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Help lower my action!

Flipflop Mojo

Flipflop Mojo

Feb 1, 2015
23
8
51
#1
I recently picked up an SX Vintage shortscale fretless bass for $150 :). It seems to be just what I am looking for, and I swapped in a random higher mass bridge and some tapewounds that I had lying around. So the "upright" tone is now sublime but the bass has the highest action I have ever seen (it was like that before I changed the strings etc.).

To remedy this I first played with the truss rod a little, but the neck seems very straight and not bowed. Next I put 2 business cards under the neck as a shim, and I have the bridge saddles all the way down. The nut looks maybe a little high, but I am reluctant to mess with it since I am new at all of this.

Does anyone know what's going on here?
 

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#3
I'd guess the nut is fine and it has nothing to do with the truss rod. Wasn't the cause you installing the bridge? Which is thicker? (Still it really wish I woulda seen it before that mod). I've used a tapered shim in that situation to get that angle on the neck and you did a flat shim. I'd change them out and then do a step by step setup. Assume nothing. Then if it doesn't work lets see pics of the bridge (straight on and from the side) and measurements (relief / string heights).
 
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#4
If the saddles are all the way down and the action is still high that’s the classic situation for needing a shim. If you installed 2 business cards the full length of the neck pocket that’s only going to raise the the neck the thickness of two business cards. Install one business card the full width of the neck pocket but only about the length of where the two inboard, body side, screws are. That will angle the neck slightly and I wouldn’t be surprised if one is enough to remedy things.
 
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#6
Lotsa good advice on the shim.

On the nut side of things, try holding each string at the third fret, and click it against the first fret wire. Should have the slightest gap, enough to make a little click, but not more than that. If it's touching, nut is too low, if there's a big gap, it's too high. Clearly, testing with a feeler gauge more precise, but this is easy to check.

Edit: Doh, @lowplaces beat me to it.
 
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#8
Sounds like you “shimmed” incorrectly.
The point of the shim is to adjust the angle of the neck (or the nut, really) in relation to the bridge.
So to lower the action, you want to tilt the neck back. So you need to cut your shim so it is only about a quarter or a third the size of the neck pocket and have it on the bottom/body side of the pocket, so it tilts the neck back a tiny bit.
 
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#9
"Next I put 2 business cards under the neck as a shim, and I have the bridge saddles all the way down."

Saddles all the way down and your side dots are almost sunk to the pickguard?

Try another card or reposition the cards to the bottom of the neck heel pocket, lifting it to a slight angle. Put a micrometer on the stack and if you must... stewmac the proper shim. Although business cards do work... I use an Ace of Spades playing card. Uno cards work too. I level furniture with playing cards also.
 
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#10
Neck in first pic looks like it’s negative shimmed which would give you this result.

1/2“ of whatever thickness is needed right at the body/ neck pickup side.
2 biz cards is a little extreme.
A little goes a long way in the neck shim world.
 
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#11
I had a similar issue with a Fender MIM Precision body.

I laid a straight edge into the neck pocket rout to see if it was parallel to the top of the body. I found that the rout was angled. I put a partial shim at the end of the pocket to angle the neck downward.

Fixed.

Good luck fixing yours

1765806847177.png
 
Last edited:
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#12
Looks to me like it's shimmed incorrectly. Looking at the neck/pocket picture it's clear that the neck height is going up towards the head stock when in reality it should be parallel or higher with the body side of the pocket.
 
#15
stingray69 said:
If you're in need of angled shims, Amazon has some inexpensive options (as compared to StewMac).

Best of luck getting it sorted out! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
These shims work fine, but the ones I ordered once had little connection between the angle printed on them and the actual angle. They come in a set so just try them to see which works best for you. The StewMac shims were closer to their printed angle. About the same quality IMHO.
 
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#16
SharpCat said:
These shims work fine, but the ones I ordered once had little connection between the angle printed on them and the actual angle. They come in a set so just try them to see which works best for you. The StewMac shims were closer to their printed angle. About the same quality IMHO.
Click to expand...
Personally, I've not yet tried these Amazon ones before.

That probably wouldn't deter me too much from trying them out, but good to know going in - thanks for the info. :thumbsup:
 
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#17
lowplaces said:
To check the action at the nut depress the strings one at a time on the second fret (on the third fret side as pictured)

View attachment 7388968

There should be no more than a tiny gap between the first fret and the string.
Click to expand...
no frets on the OP bass. Fretless is a different animal.


Agreed it looks like it's shimmed incorrectly.
 
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#20
SharpCat said:
These shims work fine, but the ones I ordered once had little connection between the angle printed on them and the actual angle. They come in a set so just try them to see which works best for you. The StewMac shims were closer to their printed angle. About the same quality IMHO.
Click to expand...
For the Amazon price, who cares?! Just mentally convert the printed degrees to S, M, & L and GTG.
 
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