|  | 
03-09-2011, 09:12 AM
| | | | Puzzled over fretless setup
Sign in to disble this ad
Hi, guys!
I hadn't played my fretless J-bass in a long while because the truss-rod was stuck. Well, I managed to fix the truss rod, which was great, so now I've been setting up the bass.
What puzzles me is this: if I set the neck to close to being totally straight, I get great mwah on most of the fretboard, BUT the 5 or so highest 'frets' (i.e.: towards the bridge-end of the fretboard) sort of clank against the fretboard and die out (most pronounced on the A-string).
If I set the neck for more relief, this clanking goes away, but the mwah is also a bit less pronounced.
Can anyone help me diagnose this problem? |
03-09-2011, 09:18 AM
|  | in love w/a girl named velveta | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ukiah, CA | | | do you have an adjustable bridge? is the nut stock, or did you tweak it? |
03-09-2011, 09:27 AM
| | Registered User
I setup & repair guitars & basses | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Kensington, Ca | | Quote:
Originally Posted by JayfromDeeKay  Hi, guys!
I hadn't played my fretless J-bass in a long while because the truss-rod was stuck. Well, I managed to fix the truss rod, which was great, so now I've been setting up the bass.
What puzzles me is this: if I set the neck to close to being totally straight, I get great mwah on most of the fretboard, BUT the 5 or so highest 'frets' (i.e.: towards the bridge-end of the fretboard) sort of clank against the fretboard and die out (most pronounced on the A-string).
If I set the neck for more relief, this clanking goes away, but the mwah is also a bit less pronounced.
Can anyone help me diagnose this problem? | Sounds like you need some fallaway in the fingerboard. You basically have the fretless version of a ski jump.
__________________
Instrument repair/setup, Bay area
|
03-09-2011, 12:12 PM
| | | | m.oreilly: yep, the bridge is adjustable. I haven't touched the nut.
JLS: What would be the solution to that? Taking it to a pro and having the ski jump sanded down? |
03-09-2011, 12:23 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Central Illinois, USA | | | The nut doesn't have any bearing on this, but most nuts aren't cut very well to begin with.
I assume you set the truss rod for an almost straight neck, then adjusted the saddles to the action you wanted, and still have the notes chocking out? That does sound like the fingerboard is rising at the tail (not uncommon with bolt-on necks). Sounds like a trip to a good repair tech.
John
__________________
JTE
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation do matter, despite the threats of death by grease fire!
"Without space, music is just noise piling up on itself." TRK
Lakland Owners' Club # 248
|
03-09-2011, 12:44 PM
| | Registered User
I setup & repair guitars & basses | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Kensington, Ca | | Quote:
Originally Posted by JayfromDeeKay m.oreilly: yep, the bridge is adjustable. I haven't touched the nut.
JLS: What would be the solution to that? Taking it to a pro and having the ski jump sanded down? | Yep.
__________________
Instrument repair/setup, Bay area
|
03-10-2011, 11:00 AM
| | | | Thanks a lot, I'm gonna save up and take 'er to a tech. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is On | | | |
