Flea Fender active bass high action

[cesar200791]

This doesn't surprise me. I mean, It's unfortunate, but not very surprising.

It's one of the things that I dislike about Fender way of doing things, too proud and complacent to take enough pride in the their products to ship them to stores set up reasonably properly--to their own published standard specifications.

Fortunately, if you like Fenders and can look past that shortcoming new out of the box their instruments have the potential be set up to play great, provided the neck is fundamentally correct. Meaning, it's made of good wood or wood without defect and the truss rod works as it should.

I've almost always had Fenders or Fender type basses. That is a main reason why I was motivated to learn how to do my own setup work, refined or perfected to the level I want or expect.

If you have high expectations about the setup, you pretty much can't rely on Fender to do it for you therefore you're options are to either learn to do it yourself right or pay someone else to do it, then hope they do it right. I prefer the direct way with direct control; I do it myself.

I don't know any good luthier in México, I'm sure there has to be some of them, but I still prefer to do it on my own too, and I'm so happy that there are people like you guys to help people that don't know (as me)

 

[Yahboy]

Si, I finally decided to remove the neck, I had to do it twice, I inserted a piece of carton (I dont know if that is the word, sorry) as a shim in the neck pocket, had to do it twice because the first time it was very high, so I had to do it again, the action is much better now, not the same as the Warwick, but close enough, I'm very happy, thank you all for your advises, and for encouraging me to do it, I think that this Fender bass can be adjusted better, I'm going to read all your comments, and that manual you left here, but for now I think the action is nice for me, maybe in some months when I change the strings, I'll adjust it again taking all the advises you guys gave me.

I really appreciate this community, I've never been in this type of forums, but I can see I can learn much more here, other than researching on my own.

Here some pictures. If there is something I did wrong, please tell me, I'm still learning.
View attachment 4344058 View attachment 4344059 View attachment 4344060 View attachment 4344061
Pd. The neck is from a jazz bass, not a P Bass, as I could see in the second image

Stop this kind of shim ! Free lesson from haze guitar
Neck-Shimming and Ski Jumps: The Latest Research — Haze Guitars

So, you need This !
StewMac Neck Shims for Bass - StewMac

 

[Hounddog409]

Fender factory spec is a joke though. To me the neck will be like banana plus 5/64th string height is almost unplayable.

Its just starting place. Go from there for what you want.

I start neck relief at spec. Finish setup.
Then go back and lower relief if not to my liking. Usually I just leave at spec.
Factory spec never bothered me at all.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

It's impressive how a few millimeters angle can adjust the whole neck, fingerboard, therefore the way you can feel the bass, I think the Warwick bass is easier to play (that is not necessarily better) I can feel that it's a little bit harder the Fender basses, but you can get more tones just by the way you play it.

I'm glad this post can help other people who love playing bass, and love basses

Of course, If I were to play your Warwick, I would have to pay attention more to what I was playing than when I am playing my Fender Jazz that I've been playing for the last 36-years. I'm very familiar with the feel of that neck because the Jazz I currently have uses the same neck profile, shape, and neck radius as my 1965 did that I bought in 1966, toured with in 1971 thorough 1973 and had stolen from me in 1976. The whole reason I bought my current Jazz was because it felt like playing my '65 again.

I'm sure I could get used to your Warwick, but I've been playing on this neck since 1966 and I prefer it over all others. I'm sure you could get used to my Jazz Bass too, but since you've been playing your Warwick for so long, that is probably the neck shape, profile, and radius you expect a bass to have and you are more comfortable with. No right or wrong here, it's just what you prefer and what I prefer. We don't have to have the same preferences. Warwick makes some great basses. Rock On bro!

 

[fishdude101101]

Its just starting place. Go from there for what you want.

I start neck relief at spec. Finish setup.
Then go back and lower relief if not to my liking. Usually I just leave at spec.
Factory spec never bothered me at all.

For me its just too high. The closer to playing a touchscreen the better for me.

 

[Grinderman]

Things to know and tools needed:

Truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck. It's a 3/16" hex socket. The fingerboard radius is compound - 12" - 16"

I may be wrong, but I believe a 16" neck radius gage is correct to check for the saddle/string height adjustments follow the radius across the neck.

String height ruler.

Capo and feeler gages to measure neck relief. A straight can be a quick and easy way to judge the relief as you do truss rod adjustments while the neck is off to access the socket at the heel. Doing up to quarter turns of the nut at a time is ideal.

Maybe... maybe you'll need a neck shim at the back of the neck pocket, made of business card or wood veneer. TBD.

Edit to add: If you can get sized and shaped maple wood shims from Stewart-McDonald delivered to your place in Mexico or if you can make a suitable equivalent yourself, that's the proper long term/permanent solution for shimming the neck. If you use a strip of business card or wood veneer at the back of the neck pocket to angle the neck it should be temporary only.