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Jazz Bass setup problem

MichiBass

MichiBass

Nov 2, 2005
840
46
40
Timișoara, Romania
mihaimoldoveanu.ro
#1
Hello dear TB forumers!

So, I've got a problem with my Jazz Bass, PLEASE help me put!

2 months ago, I bought a new Fender Highway One Jazz Bass, bought unseen, because I had no oppurunity to buy a new one from the shop, I had to order from the internet...
The bass was well enogh set up from the factory, and I adjusted the intonation, and lowered the string action a little bit. The neck relief was set OK, it has a bussines card thickness at the 8th fret, with the 1st and last fret depressed. So everything seemes to be fine, BUT!
My action is 3 mm on 12th fret on G, and on E a little bit more. I just noticed, that, when I play fast stuff, this is a little bit high action for me...
So, I lowered the action to 2 mm on the G string, as it sais in the "Fender Setup Manual". The bass felt very OK, I really love the 2 mm action, BUT,

EXTREMLY FRET BUZZ OCCURED ON THE LAST FRETS (15+)

I also had 3 other basses, and none of them had this problem....

What to do?

- Neck relief is OK
- 2 mm action is not ultra low
- Frets are alligned OK

Is it possible that the tongue of the bass is too high? I mean the part from the end of the neck should be a little bit high?

What is the sollution?

Fret filing? I have absolutely no place where to do this, there are no bass setup pros in my region :(

Adjusting the neck/body relation? How?

Please help me!

I can put pics, if someone doesen't understand this...

Please don't answer with "Go to a tech!"

Thank you!

Michi
 
#3
MichiBass said:
Is it possible that the tongue of the bass is too high? I mean the part from the end of the neck should be a little bit high?

What is the sollution?

Adjusting the neck/body relation? How?
Click to expand...
You are right here, if I understand correctly. Sounds like there is a neck shim in your future. You take the neck off and put a piece of paper in the neck pocket to change the angle of the neck to the body, as you suggested seems to be the problem. Search for "shim"?
 
#4
If you are measuring the action at the 12th fret (you said 12th string) then this is the problem.
The Fender spec is actually at the 17th fret not the 12th.
You are just going too low.
Dont shim, just raise the saddles a bit, shimming will not help.
 
#7
Have you measured that 3 mm at fret 12 or fret 17. can make quite a difference.
The truss rod basically has no effect on the higher frets end of the neck, it only effects the bend in the middle of the neck.
You should not shim because you have plenty of adjustment available at the saddles.
Shimming the neck basically changes the angle between the strings and the neck. Adjusting the saddles does the same.
You only need to shim if the saddles bottom out and you need to go lower.
You seem to have done most everything right, set the relief first. got the saddles as low as they can go without fretbuzz, you may just have unrealistic expectations of how low you can go.
The only other things to look at are the nut slot heights and whether the frets need dressing
 
#8
So guys, I made something to my neck: I straightened it more, and it is now better... a little bit. I haven't modified the action, but the action wennt smaller because the neck is now straighter. Now I have like about 2,5 mm on G (between top of the 12th fret and bottom of the string). But I want a lower action ! How? I made 2 mm at my G string and it buzzed in 3-4-5 and 15 +frets :( How can Sadowsky's have 1,8 mm ? I had 3 basses before, and on all of them I could make a lower action without buzz. I use heavy strings (GHS 45-105).

Should I start playing with this kinda medium action? Or should I try to get it lower?

Another thing. Is it true that fret buzzes are not heard via Amp? People told me : " My bass buzzes a lot, but there is no buzz when I plug it in " Is that true?

Thanks again!
 
#9
No, it's not true. Will it get heard over the rest of the band? Not usually. But you can definitely hear it.

Sounds like you have a ski jump. My 98 MIA Jazz had one when I first got it. A fret dressing took care of it. Kind of expensive, but it's the best solution.
 
#11
Sounds like you have the same problem I have. It's not the truss rod but the neck angle that won't let you get the action really low. A quick way of telling is look at your saddles are they almost maxed high which would mean the tongue of the fretboard is higher and the neck angle would be away from the strings. The problem is that the shim is usually used for raising the tongue not lowering it. To compensate, I've adjusted my neck to be very straight and the action a little higher than I'd like. I've been thinking of taking it to the tech to sand down the back of the pocket.
 

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