• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Changing the nut on a Spector legend 5 custom

C

Calvan

May 13, 2008
191
0
38
San Diego
www.myspace.com
#1
I recently bought a used legend 5 custom that's awesome. My only problem with it is the action. I went to a local shop and had it set up in a GCGCF tuning. The shop owner and I fiddled with it for awhile and it always came out to be the action was too high, or I would get a terrible fret buzz. I have heavy gauge strings and all that, so that's definitely not the problem. The thing that's really bothering me too is that the action gets higher and higher as you go up the neck. So when I play down by the headstock it's ok action wise, but with a terrible buzz, and when i play higher up i don't get so much buzz but i have to work extra hard.

My question is would it solve the problem (or be practical) to replace the nut with one that is taller, so that the strings would sit higher above the fret board down by the headstock? I think this would allow me to lower my action at the bridge to make the spacing above the fretboard more even all the way across. Will it take away the buzz if I do this???

The only other thing I can think to do is bow the neck slightly to relieve it some (right now it's nearly perfectly straight).


Any ideas:confused:
 
#4
I would think that your repair tech would make the appropriate recommendations to get it set up correctly.

If you're located in San Diego, and you don't mind a drive, you might want to take a drive up to The Guitar Doctor in Fountain Valley to have Doc or Pavel take a look at it.

BTW - I lived in Irvine for a long while up until last year, and can personally recommend Doc.
 
#6
Calvan said:
The thing that's really bothering me too is that the action gets higher and higher as you go up the neck. So when I play down by the headstock it's ok action wise, but with a terrible buzz, and when i play higher up i don't get so much buzz but i have to work extra hard.
Click to expand...
I had a similar problem with mine (original release Legend 5) in that the action was higher than I liked and the bridge was adjusted as low as it would go. A local luthier suggested shimming the neck in the back part of the pocket only, at the very end of the neck. So I cut up some business cards to fit the area and added a layer at a time until it was perfect - 3 if I remember correctly.

Now the action is lower and uniform down the neck with a minor adjustment to the relief. This might help you as well.
 
#8
BassGroove7 said:
I had a similar problem with mine (original release Legend 5) in that the action was higher than I liked and the bridge was adjusted as low as it would go. A local luthier suggested shimming the neck in the back part of the pocket only, at the very end of the neck. So I cut up some business cards to fit the area and added a layer at a time until it was perfect - 3 if I remember correctly.

Now the action is lower and uniform down the neck with a minor adjustment to the relief. This might help you as well.
Click to expand...

i hate to sound totally ignorant but i have no idea what you mean by this....

what is shimming the neck? how do i do it?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back