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Shop reset up repair

D

Davejs

Dec 21, 2011
30
2
#1
I kept trying to adjust the truss rod and was not sure if I was correct. One shop I talked to said "Oh hell I crank on those things no problem" This bass I picked up was 5 years old and never used. I found another shop and he said I was not to far off just go a little at a time. Luthier stated that it really needed a setup but the main thing was the nut was to low. How often have you ever had to replace a nut for being to low on a new guitar. He was going to reset up the bass and put a bone nut on.
Am I being to paranoid on this and finding the second shop I trusted?

Thanks,

Dave
 
#2
You need to spend some time searching and reading related threads on TB - you will get a better feel for the situation.

The first shop is one I'd never trust work to - they're nuts.

The second shop sounds better, but I'm not sure you understood what they meant - "too low" doesn't make a lot of sense. What does it mean? Does it mean something like: "The truss rod has been turned down to the point where it won't go any farther, and the neck relief still isn't sufficient. We need to remove the current truss rod nut and do some special work to get it to function properly"...?

Please be as specific as you can.
 
#3
The plastic nut he was going to replace with a bone nut he said slots are to deep. Most of the things I tried were from things I had pulled off this board. Yes I'm a newbie learning, comments on truss rod adjustment always talk about small adjustments. With this being winter and the wood drier he was going to oil the fret board to swell it. I did not buy a top line bass but the guy who looked at it said it was a great starter bass. The shop I went to that is working on it is a small shop, first shop is a big chain and busy as hell. Main thing is being a newbie with some knowledge don't want to waste funds on un needed things.
 
#4
Pilgrim, the luthiers told him the NUT slots are cut too low! LOL.

No its not unusual to have a badly cut nut on entry level instruments, like under 500 bucks. A good tech will see this flaw in about one second. If he's being truthfull, the setup and nut is needed. As Pilgrim said, read up on setups.

The first shop tech was a noodle head.
 
#5
I kept trying to adjust the truss rod and was not sure if I was correct.
Click to expand...

Hi Dave,

You don't say why you're trying to adjust your trust rod? A little more info would help.

Have you had the bass set-up? A good set-up will make a fantastic difference - from the replys you've had already sounds like you know one shop to avoid;)
 
#6
I had seen posts on the nut, and truss rod adjustments, plus other set up items. I wondered about the nut being to low since it was a new guitar. The main reason I had brought it into the shop was the truss rod adjustment. The nut was a suprise, but when he looked it over saw that plus adding in the other things that will need to be readjusted. Another problem I thought was going out of tune quickly, strings are not the best out, so replace them to.
 
#7
If you're having tuning problems, a poorly cut nut could be at least partly responsible. A new instrument with a low nut sounds unusual, usually I see the opposite problem, nut is way too high. A low nut will need replacing (more about this later), or shimming.

Usually trust rod adjustments relate to string high along the fret-board, not tuning.

If you're a new player and can afford to have your new bass setup, do it. Once setup all you need to do is tune and play (until you're ready to have the setup tweaked to your liking). Set up should cover intonation, trust rod, bridge, nut and pickup adjustments; expect to pay for new strings, and any new parts (such as a replacement nut), and if you want/need the frets leveling. On the subject fn new nuts, bone is generally the material of choice, but not the only one so check the price - fitting price should be cheaper if its done as part of the setup.
 
#8
It was a new/old bass that had never been played or setup. Folks say the best way to learn about your bass is reading and doing it yourself. Well I tried and was not happy with my results. The strings were high and I had lowered the bridge untill they buzzed on the bridge saddles. So I went up a tick but the strings were still high. So I started adjusting the truss rod to drop the height. When I did that they hit the Pups and still sat high. So I lowered the Pups and kept slowly working on it until it would not get better. After talking to the first shop that would have it done in an hour I got worried about them breaking the truss rod. So I found the second shop and the Luthier yes he really is I found out started looking it over. My main concern after was being oversold on the repair and setup.
 
#10
TRUSS rod, not 'trust' rod. :)

Edit: To the OP- read far more than *do it yourself*- at least at first. Konwledge is power, and it's free here. We've all made mistakes adjusting our basses- you can benefit from our experience. :cool:

Edit(#2): That may look confusing- what I mean is *Read a LOT before trying ANYTHING*- truss rod, saddle height, intonation & just about everything else on a bass(or guitar)is related & can be very interactive. Read, then read some more.
 
#11
I screwed up my first bass (fortunately not an expensive one) trying to DIY the truss rod adjustment....I didn't know what I was doing. I do all my own now but then I didn't have the internet to show me how to do it correctly and I didn't understand how the trussrod worked. Adjusting the trussrod isn't rocket science....just understand the mechanics of what (and why) you're adjusting and you'll be OK. Also, like it's been said above, there's more to adjusting the action than just adjusting the truss....
 
#13
The more I read about this and play with it and the more I learn. Then I also have to deal with some of you sick twisted folks and the un PC comments.
So I do fit in here after all is said and done. :hyper:
 
#15
Not all string sets have equal pull at tuned tension. This can be a significant factor if you alter the nut (diameter of string cut) and trussrod adjustment. There are individuated factors that build upon each other to equal a decent setup. Flats may sit lower at tuned tension, different round-wound may need more room to vibrate at similar plucking strength, fret height, etc. Examine your Bass from the standpoint of what you want from your setup when completed and what alterations (if any) may be incorporated in that completion prior to changing things. This will save continued work, if, before a setup, you have an ideal pictured that takes into consideration your style of playing (or what you will eventually want as an ideal).
Of course there can be compromises made & that's why decent techs will discuss what you want prior to just tagging and bagging your Bass.
 
#17
It is a Johnson Jazz 4 String bass with the passive EMG/Johnson pickups 3 knobs pretty plain as far as it goes.
25 years ago I started to play guitar and as things go life happened and I stopped so now I relive childhood with a bass. I also have a 9 year old son who is learning guitar so now we can mess around together.
 
#18
Dang, sorry for the confusion.

There's a cheap way to temporarily raise the strings - cut some strips off a matchbook cover or business card and stick a strip under each string at the nut. It won't sound great, but it will raise the strings as a test.

If this resolves your problems, you probably do need to fix or replace the nut.

One old trick is to make a dam of masking tape on each side of the nut, put some baking soda in each groove, then drop a drop of super glue onto the baking soda. It turns into a substance hard like bone. File as needed. This may not be elegant, but if the nut is messed up, what do you have to lose?
 
#19
Well I got it back and had to pick my son up from his guitar lesson on the way. His guitar instructor tried it out and was commenting how nice the neck was. Next day I had a lesson with my newinstructor and he tried it out. He said it plays beautiful and does not even need any adjustment. Then I told him I got it back day before and the Luthier who worked there set it up. It kind of shocked him, most guys bring in terrible guitars and expect the instructor to fix it on the spot. Or they don't know the guitar needs set up or anything else.
 

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