 10-01-2011, 08:49 AM

Just aquired a 2011 American Deluxe Precision Bass via trade. In order to get the action as low as I like I had to shim the neck using a laminated business card. That, along with straightening the neck and adjusting the bridge saddles did the trick. But I can't get the action of the first few frets the same as the action further down the neck. I tried filing down the nut a bit but wasn't very aggressive about this.

Don't really know what my options are other than filing down frets...

Thoughts?

JLS · #2 10-01-2011, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Araya

Just aquired a 2011 American Deluxe Precision Bass via trade. In order to get the action as low as I like I had to shim the neck using a laminated business card. That, along with straightening the neck and adjusting the bridge saddles did the trick. But I can't get the action of the first few frets the same as the action further down the neck. I tried filing down the nut a bit but wasn't very aggressive about this.

Don't really know what my options are other than filing down frets...

Thoughts?

What are you trying to achieve?

Art Araya · #3 10-01-2011, 11:45 AM

i'm trying to achieve super low, even action across the entire fretboard.

Turnaround · #4 10-01-2011, 08:17 PM

You seem to be working at cross purposes. You talk of lowering the nut which would bring the strings closer to the frets, then talk of filing the frets which would go in the opposite direction.

Which is it?

JLS · #5 10-02-2011, 12:56 PM

What do you mean by, "first few frets"? Those closest to the nut?
There seems to be a disconnect here...

walterw · #6 10-02-2011, 01:46 PM

and it's very odd that a new american deluxe fender would need any kind of shimming. what exactly did that achieve for you?

Art Araya · #7 10-02-2011, 01:59 PM

The first few frets are frets 1,2,3. The action on these frets is higher than the action higher up the neck. I may just need to file the nut grooves a little deeper.

It is odd that a new higher end Fender would need shimming. Before shimming I could only get the action so low by dropping the bridge saddles down to their lowest point. The shim allowed me to get even lower action.

JLS · #8 10-02-2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Araya

The first few frets are frets 1,2,3. The action on these frets is higher than the action higher up the neck. I may just need to file the nut grooves a little deeper.

It is odd that a new higher end Fender would need shimming. Before shimming I could only get the action so low by dropping the bridge saddles down to their lowest point. The shim allowed me to get even lower action.

If this were my own bass, I'd be doing a strings-on, level/recrown & setup. Between PD & arthritis in both wrists, I require angelbreath action.

Have you held each string down between F2 &F3, to see how much the nut slots need to come down? I find that too-high nut slots can affect action noticeably up to about F7.

Art Araya · #9 10-02-2011, 02:29 PM

"Between PD & arthritis in both wrists, I require angelbreath action."

I'm in a similar situation bro - arthritis in the hands/fingers.

I am hoping to not have to do a level/crown. I am doing as much as I can on my own. A level/crown is gonna cost me money. But I may need to go there.

Art Araya · #10 10-02-2011, 02:31 PM

"Have you held each string down between F2 &F3, to see how much the nut slots need to come down?"

No, I haven't. Is this something you can explain to me? I just file the nut and then play the string until it feels right. It's not exact but it's the best I know to do.

JLS · #11 10-02-2011, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Araya

"Have you held each string down between F2 &F3, to see how much the nut slots need to come down?"

No, I haven't. Is this something you can explain to me? I just file the nut and then play the string until it feels right. It's not exact but it's the best I know to do.

That's how you can gauge how high the slots are; if they are too low, for example, the string would be lying on the frets. I don't measure this, I eyeball (done a few gazillion of these), and listen for the "tink" sound, when the string is tapped between the nut & F2-F3.

Are you filing the nut slots, or trying to do an all-at-once, by filing/sanding the bottom of the nut? That really doesn't work all that well; you'd be better served by using drillbits & emery paper, if you don't have, or have access to, nut slotting files.

That said, you'd be very lucky to be able to achieve optimum action on any factory instrument, without a level/recrown.

Art Araya · #12 10-02-2011, 03:50 PM

Thanks for the explanation JLS. I'm using nut files.

I'm open to a level/recrown if there was someone around me that I felt comfortable doing this work properly. Simply don't know anyone who does this work reliably. I've gone to the setup guys others recommend and they're just not very good.

:>(

When you say to press the string down between F2 and F3 - do you mean to press down the string on top of the third fret bar or to fret the note on the third fret?

JLS · #13 10-02-2011, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Araya

Thanks for the explanation JLS. I'm using nut files.

I'm open to a level/recrown if there was someone around me that I felt comfortable doing this work properly. Simply don't know anyone who does this work reliably. I've gone to the setup guys others recommend and they're just not very good.

:>(

When you say to press the string down between F2 and F3 - do you mean to press down the string on top of the third fret bar or to fret the note on the third fret?

Nope, right in between those two frets, so you can see what's going on between the nut, F1, & F2. Make sense?

This may get you to thinking about leveling: TECHNOFRET Advanced Fret Leveling System | eBay

and:RECTIFY/Master - Fret leveling with strings on

madmatt · #14 10-02-2011, 04:37 PM

I feel for ya. It seems you have had nothing but problems with this bass.

walterw · #15 10-02-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Araya

...along with straightening the neck...

how straight?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Araya

I tried filing down the nut a bit but wasn't very aggressive about this.

how low?

these two details are key; you should be able to get perfectly low action without shimming on this new USA fender if the neck is truly straight enough and if the nut slots are truly low enough.

walterw · #16 10-02-2011, 08:53 PM

JLS's point about holding the string down a couple frets past the nut is to let you see how much gap you have between the string (your functioning straightedge) and the first fret. the smaller you can get that gap without it actually touching, the closer to ideal your nut height. (the truly 'ideal" nut height is the same as the frets, but you can never quite get there; when fretting a string, finger pressure causes it to bend up slightly, clearing the next fret up, while the open strings don't have that pressure. thus, the nut slot has to be ever so slightly higher than the frets.)

with the neck relief, holding the string down at the first and last fret will let you again use the "straightedge" created by the string to gauge relief. look under like the 8th or 9th fret, at the gap between the top of the fret and the bottom of the string; the closer you can get that gap to disappearing without actually touching, the better for low action.

Art Araya · #17 10-03-2011, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

how straight?

how low?

straight edge straight

as low as is possible with some fret buzz being acceptable to me. (i play with a very light touch)