Stingray 5 neck shim or crap??

[ledyard]

I got a 96' stingray5 from a buddy last night. I'm just checking it out for now. No deal made yet.
I took it apart and cleaned the pots and everything else. It was gross.
The bass has been strung forever with 50-130. He had it tuned in C standard starting at the B string. So the whole bass was tuned a half step high with heavy strings.
The lower frets have nice action and as you can guess, the 12th fret action was way high. He also had the truss rod all the way tight.
So I destrung the bass last night and took some tension off the truss rod. This morning I re strung the bass with 45-105 strings. Tuned it to standard tuning but in Eb. Same problem. Action at fret 12 is ridiculous. doesnt matter where the truss rod goes. Obviously if I loosen it the action gets worse. I brought the bridge saddles way down but it still doesnt matter.
When you look down the neck it takes a steady angle upwards from the body. Its not a "bow" per say, theres no obvious valley in the middle. Theres no dead notes anywhere on the neck. It almost looks like the neck was shimmed in the reverse way we usually shim necks.
SO my question is, do i need to shim the neck at the back just a little to get that stupid action height out of the upper frets? OR...is the neck(one piece maple) screwed from being strung heavy and tuned high for so long??
I had an old G&L 4 string that had the same problem. Even with 45-105's on it, if I tuned it higher than Eb the tension was too much and the 12th fret action was too high. Even if I burried the bridge saddles.
Suggestions??
Its a trial run but i would love to work this out and keep it cause it sounds awsome.

[danomite64]

From your description, it sounds like a shim might help. Even if it didn't, you may as well go ahead and try it, as you've already spent some time fixing it.

[ledyard]

Yeah, lol, I'm gonna at least try it. I'm sitting here trying to think what I have around to use as a shim. I had some real nice brass feeler gauge type shims but I cant find them.

[Jim C]

If the neck does not have a bow or ski jump, I would try a strip of a business card as a shim and see how that goes; will take you 15 minutes and you will have some solid info as to what to do next

[ledyard]

So I shimmed it up and it was too much. So I redid it and it was perfect. Tuned it back up and adjusted the saddles. its alot better than it was for sure. But its still higher than I want it. Last fret is clear, next fret has alot of buzz then the rest of the way down to the first fret is clear. So this tells me thet the shim has caused a tiny ski jump.

[Jim C]

Originally Posted by ledyard

So this tells me thet the shim has caused a tiny ski jump.

Never seen or heard of that before especialy if the neck was straight as described above
Maybe worth a trip to someone that has more experience with set ups

[ledyard]

its the strings pulling back on the neck against where the shim is pointing the neck down.

[murphy]

All my stingray 5 basses....6 that I've had, have had a factory installed plastic shim under the neck covering two bolt holes closest to the body end.
Very thin, flexible plastic

[ledyard]

Originally Posted by murphy

All my stingray 5 basses....6 that I've had, have had a factory installed plastic shim under the neck covering two bolt holes closest to the body end.
Very thin, flexible plastic

Yep this one has that too. Wasnt enough. Maybe the truss rod will go a little tighter but it feels like its all the way. When I turn it tight it feels spring loaded and I dont want to force it. It feels that way when I try to loosen it too. But it will give and turn with enough force. Once it turns it goes smooth, its just breaking it free.

[Jazz Ad]

There should be a bow and from your description there isn't. I think you should install a shim and loose the trussrod a bit.

[maurilio]

from you description and the fact you have already a shim.... I personally would not keep that bass....
You have no idea of what's gonna happen later on...

BTW, I'm still amazed that after 50 years of bulding bolton basses, some of the "historic" companies (see fender and musicman-ernie ball) have not fixed that neck/body problem.

Anyhow, good luck with that instrument

M

[ledyard]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

There should be a bow and from your description there isn't. I think you should install a shim and loose the trussrod a bit.

I did shim it. if I loosen the truss rod the 12th fret action is going to be a mile high.

[Rano Bass]

Originally Posted by maurilio

.
BTW, I'm still amazed that after 50 years of bulding bolton basses, some of the "historic" companies (see fender and musicman-ernie ball) have not fixed that neck/body problem.

I dont know what neck-body problem are you talking about, my Fender Jazz and Stingray 5 have great action and dont move at all.
Dont blame the tools, blame the carpenter

[maurilio]

if, to get decent action, 3/4 of the instruments being built need a shim, that's a bad design.... no?