I grabbed one of my 'grab-me-first' basses to play along with 'ABC-Beatles" streaming radio from France.
Yup - tore it all to H E Double Hockey Sticks apart and measured everything that is/was measurable.
I at first thought that the bridge had slipped or moved - and that's just nuts-o, thinking-wise. But for a few moments there I was gonna move the bridge!
What I've been noticing however - is that the strings were getting really really dirty - at least my fingers were blackened and they (the strings, not my fingers) had a little trouble staying in tune.
I put it all back together (exercise is good for ya) and broke out a new set of "Fender" (they aren't really Fender) 7250 NPS 45/105 strings and set it all back up.
Now it adjusts perfectly - intonation is correct (phew!) - it has the right amount of truss rod adjustment - and the string height is RIGHT ON!
On the old string set I had to screw the barrels to the very bottom of their adjustment and it was still sharp for the octave on every string.
At first I was just giving myself a head case because it seemed that from an in-pitch open note to the first fret it was showing sharp on my Korg rack tuner - and I KNOW that couldn't be so - right?
Was it just some worn out strings? I find that hard to believe.
I've got much older strings on several basses and never saw this as a problem across ALL the strings on one bass at the same time.
For some reason I like the fake 7250s on this one bass, so I'll stay with them for now - but if this happens every three years - well, why in H E Double Hockey Sticks should I even buy another set of these fake Fenders?
Tell me it was a full moon or sumpthin' - but I just don't get this problem as being caused by old strings.
I mean ---- c'mon!
- It wouldn't tune.
- It wouldn't intonate.
- It is first flat then goes sharp and then flat again.
- It was just WRONG!
Yup - tore it all to H E Double Hockey Sticks apart and measured everything that is/was measurable.
Neck was straight
Pocket was snug
Shim was in place
Strings correctly go OVER the poles
Neck has just the right scoop
Strings are just the right height
Strings are only three years old
17" from top nut to 12th fret --- OK!
17" from 12th fret to bridge - well - not really.
What changed? I was out of intonation adjustment. This hadn't been a problem yesterday - but now all of a sudden it's just gone whacky! Pocket was snug
Shim was in place
Strings correctly go OVER the poles
Neck has just the right scoop
Strings are just the right height
Strings are only three years old
17" from top nut to 12th fret --- OK!
17" from 12th fret to bridge - well - not really.
I at first thought that the bridge had slipped or moved - and that's just nuts-o, thinking-wise. But for a few moments there I was gonna move the bridge!
What I've been noticing however - is that the strings were getting really really dirty - at least my fingers were blackened and they (the strings, not my fingers) had a little trouble staying in tune.
I put it all back together (exercise is good for ya) and broke out a new set of "Fender" (they aren't really Fender) 7250 NPS 45/105 strings and set it all back up.
Now it adjusts perfectly - intonation is correct (phew!) - it has the right amount of truss rod adjustment - and the string height is RIGHT ON!
On the old string set I had to screw the barrels to the very bottom of their adjustment and it was still sharp for the octave on every string.
At first I was just giving myself a head case because it seemed that from an in-pitch open note to the first fret it was showing sharp on my Korg rack tuner - and I KNOW that couldn't be so - right?
Was it just some worn out strings? I find that hard to believe.
I've got much older strings on several basses and never saw this as a problem across ALL the strings on one bass at the same time.
For some reason I like the fake 7250s on this one bass, so I'll stay with them for now - but if this happens every three years - well, why in H E Double Hockey Sticks should I even buy another set of these fake Fenders?
Tell me it was a full moon or sumpthin' - but I just don't get this problem as being caused by old strings.
I mean ---- c'mon!
