• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Help! New Strings and Neck Relief Issues!

BigDrew

BigDrew

Supporting Member
Jun 1, 2016
1,107
2,149
LI-NY
#1
Happy New Year!

Last night, while watching the ball drop, I changed the strings on my 50's lacquered P bass from Rotosound Flats to DR Legends. The tension difference was so great that the strings are getting stuck on the heel of the neck. I removed the neck a few times and kept loosening the truss rod screw. I left it overnight and I still have the same problem. Do I just keep adding relief until the strings come off of the heel? I also raised the bridge saddles almost as high as they go. Any suggestions? Thanks!
 
#4
bholder said:
Could you describe this better? I have no clue what you're trying to say here.
Click to expand...

Sounds like he doesn't know what relief is or what it does.

And I'd bet he hasn't reattached the neck properly.

OP: Hold down the E string at the 3rd and 20th fret. Can you see daylight between the string and fret at the 12th?
 
#5
BigDrew said:
Happy New Year!

Last night, while watching the ball drop, I changed the strings on my 50's lacquered P bass from Rotosound Flats to DR Legends. The tension difference was so great that the strings are getting stuck on the heel of the neck. I removed the neck a few times and kept loosening the truss rod screw. I left it overnight and I still have the same problem. Do I just keep adding relief until the strings come off of the heel? I also raised the bridge saddles almost as high as they go. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Fess up, Drew... how much drinky winky did we have, when you decided to do this?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Helix and el_Bajo_Verde
#7
You guys are great...thanks for all of the help. It is an honor to be amongst all of these pros. What household name bands are you in? Or do you work for famous builders like Fodera or Sadowsky?

I don't think either...more like internet trolls in your basements. Thanks for gracing me with your amazing knowledge.
 
Last edited:
#8
To anyone who actually is looking for information, I threw some Pro Steels on. I was able to keep adding relief to the neck and I was finally able to lower my bridge saddles. I was really amazed at how much of a setup I had to do as the DRs were only on the bass for like an hour. I think that I am all good except that I need to add a little more height to the saddles as I am still getting buzz at like the 18th and 19th frets. Easy to fix that though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tzohn, Arthur U. Poon and Jeff Scott
#9
BigDrew said:
You guys are great...thanks for all of the help. It is an honor to be amongst all of these pros. Thanks for gracing me with your amazing knowledge.
Click to expand...

Stop the pouty sarcasm and vague descriptions.

More details. Pics and/or a relief measurement if you want help.

Edit: Or give up and put different strings on. Probably accidentally tightening the neck bolts down properly in the process.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wisconsindead, bholder and el_Bajo_Verde
#11
Hi Drew, I see trying a different brand/type of strings remedied the problem you were having with the DR Legends, but I'm thinking instead of loosening your trussrod you probably should've tightened it instead. If you already know how to do a basic setup by yourself, then sorry I'm telling you what you already know.

If you put the Legends back on, do the same thing as before, let the bass sit a day or two. Then, while you're standing up, stand your bass up right in front of you and look down the neck. Does it look like there's a slight "C" shape to the neck, and do the strings look pretty far off the neck? If so, tighten your trussrod from 1/4 of a turn to 1/2 of a turn. Before you reattach your neck, is there a shim (piece of a business card, or a piece of a matchbook cover, etc) in the neck pocket? If so, carefully remove it, and stash it in your case or somewhere else at your house where you'll be able to find it if/when you need it again. Reattach your neck and let the bass sit a day or two. Then look down the neck again. Has the "C" shape in the neck lessened and does the neck look more flat? Have the strings seem to have raised up off the end of the neck some?

Hopefully that's all you need, but if it seems there's still too much of a slight "C" shape, detach your neck again and tighten your trussrod another 1/4 turn. Wait a day or two and look again. I know doing this is tedious, but you're teaching yourself to do a basic setup. Once the neck has gotten pretty flat, you can lower your bridge saddles some, and your bass will play a lot easier.

I just changed the brand and type of string, and I had to make every adjustment that I posted on my bass, and after 4 or 5 days, I'm getting it's action really dialed in.

I hope this helps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: /\/\3phist0
#12
Linnin said:
Take your bass to a professional luthier and let them sort it out for you. You'll be glad you did.
Click to expand...
Done the same yesterday with my PB70 ash MIJ ... replaced D'Addario round wound 45-100 with Rotosoubd Funkmaster 66 35-90 ... strings were buzzing like hell after the 8th fret; measured the height at the 8th fret using a feeler gauge and, in effect, the gauge could not be inserted without displacing the strings.
I hate removing the neck on this bass every time I need to adjust the truss rod but I remembered that I recently loosened it so I waited until the strings steel full relaxation (armonic grade steel tends to elongate under constant load losing a given amount if its initial tension) and then acted a bit on the bridge saddles and waiting for the further reaction of the strings/neck assembly (however, as this is just a good P bass without costing a fortune which I also bought 2nd hand, I installed onto it a BabicZ bridge so I don't know whether I could achieve the same results working with the vintage bridge installed on the instrument).
This brought the action to decent values overnight and now it is quite playable.
 
