Setting up a Rondo Music bass

[nieh]

I'm looking to buy my first bass, and all signs so far point to Rondo Music with regards to the ever important money:sound quality ratio. The thing is, most of the reviews that I've read mention having to do a bit of set-up out of the box. I'm not referring to things like changing the strings or pick-ups, just setting up the bass itself. I was wondering, what does this normally consist of and is it easy enough to do it right if you've never done it before?

[Davecg2]

Originally Posted by nieh

I'm looking to buy my first bass, and all signs so far point to Rondo Music with regards to the ever important money:sound quality ratio. The thing is, most of the reviews that I've read mention having to do a bit of set-up out of the box. I'm not referring to things like changing the strings or pick-ups, just setting up the bass itself. I was wondering, what does this normally consist of and is it easy enough to do it right if you've never done it before?

i would recommend taking it to a good local shop, (probably not a chain) and having a guitar tech set it up for you. You can defintely learn how to do it, but if you never have your better off paying the 25 - 30 bucks to have a decent tech do it for you. Heres a link to and article on how to setup a MM bass : Bass Setup Guide

[squashedOpossum]

Originally Posted by nieh

I'm looking to buy my first bass, and all signs so far point to Rondo Music with regards to the ever important money:sound quality ratio. The thing is, most of the reviews that I've read mention having to do a bit of set-up out of the box. I'm not referring to things like changing the strings or pick-ups, just setting up the bass itself. I was wondering, what does this normally consist of and is it easy enough to do it right if you've never done it before?

The set-up they're referring to would be to change the strings, adjust the truss rod, and set the intonation. Sometimes the nut is too high and you have to file that down a little. If you know someone with experience in this area, it'd be best to learn from them before experimenting on your own. Sometimes with truss rod adjustment and especially with nut filing, you can do irreparable damage.

That being said, some people have learned how to do these adjustments with the help of a good manual like this:http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-...2517327&sr=8-1

[Low Main]

Here's a well-known guy that has set up and worked on a lot of Rondo basses:

http://www.buzzardsbass.com/workshop.html

[nieh]

Originally Posted by Low Main

Here's a well-known guy that has set up and worked on a lot of Rondo basses:

http://www.buzzardsbass.com/workshop.html

I actually stumbled onto that site already but am not really a fan of the idea of paying to ship it to them, paying them to set it up, and then paying for them to send it back through the mail where it could possibly get messed up again.

Thanks for the replies. I might check with my brother to see if he's ever had to do anything like this. He plays bass, but as far as I know he's gotten all his from stores which would mean they were already set up. Plus he lives in Philly which would be a little out of the way if I wanted him to give me a hand with it. I'm not aware of any local stores in the area, but that's probably because I've never actively looked for any. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

[squashedOpossum]

Originally Posted by nieh

...He plays bass, but as far as I know he's gotten all his from stores which would mean they were already set up....

I wish this were true, but very few music stores set them up. They just unbox them, tune them, and slap 'em on the wall.

[The Davil]

I recently got my first bass, too, and had it set up by a local tech. That's probably the best place to start.

That being said, after you play a while, you'll probably find things that aren't quite to your liking. Don't be too terrified of making small changes yourself. After getting mine back, I've played it for a month or so and decided that there was a bit of fret buzz when fretting on the first and second frets. This started driving me progressively crazier and crazier. After doing a bit of research, mostly here on TB, I figured the truss rod needed some tweaking. From my guitar-playing time, I remembered always hearing "DON'T TOUCH THE TRUSS ROD, YOU'LL GO BLIND AND MOST LIKELY CAUSE A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS TO DESCEND UPON YOUR HOUSE". Happily this is (so far) not true. I followed the instructions in the Stew-Mac setup article in the "all basic setup questions answered here" sticky at the top of this forum. A slight loosening (eighth of a turn or so) of the truss rod and voila, no more buzz.

So, have a pro do the initial setup but know that you can do some stuff yourself if you are so inclined.

Cheers,

David

[ByF]

If you're handy with tools, just skip the "pro" set-up and learn to do it yourself. It's very easy. Just read the stickies. After you've done it a couple of times you'll be wondering, "Why would anyone pay to have this done?"

Ed

[WalterBush]

Originally Posted by squashedOpossum

I wish this were true, but very few music stores set them up. They just unbox them, tune them, and slap 'em on the wall.

Wait, music stores in your area tune the instruments before slapping them on the wall?

[WalterBush]

Originally Posted by ByF

If you're handy with tools, just skip the "pro" set-up and learn to do it yourself. It's very easy. Just read the stickies. After you've done it a couple of times you'll be wondering, "Why would anyone pay to have this done?"

+1. It's easy. Don't let anyone tell you different. Even truss rods can take quite a bit of abuse before busting...I have yet to meet the person who broke theirs without realizing they were cranking it a bit hard. Nuts are easily replacable, too. I say, carve away. Even the music stores here carry pre-made and blank nuts in multiple materials, styles, and sizes.