Quote:
Originally Posted by monroe55  How do I keep the action above the 12th fret low without over affecting the action near the 1st frets causing buzz? Is this one of them sitiations that ends in a compromise? |
Buzz is a relative thing. I play basses all the time that buzz when I play them, but are fine when the owner plays them. The setup has to match the player. But even then, to some degree, it is always going to be a compromise.
The primary consideration is the truss rod tension, or "relief", in the neck. Once this is set correctly, you ought to be able to determine pretty quickly just how much of a compromise it is going to be on your bass. There is a bunch of stuff "stickied" to this forum on adjusting the truss rod, but a VERY GENERAL rule of thumb is:
- Consistent buzzing around the lower frets (1-5) means the truss is too tight
- Consistent buzzing above the 12th fret means the truss is too loose
But, don't go cranking on it based on these two points. Set it correctly using the appropriate guidelines.
So, once it is correctly set, the factors that control how low the action can go are a little more out of your control.
- If the nut slots are cut too low, you may fight some buzzing on open strings even with the relief set correctly. To compensate for this, you may have to raise the saddles higher than you prefer. There are some home remedies for this, but for the most part, having a new nut made is ideal.
- If the fret work is inconsistent, you may experience random buzzing on the neck. It could happen anywhere there is a high fret. You can check the frets with a good, stiff straightedge. A shorter one actually works better. You should be able to place the straight edge anywhere on the fret board perpendicular to the frets, and it should touch all of the frets. If it teeters on one at all, it is high. This high fret can cause buzz. Having a good tech level the frets is the only solution.
- If the neck pocket is cut too deep or is not perfectly aligned with the plane of the body, you might fight a more consistent buzzing if you attempt to lower the strings too much. The bass may behave like the relief is wrong even though it is set correctly. Sometimes if this misalignment is slight, you can compensate for this with a little extra relief in the neck, but the more common correction is to shim the pocket as suggested in the post above. It's not uncommon to remove the neck from even a brand new bass and find that it was shimmed at the factory.
This is why the top end basses often set up so much better. A real, experienced and thoughtful human being actually validated each of the above to make sure there were no issues.
Of course, if it was done to the lower-priced stuff, you couldn't sell it for what they sell it for.
