Setting up a bass so its like another...Possible?

[harry182]

Hey,

Looked through and i think this is probably the more correct forum to put this in, Please excuse this for being a noob question, but iv never really had any one to ask...

I have two bass guitars

a mark hoppus signature...



and a yamaha Rbx 170 (i think) This one anyway....



My problem i have is, i love my Fender, BUT it feels like wank to play, Just feels like a lot of effort to play where as my yamaha is effortless. (this is the bass i learnt on) and for this reason, if i had to choose one, itd be my Yamaha even though the Fender sounds better and looks hell of a lot nicer IMO!

iv tryed messing about with it to raise/lower the strings ect to try and get it to play like my Yamaha but it just not happening (more than likely doing something wrong)

is it possible to get them to feel the same....

The neck on the yamaha has 24 frets and mark hoppus has 20 frets... Has that got anything to do with it?

Cheers in advanced for any help

[mongo2]

It's not impossible on similar instruments but there are other adjustments for action/playabity besides string height.

There's also relief adjustment with the trussord and nut slot height adjustment. The height of the frets can effect feel as can the spacing between the strings. The profile and finish of the neck and fingerboard roundover also contribute to the percieved feel.

On more disimilar instruments such as in your case it may be a bit more work but close enough may be possible.

If you're not familiar with how to do a more detailed setup, maybe a good tech can help.

[251]

Here is a definitive technique for setting up any bass guitar compliments of Bill Conklin.

http://www.conklinguitars.com/downlo...ll_conklin.pdf

Sincere thanks, Bill. 8-)

[Benjamin Strange]

While you can attempt to get similar playability out of different instruments, there are many factors that may prevent them from being exactly the same. Levelness of the frets, neck angle, adjustability of the bridge, etc. Most instruments from any sizeable manufacturer need fretwork, so most likely you'd need to do a fret level on both instruments in order to get them exactly right.

[electracoyote]

You can get them close, at least close enough that you don't think one is effortless and the other wank. Do some research on set-ups and maybe consult your local tech for help and advice. Like another poster said, it's a combination of the relief, cut of the nut, and saddle height. After that, they may still feel slightly different depending on factors you can't change like scale length and fret size. Even so, they should each be able to play comfortably with a proper set-up.