How can you tell if truss rods are broken?

I've got a bass that I waited for a year for. Since I'm not doing much playing, it sits in my humidity controlled office. While it came in playable in February, I got it out in May for a fill in gig, and it was unplayable. I believe the rods were tightened so much at the factory that they pulled the neck into an unplayable condition. I got out the wrench, loosened it, and it was good to go by the time the gig started.

Fast forward to now - intonation and harmonics are dead on, and all is great with it...except that there is a nasty buzz across the 18th fret...an adjustment needs to be made again to eliminate it. However, it's a neckthru, and a further adjustment would raise the action significantly (which would make it unplayable for me).

A fellow bassist suggested that the rods might be broken because they were so tight at the beginning. Or is a good set up is all that's needed.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. It's a dual truss rod 6 string.

Thanks!

Z

 

Haven't contacted the builder yet. Bass came in and first one was fretless/was supposed to be fretted - sent it back. Second bass came in 35" scale/was supposed to be 34" - sent it back.

Rod isn't buzzing...it's the string hitting against the 19th fret. I adjusted the saddles a bit which has taken care of some of the other fret contact, but to continue to do so will raise the action quite high.

Just want to find out if anyone has ideas before sending it back to the builder to say, "fix this."

For my eye, neck is straight...put a straight edge on it and it touches every fret all the way up too.

Thanks!

Z

 

That's why I ordered my fretless from another maker.

I did some straight-testing, and interestingly, if I put the straight edge on the higher frets (where the problem is), they sit well - can't put a business card between the frets and the straight edge.

Same thing at the lower end. However, when I place the straight edge in the middle (about the 7th to 13th fret, I can slide the card between the straight edge and the frets. I would think a tightening of the rods will help with that, but that will cause more buzzing in the higher frets.

Could raise the saddles, but then the action will be high.

Z

 

Indeed, this is the builder...

But unlike so many other experiences, I've had nothing but great Brices. This is my 6th one, and nothing touches my fretless V2 in terms of ease of play and sound.

Kurt was great in making it right - the first was an honest mistake in reading the order; the second was what they usually make these as (35 scales), and when the third came in, it was great. I was also offered a refund, as well as keeping the fretless at a reduced cost, so the customer service is not an issue. As I said, it sat from February to May, so I didn't notice there was anything weird going on with it until the day before the gig.

My other basses are a custom six string Adler, an original MusicMan fretless (that pretty much doesn't leave the house and is in perfect shape), and I just ordered an Overwater six string fretless. I use the Brices as giggers so that if someone knocks them over at a bar I'm not out 2K+.

Honestly, it still sounds great, and plays well at all other places (other than the 18th fret - and I'm not up there that much...maybe if the cutaway was a little deeper or if I did a bit of lead playing like Wayman Tisdale), and, as I said before, the intonation is dead on.

It's not that I'm unhappy, ticked off or angry with the builder (now if I paid 2 or 3 grand for it and it wasn't friggin' perfect that would be a different post altogether), but I thought it was interesting that the only buzz that's occurring is at the 18th fret.

Might try the tighter strings, since I have to use SITs on my Adler which are of a higher tensile spec. Since this usually made as a 35 scale, they might have used the same type of strings they put on them.

Thanks!!

Z

 

Yes, there's lots of room. I think I'll get a set of SIT RockBrites first.

Tightened up the neck a little and raised the saddles a little, and I think things are going to be fine. We'll see what the new strings do.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Z