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05-01-2010, 12:32 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Burleson, TX | | | Truss Rod Need Adjusting?
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Ive never touched the truss rod in my bass but now I think I need to. I restrung my 4 string with 5 string strings. BEAD.
The B isnt spaghetti but its pretty darn loose. I think im loosing definition in the tone of the B string. Do I need to do somthing to the truss rod since there is less tension on the neck now? Any thoughts?
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Gear: Fender 4 String MIM Deluxe Jazz Bass, SWR SM-500 with two Goliath III 4x10 Cabs and a 166xl Compressor on top. :: SWR Fan Club #118 ::
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05-01-2010, 12:54 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Virginia Beach, VA | | | Truss rods are for adjusting neck relief, not ammending string tension. IOW, if you never touched a truss rod, don't start now. Read the set-up stickies above. Probably be a good idea to take her to an experienced tech for a proper set-up.
Riis
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"20% of the money will buy you 90% of the sound..another 30% of the money will buy you another 5% of the sound..you can't buy the remaining 5% of the sound because nobody can agree about what it is." |
05-01-2010, 01:18 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Salt Lake City, UT | | Quote:
Originally Posted by CameronF  I think im loosing definition in the tone of the B string. | more than likely you will need to adjust the bridge to correct the intonation for all of the strings. Is that what you mean by 'losing definition?' New strings and switching from EADG to BEAD will no doubt lead to intonation issues. By all means, read the setup stickies at the top of this forum, and try to make the adjustments yourself, but if/when you don't succeed it's probably time to take it to an experienced Luthier for a setup. |
05-01-2010, 06:32 AM
| | Bangin' out the bottom end for 44 years! | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Connecticut | | If you don't know whether you need to adjust the truss rod, how on earth will you know when you've adjusted it correctly? 
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05-01-2010, 10:11 AM
| | Registered User
I setup & repair guitars & basses | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Kensington, Ca | | Quote:
Originally Posted by CameronF Ive never touched the truss rod in my bass but now I think I need to. I restrung my 4 string with 5 string strings. BEAD.
The B isnt spaghetti but its pretty darn loose. I think im loosing definition in the tone of the B string. Do I need to do somthing to the truss rod since there is less tension on the neck now? Any thoughts? | This is a string gauge issue, that has nothing to do with the trussrod.
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Instrument repair/setup, Bay area
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05-01-2010, 12:53 PM
| | | | I am not a guitar/bass tech. Far from it. The two things I do know from adjusting truss rods are...
1. It only takes a few degrees of turn to see results.
2. I swear there is a delayed action in the neck once you
tweak the truss rod. Like hours. |
05-01-2010, 02:10 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Burleson, TX | | | NO. My bass is set up perfect the way I like and intonated on the dot. The issue is not a string gauge issue... I have it set up with a normal gauge B string... The B string is just very spaghetti like. When I say it loses definition i'm talking about a muddy sound. All I want to know is what could help me get a little more tension. One of my friends suggested it could be a Truss Rod issue.... THATS why I ask.
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Gear: Fender 4 String MIM Deluxe Jazz Bass, SWR SM-500 with two Goliath III 4x10 Cabs and a 166xl Compressor on top. :: SWR Fan Club #118 ::
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05-01-2010, 02:31 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Virginia Beach, VA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by CameronF NO. My bass is set up perfect the way I like and intonated on the dot. The issue is not a string gauge issue... I have it set up with a normal gauge B string... The B string is just very spaghetti like. When I say it loses definition i'm talking about a muddy sound. All I want to know is what could help me get a little more tension. One of my friends suggested it could be a Truss Rod issue.... THATS why I ask. | Well, tension can be a string gauge, type, brand, core wire, etc. issue. Are you asking if a little more tension will cure a "muddy sound"? Doubtful. Some of the hex core strings have a stiffer feel to them....or so I'm told. May want to check the drstrings.com website.
Riis
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"20% of the money will buy you 90% of the sound..another 30% of the money will buy you another 5% of the sound..you can't buy the remaining 5% of the sound because nobody can agree about what it is." |
05-01-2010, 02:42 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brookfield, CT | | | This is often just 'the way it is' with B strings. Some basses work well with one and others don't. Sorry, but I will be very surprised if you are able to 'fix' it. |
05-02-2010, 10:11 AM
| | Registered User
I setup & repair guitars & basses | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Kensington, Ca | | Quote:
Originally Posted by CameronF NO. My bass is set up perfect the way I like and intonated on the dot. The issue is not a string gauge issue... I have it set up with a normal gauge B string... The B string is just very spaghetti like. When I say it loses definition i'm talking about a muddy sound. All I want to know is what could help me get a little more tension. One of my friends suggested it could be a Truss Rod issue.... THATS why I ask. |
Your friend is wrong. If it's, "tension", it's the string gauge. Period.
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Instrument repair/setup, Bay area
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05-02-2010, 11:27 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado | | | You cannot change the tension on the existing string and still tune it to B. More tension means tightening the string, which tunes it to higher notes.
If you need more tension, you need different strings. Different types of strings do have slightly different tension when tuned to the correct note.
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