#13
if you want to readjust the relief after using strings with different tension to what you had before, all you need to do is use the truss rod. If you start messing with anything else you will change the set up. Fine if that;s what you want, but if you just want to get it the way it was: just use the truss rod. That's what it is there for.

OP, it sounds like there was a shim on that neck pocket and it's now been misplaced....
 
#14
Easy to do if you can easily access the truss rod but with Fender vintage instruments sometimes working with the truss rod can be a very annoying job ... in my case the set-up was done by me and I don't mind modifying it especially in view of the fact that the bridge I installed allows for very precise adjustments of the strings action.
In any case, if a setup has been done in a complete fashion, including filing of the nut and of the frets, in the absence of any compression applied to the neck and with a straight neck, it will the setup guiding you when bee strings are installed.
A setup cannot be dependent upon the particular gauge of the strings installed; replacing the strings will not induce any loss of setup ... it will just make some dud tweaking necessary in order for the right clearance to be achieved.
 
#15
Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati said:
Easy to do if you can easily access the truss rod but with Fender vintage instruments sometimes working with the truss rod can be a very annoying job ... in my case the set-up was done by me and I don't mind modifying it especially in view of the fact that the bridge I installed allows for very precise adjustments of the strings action.
In any case, if a setup has been done in a complete fashion, including filing of the nut and of the frets, in the absence of any compression applied to the neck and with a straight neck, it will the setup guiding you when bee strings are installed.
A setup cannot be dependent upon the particular gauge of the strings installed; replacing the strings will not induce any loss of setup ... it will just make some dud tweaking necessary in order for the right clearance to be achieved.
Click to expand...

Sorry...I am confused, are you saying that adjusting bridge saddles/height is a workaround to properly setting/adjusting neck relief?
I was taught that this is a set up no-no...and to always start with proper setting of neck relief followed by action and then intonation...I am often wrong though....just seems compensating for a relief issue with bridge adjustments could be a real slippery slope..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Down_Low, Jeff Scott, MattZilla and 1 other person
#16
N
pudgychef said:
Sorry...I am confused, are you saying that adjusting bridge saddles/height is a workaround to properly setting/adjusting neck relief?
I was taught that this is a set up no-no...and to always start with proper setting of neck relief followed by action and then intonation...I am often wrong though....just seems compensating for a relief issue with bridge adjustments could be a real slippery slope..
Click to expand...
No but to get the right action this is a part of the process .... sometimes there's no need of tweaking the truss rod tension unless it is completely loose ... I also should loosen it a bit but I'm waiting for the newly installed strings to finally set ... it may require other 2/3 days
 
#17
pudgychef said:
Sorry...I am confused, are you saying that adjusting bridge saddles/height is a workaround to properly setting/adjusting neck relief?
I was taught that this is a set up no-no...and to always start with proper setting of neck relief followed by action and then intonation...I am often wrong though....just seems compensating for a relief issue with bridge adjustments could be a real slippery slope..
Click to expand...


I generally can do a setup on my bass by only adjusting the trussrod, waiting a few days, then I check my intonation and make any needed adjustments with the bridge saddles to get my intonation dialed in.

This time around, I switched to a slightly heavier gauge set of strings and after about a day, I noticed my neck had a bit more of a bow, and my string heights had gotten further away from the frets than I like.

So the order I used this time was: Adjust the trussrod, waited 2 days, the neck's relief looked more to what I consider as normal, then I lowered my bridge saddles individually, being careful to have each saddle follow the contour of my neck's radius, then I waited a day to see how it ended all up, then I set the intonation.

I've watched two really skilled techs do an entire setup while I waited, which took each tech maybe 30 minutes, and I've always been happy with their work, but I don't rush the process when I do a setup. I make small adjustments, let the neck acclimate for a day or better, check how it looks/feels, make further adjustments as needed, then move onto the bridge saddle adjustments, then onto setting the intonation. Anytime I can do the entire process without having to adjust my string heights via my bridge's saddles, I consider it a bonus.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati
#18
Arthur U. Poon said:
I generally can do a setup on my bass by only adjusting the trussrod, waiting a few days, then I check my intonation and make any needed adjustments with the bridge saddles to get my intonation dialed in.

This time around, I switched to a slightly heavier gauge set of strings and after about a day, I noticed my neck had a bit more of a bow, and my string heights had gotten further away from the frets than I like.

So the order I used this time was: Adjust the trussrod, waited 2 days, the neck's relief looked more to what I consider as normal, then I lowered my bridge saddles individually, being careful to have each saddle follow the contour of my neck's radius, then I waited a day to see how it ended all up, then I set the intonation.

I've watched two really skilled techs do an entire setup while I waited, which took each tech maybe 30 minutes, and I've always been happy with their work, but I don't rush the process when I do a setup. I make small adjustments, let the neck acclimate for a day or better, check how it looks/feels, make further adjustments as needed, then move onto the bridge saddle adjustments, then onto setting the intonation. Anytime I can do the entire process without having to adjust my string heights via my bridge's saddles, I consider it a bonus.
Click to expand...
It's the correct way in effect ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Arthur U. Poon
#20
Big Drew, I have no experience with either string mentioned, but am assuming form the OP that the DR's are (much?) lower tension than the Roto's. What gauge strings were they? how much did you loosen the truss rod?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back