Need some trouble shooting help...

[goldenglory18]

All,

Last night I picked up a new stick: 2005 Fender Hoppus in Surf Green.

At first glance, I seemed to get a pretty good deal. Paint is good for a played instrument (checking is only starting on the back, and only one spot is dinged through the color,) neck is well broken in, and the neck pocket is clean and tight. Not to mention it came with a SKB case all for a whopping $400. After I got it home to get a better look at it, I'm noticing a few issues....

First and foremost, the neck isn't as straight as I originally saw when I gave it the awkward craigslist once-over. It's got a pretty good bow starting at the 5th/6th fret and towards the headstock. It's been a while since I've had a bass with neck issues so I don't really know how to go about trying to fix it without sending it to a shop for a full setup.

Secondly, Almost the entire E is dead except for a nice open E rattle. Now, the bass plays pretty well (based on feel) considering the hamburger height action (again, the neck needs adjusting) and the dead E string. There isn't a "dead spot" that I have found yet but holy crap that open E is nasty. Could that just be result of the maladjusted neck, or maybe it needs a new set of nickles? Lastly, the damn thing is a mess. It needs a REALLY good cleaning/fret polishing/rosewood conditioning. It's obvious this bass was played, and so far it feels great but jeebus, what ever happened to people taking care of their personal property?

Anyway, that's my story. Any and all help is appreciated, as always. Pictures coming later tonight...

 

[smogg]

Sounds like you already know what to do. A good cleaning, full set up, & new strings. (maybe a little fabreeze on the inside of the case as well?)

 

[Pilgrim]

Sounds like you already know what to do. A good cleaning, full set up, & new strings. (maybe a little fabreeze on the inside of the case as well?)

^^There you go. Take one of each and call us the morning after.

 

[goldenglory18]

The only problem is I really don't want to spend the scratch on a setup NOW.

My original plan was to buy the Hoppus body and Jazz neck separately on fleabay, then build it up exactly as I want it. That was until I found this guy on craigslist and for the price, I couldn't pass up the deal.

I'm still planning on sourcing out a jazz maple neck and plan to do that over the next few weeks. Thus I hate to invest anymore into this neck when I'm already planning on paying between $150 and $300 more on another one.

How difficult is it to dial in these MIM necks? Is it something I can do myself? I can do the rest of the standard "setup" on my own...

 

[Immigrant]

Mmm. Forgive my ignorance. Why would you buy a used bass for 4 bills and add a neck for "$150-300" when a new Hoppus goes for $750?

Like I stated, I'm ignorant.

Pictures would help. The neck bows at 5-6th fret? Back bow? Open string buzz? Too much back bow? But action too high? I've never heard it described as hamburger. And how can a neck be described as well broken in but still have all the issues? It sounds more like the neck may be well broken, not broken in.

New strings are always a must after a used bass purchase. If I was in your shoes, I'd get the strings and use the setup link here on TB or YouTube videos.

Good luck. Surf green is cool.

 

[goldenglory18]

Mmm. Forgive my ignorance. Why would you buy a used bass for 4 bills and add a neck for "$150-300" when a new Hoppus goes for $750?

Like I stated, I'm ignorant.

Pictures would help. The neck bows at 5-6th fret? Back bow? Open string buzz? Too much back bow? But action too high? I've never heard it described as hamburger. And how can a neck be described as well broken in but still have all the issues? It sounds more like the neck may be well broken, not broken in.

New strings are always a must after a used bass purchase. If I was in your shoes, I'd get the strings and use the setup link here on TB or YouTube videos.

Good luck. Surf green is cool.

No problem. My goal was to build my (almost) dream bass. Hoppus body, SD 1/4lbs pup, jazz neck. If the existing neck is bad, this is turning into a wash (I won't resell a bad neck,) but I'll break it down for you just like I did for myself...

Used Hoppus w/case: $400
Reselling of neck: -$150
Maple Jazz neck: $300
Total if neck is OK: $550
Total if neck is bad: $700

Hoppus Body: $220
Jazz Neck: $300
Electronics: $65
Pick guard: $35
Hardware: $65
SKB Case: $90
Total: $775

As you can see, for my ultimate goal, it was smarter to go the route that I did, assuming the existing neck was able to be resold...

Again, pictures to come later...probably while I'm attempting to DIY setup. Thanks for the TB link reminder.

 

[mdogs]

Get a setup done professionally, sorry but you can't tell a bad string from a bad setup so you might just kill a perfectly good neck...and the setup costs only $50 plus strings.