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Lakland Owners Group #69

#20,301
JazznFunk said:
I do my own setups as well (and have done them for plenty of other folks for 20+ years) and figure it takes me an extra 5-10 minutes after I change strings (at most) to go over intonation and string height check with feeler gauges to double check everything. It's just part of the deal for me, and it's how I was taught to do it by the luthier who showed me the ropes a long time ago. The adjustments are rarely major, but I have been surprised at the intonation changes I've had to make going from brand to brand - ESPECIALLY if you're going to/from a tapered core design and how it contacts the bridge. The truss rod shouldn't need tweaking if everything is staying the same and the neck is already known to be stable, but I always check that as well after the strings are on for an hour or so.

If you're paying someone to change your strings, I would hope that 'tech' would also double-check those things as well. It's kind of like a mechanic who looks over everything else while the hood is up just as a general rule, and if there's something that needs addressing.... the hood is already up ya know?
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It’s certainly not worth arguing about

That’s for sure
 
#20,302
Stranger Danger said:
It’s certainly not worth arguing about

That’s for sure
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A discussion isn't an argument. I'm offering the viewpoint that if one is going to do the job, I want to know that everything is good to go from the 1st fret up to the last in terms of feel and intonation. That's me - and I'm sure others probably feel the same way. I don't want to find out on the gig that because I didn't check everything, that there's a bunch of stuff above the 12th fret that is out of tune, and things just don't feel 100% right. YMMV for sure in how accurate you want the finished product. If I'm doing it for someone else, I owe it to them to do all of the work, especially if it adds minimal time to the job.
 
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#20,303
JazznFunk said:
A discussion isn't an argument. I'm offering the viewpoint that if one is going to do the job, I want to know that everything is good to go from the 1st fret up to the last in terms of feel and intonation. That's me - and I'm sure others probably feel the same way. I don't want to find out on the gig that because I didn't check everything, that there's a bunch of stuff above the 12th fret that is out of tune, and things just don't feel 100% right. YMMV for sure in how accurate you want the finished product. If I'm doing it for someone else, I owe it to them to do all of the work, especially if it adds minimal time to the job.
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Ok!
 
#20,304
Stranger Danger said:
I agree about stock setup being suboptimal. Not sure I agree with a total setup needed when changing strings. It would have to be a pretty drastic change to require much more than a slight tweak
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Yes. Sometimes, with some luck, only slight tweaks are needed. Other times, major adjustments are in order, like when going from exposed core strings to full wrap, or from a light set to a heavy, etc etc.
 
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#20,305
JazznFunk said:
I agree with doing a total setup evaluation when changing string brands or gauges, but not necessarily when putting the exact same brand/gauge of strings on again - assuming the bass is set up properly to begin with. Different gauges, cores, etc. intonate differently, and sometimes feel differences necessitate changes in saddle height. Sometimes there are variances even in the same brand/gauge and it's good to re-check setup and intonation each time.
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Yes. I don’t check the setup (usually) if I’m putting on a new set of the exact same strings. That’s the benefit of sticking with the same strings.
 
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#20,307
JEDI BASS said:
Yes. I don’t check the setup (usually) if I’m putting on a new set of the exact same strings. That’s the benefit of sticking with the same strings.
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I check the intonation at a minimum with the exact same strings. Things can shift during the threading of the strings thru the bridge.... but that doesn't happen often. If there's anything major that's out of whack, then my suspicions turn to a bad string. It's happened before. But again... rare.
 
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#20,308
JEDI BASS said:
Sorry everyone. I thought it was common sense or common knowledge to check and adjust the setup when changing brands or gauges of strings. In other words.. do a setup.

Don’t fear the tools folks. Learn to use em and become empowered. Peace out yall and happy holidays.
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Just bought some tools. Trying to get out of my comfort zone as far as set up and adjustments.
 
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#20,310
MaxSpinrun said:
Just bought some tools. Trying to get out of my comfort zone as far as set up and adjustments.
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I was super afraid of setups until I started messing with some cheap Squier basses and slowly got better and better to the point where it’s saved me a ton of money over the years.
 
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#20,312
OK setup question, although I've been doing this for a long time this way...if adjusting the truss rod, I detune to remove tension on the neck, then make the truss adjustment so (especially if tightening/removing relief) there's no string tension on the neck while adjusting then tune back to pitch and check the relief again. On the G&L page and other places I've read that some people actually bend the neck then while attempting to hold it like that, tighten the truss so as not to actually have the truss doing the straightening stating that if you don't it's just compressing the wood cells in the neck. Thoughts?
 
#20,313
FearNoEvil65 said:
OK setup question, although I've been doing this for a long time this way...if adjusting the truss rod, I detune to remove tension on the neck, then make the truss adjustment so (especially if tightening/removing relief) there's no string tension on the neck while adjusting then tune back to pitch and check the relief again. On the G&L page and other places I've read that some people actually bend the neck then while attempting to hold it like that, tighten the truss so as not to actually have the truss doing the straightening stating that if you don't it's just compressing the wood cells in the neck. Thoughts?
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I’ve watched a video from Fodera where they tightened the truss under full string tension. I believe I’ve seen at least 3 other high end builder videos where they did the same thing. I prefer to either slightly loosen the strings, or manually straighten the neck just prior to tightening the truss. In other words, I prefer to help the truss do its job. Research it and form your own opinion.
 
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#20,316
From my experience, I’ve noticed basses that adjust at the headstock seem to adjust much easier if you lower the string tension first, especially when reducing relief. Basses that adjust at the heel of the neck don’t seem to fight as much. Single action truss rods (like our Lāklands) also seem to adjust easier than dual action truss rods (G&L, Spector, Warwick, and others), even with no string tension. Off topic, but I don’t think basses even need dual action truss rods with the amount of tension strings have when tuned to pitch.

As far as a setup when changing strings, I’ve found minimal differences when switching brands as long as the type of string and gauge remained constant (ie rounds and .045-.100). If any drastic changes are made (like flats or heavier/lighter gauge), you’ll probably need to adjust the truss rod at a minimum. I found that handmade strings (like DR) tend to be inconsistent with intonation from one set to the next. I used DR Sunbeams for years. I finally got tired of adjusting intonation every time I swapped strings and switched.
 
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#20,318
On a different note, I figured this was this bass, but GC had the wrong pictures (and still have a few). Great bass, I just don’t play 4’s… not a bad price now either… I traded it to FretSpot towards another bass, someone bought it and apparently needed to move it fast… GC probably gave him $1500 at the most :rollno:

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#20,319
FearNoEvil65 said:
OK setup question, although I've been doing this for a long time this way...if adjusting the truss rod, I detune to remove tension on the neck, then make the truss adjustment so (especially if tightening/removing relief) there's no string tension on the neck while adjusting then tune back to pitch and check the relief again. On the G&L page and other places I've read that some people actually bend the neck then while attempting to hold it like that, tighten the truss so as not to actually have the truss doing the straightening stating that if you don't it's just compressing the wood cells in the neck. Thoughts?
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If it’s at the headstock (like a G&L) then I detune but if it’s at the heel then I don’t bother
 
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