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Club Sadowsky!!!

#18,021
Vic said:
Yes, they're always normal threads, and you always tighten to flatten and loosen to add relief. Just one tip... if you're tightening, either loosen the strings first or defeat string tension by bracing the neck in the middle and pulling back on the headstock. Just enough to see the strings move a little.
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Another little trick, if tightening, is to turn the bass upside down, place the headstock on carpeted floor, tilt bass forward while holding the body at the tail pin area & pull back while pushing out at the neck pocket area with your lower torso. You can SEE the strings come close to the fretboard so you don't need to back off the tension. It's OK to over-straighten with the push while adjusting. It'll come back. Now turn the wrench while holding position. A TINY bit goes a long way.
B.
 
#18,022
P. Bass said:
Another little trick, if tightening, is to turn the bass upside down, place the headstock on carpeted floor, tilt bass forward while holding the body at the tail pin area & pull back while pushing out at the neck pocket area with your lower torso. You can SEE the strings come close to the fretboard so you don't need to back off the tension. It's OK to over-straighten with the push while adjusting. It'll come back. Now turn the wrench while holding position. A TINY bit goes a long way.
B.
Click to expand...
Yeah, any way you're comfy with to defeat string tension is fine. The main point is, don't tighten against string tension.
 
#18,023
Vic said:
Yeah, any way you're comfy with to defeat string tension is fine. The main point is, don't tighten against string tension.
Click to expand...

Luckily, none of my basses ever need more than an 1/8th of a turn, so kind of a moot point. With slight adjustments, sometimes lowering the tension will actually result in some additional movement of the neck, etc.

+1 though, if you have a neck that needs a half turn or whatever, it's probably better to reduce the tension a touch, although I've NEVER heard of any problems with those who don't.

Very minor issue. It was more of an issue with those old school truss rod ends that made you use a screw driver... hard to get enough leverage to tighten sometimes. However, with the truss wheel designs and the tight fitting Allen wrenches, IMO and IME, zero issue.... tweak them twice a year and enjoy!
 
#18,024
I had read something where Roger said that they prefer the necks as straight as possible so I took a bit of relief out of mine and it is OK and not buzzing. It was between a 1/8 and a 1/4 turn maybe? Still has some relief though. I have come a long way in thinking that the setup sucked and buzzed too much, to thinking it is pretty good, intonation seems better with the change in the neck, at least that's what the Pitchblack is telling me.
 
#18,025
KJung said:
+1 though, if you have a neck that needs a half turn or whatever, it's probably better to reduce the tension a touch, although I've NEVER heard of any problems with those who don't.

Very minor issue. It was more of an issue with those old school truss rod ends that made you use a screw driver... hard to get enough leverage to tighten sometimes. However, with the truss wheel designs and the tight fitting Allen wrenches, IMO and IME, zero issue.... tweak them twice a year and enjoy!
Click to expand...
Yeah, to be honest, my method yields two benefits that may or may not always be tangibly realized.

1.) Truss rod adjustments surviving string changes more reliably.

2.) Reduced wear and tear on adjuster nuts/threads, and the neck wood in some cases.

Most or maybe even all the hardware out there does ok even if you don't do what I do, but I generally have better results and feel better about the process if I do it this way... just seems safer and more sensible to me, so that's what I recommend to others. That said, I don't think anybody is gonna' snap a truss rod or find it impossible to set relief without doing this.
 
#18,026
SpectorDetector said:
I had read something where Roger said that they prefer the necks as straight as possible so I took a bit of relief out of mine and it is OK and not buzzing. It was between a 1/8 and a 1/4 turn maybe? Still has some relief though. I have come a long way in thinking that the setup sucked and buzzed too much, to thinking it is pretty good, intonation seems better with the change in the neck, at least that's what the Pitchblack is telling me.
Click to expand...
Yes, how much relief you need is a personal playing style matter, and it's not just a matter of action height, either. You can saddles fairly low, but with a bit more relief, or you can have a really flat neck, but set the saddles up higher. Just depends in how/where you dig in, and what kinda' feel you want when you play. I do agree with Roger tho, to start with as little relief as possible.
 
#18,029
Too far for me too;)
Jerry, I use allen wrenchs (flat to flat) to measure top of fret to bottom of string.

For trussrod adjust, I use the "press down on the headstock a little to relieve string tension" method.
 
#18,033
More late night Sadowskys. Conan's new band called the Basic Cable Band, the bass player is playing a white Will Lee bass.

Congrats, Roger! You are the king of late night!
 
#18,035
Joeykun said:
More late night Sadowskys. Conan's new band called the Basic Cable Band, the bass player is playing a white Will Lee bass.

Congrats, Roger! You are the king of late night!
Click to expand...

Maybe he's using more than one bass tonight, but for the big performance (sidenote: Conan was playing? singing? and a guitar solo?? oh my! LOL) it definitely looked like a lakland J Bass with big singles...that oval shaped bridge is hard to miss
 
#18,040
Chef said:
Naw dude,
it's not evil!

They're great tools; go get more work to pay for the next one;)
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That's the problem. I have work...my current gig got a 2 month extension, have at least one gig booked for the summer (quickie weekend production), and I'm getting solid hours at my day job. If I can save money over the course of this run (through March), I can see either a fretless or some type of rosewood/alder Metro 5 string being ordered. I know at this point, they don't make any fretless Metro's, so that'd require a bit more funding.

The idea of getting my debt paid down/off AND getting another bass is tremendously appealing. We'll see how I do at saving money the next several months.

If motivation strikes enough, I'll post a picture of my M5-24 with my NS Cleveland. Two instruments that are far better quality than my playing.
 

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