Howdy all, I own, and primarily play, an ibanez ATK 300 series with a maple neck (that's the lighter wood right?) And for the most part I'm very happy with my bass but I'm wondering what the action should be set at to get the most out of the playability and tone out of this beast. Again, I know that it is all relative to what your tastes are but I just want suggestions as how to set it CORRECTLY and so I play smoothly.
Part of the reason I'm asking too is because I'm not getting the same note when I hit my 12th fret. Its a little sharp of the open note.
Go to the Setup Sticky at the top of this forum. It will answer all your questions. The note being out of tune is due to incorrect intonation.
I see "sticky" but I can't seem to find it. If i search the forum through their search engine, will I find it then? Like by tying "intonation how to" or the like?
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f18/premier-guitar-bass-setup-article-943515/ There ya go don't worry, you'll get the hang of TB.
Your problem is not action it's intonation. Action really is a personal preference. I like to be as low as possible without buzzing. A good friend of mine likes it much higher. It all comes down to what you like.
Go to the top of this forum and click on Sticky: ALL BASIC SETUP QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f18/all-basic-setup-questions-answered-here-125382/ And here's a setup guide if you don't have a straightedge, etc. http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html
One of the advantages of doing your own setups is the ability to try many different actions to see what suits you best.
