Do Flats Sag/Lower After They Break In?

[Bassdoggydogg]

I got a bass tuned down to C# with some Steve Harris Sig. Rotos, and this is my first time using flats. The bass was playing pretty good after some saddle adjustments. Now it's about two months later and I'm getting some fret buzz towards the headstock on the middle strings. I thought I read somewhere that flats sort of sag/lower when they break in... or did my neck just move?

 

[SteveCS]

Maybe you didn't set the witness points and they have set themselves naturally over time?

 

[Bassdoggydogg]

Maybe you didn't set the witness points and they have set themselves naturally over time?

I remember pushing down fairly good at the bridge, but my saddles don't go back far enough to get proper intonation on all the strings. Intonation doesn't usually affect action though does it?

 

[SteveCS]

...
Intonation doesn't usually affect action though does it?

No, but action affects intonation and the amount of saddle compensation required.

 

[JKos]

or did my neck just move?

Did you check/set the relief when you put the strings on? Has it changed?

 

[Turnaround]

I got a bass tuned down to C# with some Steve Harris Sig. Rotos, and this is my first time using flats. The bass was playing pretty good after some saddle adjustments. Now it's about two months later and I'm getting some fret buzz towards the headstock on the middle strings. I thought I read somewhere that flats sort of sag/lower when they break in... or did my neck just move?

Nope they don't sag. It's likely your neck is adjusting to increases in relative humidity and consequently needs an adjustment.

 

[jeff62]

If you tuned down with this set of strings and the bass was in a std tune before, then I would suspect that the truss rod has slowly reduced the relief in the neck due to the lesser tension from the strings. Or these strings have less tension than the set prior to this. Or weather change.

 

[Bassdoggydogg]

Did you check/set the relief when you put the strings on? Has it changed?

I didn't check, but it sounds like the neck moved. Thanks everybody.

 

[Grinderman]

Tis the season.

 

[tindrum]

Nope they don't sag. It's likely your neck is adjusting to increases in relative humidity and consequently needs an adjustment.

This is the answer hands down. Now that it’s warmed up I’ve had to adjust several of my necks with a simple, small turn of the truss rod. Happens every Spring like clockwork and again in the Winter when it’s drier.

 

[Gervais Cote]

This can also happen when you change strings with higher or lower tension than the previous ones.

 

[Grinderman]

This can also happen when you change strings with higher or lower tension than the previous ones.

+ Rotosound Steve Harris Sig./50-110 RS77LE Jazz flats are far from low-tension strings. 253.1 pounds of pull from the set.

I'm not sure LaBella 0760M "'54/Original" flats even pull that much.

I use 45-105 Roto 77 Jazz flats which are quite stiff and tight already--214.41 pounds.

 

[micguy]

You tuned your bass down, relieving a lot of tension on the neck, and the neck straightened out - an expected result. Do a setup, you'll be OK. If you hire someone to do a setup, you HAVE to tell them your tuning, or it's a waste of time and money.

From E to C#, you've decreased the tension to about 70 percent of what it was before - it's gone down 30 percent from what they set says on their specs. If they are 253 pounds at E, they're about 177 pounds at C#.

 

[Grinderman]

I got a bass tuned down to C# with some Steve Harris Sig. Rotos, and this is my first time using flats.

To be clear, you've kept your tuning down to C# consistently since you started using the Roto SH77 flats, you didn't change the tuning?

 

[Bassdoggydogg]

To be clear, you've kept your tuning down to C# consistently since you started using the Roto SH77 flats, you didn't change the tuning?

I had 45-100 stainless rounds on it with regular EADG tuning. It's still probably the neck that moved though, because several people have debunked my sagging/lowering flats theory.

 

[Killing Floor]

No but…

Nevermind. I’m self censoring

 

[Bassdoggydogg]

No but…

Nevermind. I’m self censoring

???

EDIT Lol my brain just kicked in, oh wow.

 

[el murdoque]

I've usually had the opposite, with the neck curving upwards due to the higher string tension.
On my P bass, it took quite a while. When it arrived with flats installed and professionally set up, it had a very comfy action. A few months later, the action was quite high.
When I sighted down the neck, I was greeted by a ski-jumping ramp.

However, since you tuned to C#, you should be expecting a lower tension on the neck with opposite results.
Now, that the system has settled in with the new tension, do a truss rod setup and you should be fine.

 

[Grinderman]

I had 45-100 stainless rounds on it with regular EADG tuning. It's still probably the neck that moved though, because several people have debunked my sagging/lowering flats theory.

Okay, so the tension of Roto SH77 tuned C#F#BE is virtually the same as 45-105 stainless Roto Swing 66 rounds tuned EADG. That string and tuning change by itself likely wouldn't have created the need for a truss rod adjustment initially.

No doubt the neck moved because change in humidity.

 

[NHM]

I thought this thread was about fat slags when I first saw the title!