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Fender Jazz bass neck problem?

moransi

moransi

Mar 31, 2011
14
1
#1
hi there

i have a mim jazz bass since 1994, very slim neck

im playing low action usually

For a few years now the bass feels like playing it is not precise

mainly on the G STRING, like i play certain stuff but not getting what i want (i have another sterling ray34 which is super and made me feel my fender is somehow ****ed up)

i installed leo quan bad ass 2, new nut, by a professional

new strings, set it up to a straight position and still not good enough.

id like to know if installing a new neck will finally solve a problem like this for sure ?


thanks
 
#2
Moranis, can you elaborate a bit further on what you mean by "For a few years now the bass feels like playing it is not precise". From what you've posted, it is hard to distinguish if the issue lies in neck, stings, setup, or electronics; although stating that the strings, bridge, nut have been changed, and setup; I don't think the issue lies in the neck.
 
#3
Try this out with an electronic tuner: Play open strings (EADG or however you tune); then fret each string at the 12th fret. Also in tune? Try each string at the 12th fret harmonic. All should read the same on your tuner.

If not, then it's a setup problem.

Look down the neck with your eye behind the bridge. Most bass necks have a little elevation toward the nut, but it is gradual. Necks shouldn't be bumpy.

Look down the neck from just behind the nut. Is the neck straight, or twisted on one side?

This can narrow where your problem is.
 
#4
it feels like when playing scales for example

riding up and down the neck, that notes are missing and i know its not me

the neck suffered a large scale gauge strings for several month causing it to bend

it was later set up but i feel it suffered quit a blow thats why i thought of the neck replacement
 
#6
When the bridge was added, was intonation set along with the saddle heights? I know you stated it was by a professional but, double check this by MisterFabulous suggestion. I installed a BA III on my MIA and spent a good 2 hours setting up this aspect of the bridge. Out of curiosity what strings are currently installed?
 
#7
i believe the bride was set up fine, it was better than the fender simple rotten bridge i had before.

the strings i used at the time the neck bent was rotosound "steve harris" signature which are quit heavy i thing 110 85 and so on

now i have a fender light gauge
 
#9
of course i did

i have years of experience with this, yet i dont understand the problem

im leading myself to the neck because its the only thing i seen that was severely bent for 6 month
 
#10
Moranis, when you say "Severely bent for 6 months" are you talking a drastic bow in the neck, or a twist?

Now that it has been setup, is the neck back to normal, or does it still show curvature?

If the neck has not settled back, or cannot be put back to a somewhat decent state, then yes your issues could be attributed to the neck in which case your better off replacing.
 
#12
I think the reason you're having trouble getting a good answer comes down to clarity. Your problem is likely one of the three following things. If you specify simply and precisely which it is, it will help.

The problem is...
A.) Intonation
B.) Tone
C.) Feel
D.) Other

It sounds like intonation to me. So if that's the case, answer the following:

When I play scales, the notes on the G string sound...
A.) Sharp
B.) Flat
C.) Sharp on some frets, and flat on others

I'm not trying to insult your intelligence or knowledge or anything. Sometimes it's hard to communicate these kinds of problems clearly.
 
#14
hi

first of all thank you all for referring to my question

i would say the "FEEL" is wrong

some notes dont play, they just fall off the scale

the tone is great

when the nut was recently replaced the pro found that the g string was to low and close to the lower edge of the neck
so he fixed that as well , could it be my new fender bone nut ?
 
#15
The main problem with this thread is you're not explaining what things like "they just fall off the scale" actually mean. It may sound cool in your head, but reading it, and not knowing what exactly you're on about, leads to confusion. If you want people to help, try to help them out with speaking clearly.
 
#18
moransi said:
yes i know what you mean but i wrote "some notes dont play" meaning you press and then you cant hear the note play
Click to expand...

So your getting dead spots from what I take on this. Example: if you start to play each note along the G, some will not sound, or will sound very low. If this is correct then I would have the intonation re-checked, and a complete redressing of the frets.

I'm curious to your comment that it constantly needs to be setup to keep the neck straight. Does the neck start to bow requiring a truss rod adjustment, and if so how long after adjustment??? My next question would be where is the bass stored or kept? Is the enviroment very humid, or have constant temprature change?
 
#19
Yes I'm getting dead spots
If I need to redress all my frets won't it be better to get a new neck if I can ?

The neck gets bowed to soon in my opinion about 3 month , I have two basses they are stored together on a normal house room in hard shell case , my other bass is perfect for a year now
 
#20
Welcome to the world of owning a Jazz bass. Most have dead spots between the 5th and 7th fret on the G-string, and it's a bit of a pain in the ass. One solution I've found is called the Groove Tubes Fat finger - a weight that you clamp onto the headstock that depending on its position will move the dead spots to a place where you're less likely to notice them. It works, but may cause neck dive.
 

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