I just painted my Fender Jazz. This morning I put the bridge back on and tried to string it but every string ends up laying on somewhere in the 7th fret area and it twangs to the point where there is no note. Is the bridge on wrong or what's the deal? I can't figure it out.
Did your saddles get flipped upside down, so the barrels are laying on the plate, with the little set screws up in the air?
The problem is eather the saddles sank or they got flipped over like pilot said. So get a 1.5mm allen wrench and raise the bridge saddles.
Check the neck relief. If the bass was un-strung for a while, the neck may have bowed back a bit due to the force from the truss rod. String it up and wait a couple of days, see if it comes back.
This was my first thought as well. Try and tune it to something near the correct pitch so the string tension will bring the neck forward. Asad