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Bass Setup - Who Does Their Own?
- Thread starter BostonJazz72
- Start date
These videos are detailed, sequential, and easy to absorb
yeah, I just recently learned how to do a full setup after over 20 years playing. It's important, because you really don't know what you want until you know what the options are.
It's not that difficult from what I see. I don't play upright anymore, but if i did, i would definitely learn to set it up. The sound post is the most difficult part. I have been watching these video from a guy from a shop called rosa string works, and he is a master at everything stringed. he has so many cool tricks to repair and setup stuff, learned a lot. I think i could setup an upright bass pretty well as is, and even repair bulges and sunken spots, just from watching him.
I'm fairly new to this. I bought an Ibanez short-scale for a starter bass. I love it. Being so inexpensive, I have have had no qualms doing any necessary adjustments to the Ibanez, including swapping out the pickups and pots.
About 3 weeks ago, I bought a nice, new 34" scale bass that cost between 3-4 times the Ibanez. Not a lot, but I felt it was worth taking it to a shop I trust to have a professional make sure that my new bass starts it's life off right. They called today, and I'll be picking the bass up on Saturday. They said they hoped I could hang out and play it for a while, so they could address any issues I might have, which I thought was cool. Looking forward to seeing how they did. I'm sure I can handle any minor adjustments down the road.
About 3 weeks ago, I bought a nice, new 34" scale bass that cost between 3-4 times the Ibanez. Not a lot, but I felt it was worth taking it to a shop I trust to have a professional make sure that my new bass starts it's life off right. They called today, and I'll be picking the bass up on Saturday. They said they hoped I could hang out and play it for a while, so they could address any issues I might have, which I thought was cool. Looking forward to seeing how they did. I'm sure I can handle any minor adjustments down the road.
you should learn basic setup though, truss rod, string height, bridge/nut height, and intonation. very easy stuff once you learn, and you don't really know what you want until you know the options
I understand and can do most of the basic stuff. Other than the electronics being crap, the Ibanez has needed very little work...saddle height and intonation is about it. Not in any hurry to be filing any nuts.
I'd do my own setups. Third world. I don't have a lot of spare income, so I do everything I can myself. I do my own bass and guitar setups, I fix everything I can by myself and sew my own clothes.
I'm not saying it's good, though.
I'm not saying it's good, though.
I do my own. Best tool I bought was a machinis straight edge. Makes setups a breeze as you aren’t messing with a capo. Get one. Oh and grab one of the little metal cards for measuring string height also.
I do mine with an Allen wrench, screwdriver, and a tuner. Adjust to a point it feels right, check tuning on open strings, 12th fret, and usually the 7th. Works fine. The problem I have with measuring the string height is it may or may not feel right or may have excessive fret buzz (I play with a heavy right hand). I usually adjust twice a year when the weather changes. Or if I try a different type of string
Truss rod wrench (or truss rod screwdriver in many cases), saddle wrench (or screwdriver), a quality tuner, read some stuff, and start tinkering. If you have the knack for simple mechanical projects, you'll do fine with that. Unless you are setting up to specific criteria, you don't need to measure anything except for your intonation.
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I'll do the standard stuff myself; Intonation, action, seasonal humidity changes. Bigger projects (nut filing, fret dressing) i'll bring to a luthier to do. I also generally bring used basses in for a good once over, and new basses if they're a little... off. The Ibanez sixer i bought last year needed fret work after the humidity change.
I got tired of paying someone else to do something that I knew would not be hard to learn. You're not building a guitar, just making a few adjustments. You can do it by feel but I think it is worth learning and knowing how to do it using a small set of tools that are less than the cost of paying someone for a single setup. Use the tools to learn setup and you will eventually use less and less of them because you will develop a solid understanding of what is going within each part of a setup and how one area effects another.
I would set it up with radius gauges and the like and then play and observe. Find what is comfortable for you and your style of playing. Make one minor adjustment and play and observe. Repeat. It's the little adjustments that add up to a great feeling instrument which allows you to express yourself with more ease. You may want your action a little higher than the next guy.
After you get the basics down start listening to your strings. Are some strings not being heard as well as others? Next step would be learning minor pickup adjustments to even that out.
Good luck and have fun with it!
I would set it up with radius gauges and the like and then play and observe. Find what is comfortable for you and your style of playing. Make one minor adjustment and play and observe. Repeat. It's the little adjustments that add up to a great feeling instrument which allows you to express yourself with more ease. You may want your action a little higher than the next guy.
After you get the basics down start listening to your strings. Are some strings not being heard as well as others? Next step would be learning minor pickup adjustments to even that out.
Good luck and have fun with it!
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YouTube will get you there. Only caution is to go easy on the truss rod until you get a feel for adjusting one. If it is real stiff might want to take it to a luthier.
Disclosure: have not read thread...
I am willing to bet that others have already said it but...
Don’t pay anyone to teach you how. I learned by YouTube and reading and FWIW everyone that picks up my bass’s or hears them comments about how nice they play or sound. All it takes is some common sense and patience. Watch a bunch of videos and follow the logical sequence of a basic setup:
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1) measure relief
2) truss rod adjustment (no more than 1/8-1/2 turn increments w/in a few hour period)
3) reapeat 1 & 2 over a 24 hour period (or longer) until the neck (wood) settles in. Every bass I’ve setup upon receipt takes 2-3 days.
4) string height adjustment
5) intonation adjustment
6) pickup height adjustment
7) don’t obsess over any of the measurements. They are a guideline. Every bass is a little different and every musician is different. So, what may seem high action to me might be perfect for you as an example. Also, don’t drive yourself crazy with intonation. Yes, dial it in but if it’s a hair off most of us will never know it.
It’s no big deal. You just have to want to do it and then follow through. You got this.
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If you were closer I'd show you how it's done. The more you do it, the easier it gets. I only take my basses to a shop for things I'm not setup to do myself.
No one else can set up my basses and guitars to my liking better than I.
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