truss rod adjustment question: straight or slightly concave?

[meta]

I just bought a new fender mustang, and am setting it up.

2 options:

1. If I get the neck to be perfectly straight, there is barely any height (when first and last fret are pressed) in the middle. Not even enough for a single business card.

2. If I tighten it a bit so that the bow is slightly concave, I can just get 2 business cards to fit (but not a credit card) I get a slight bow.

There is no fret buzzing with either of the 2 methods. Which would be better for the bass? I assume that a perfectly straight neck is better? I had only tightened it a bit in order to give it some lee-way, in case the temperature changed, whatever, so that it would never be convex...

I would really appreciate an opinion from someone who is more familiar than I with truss rod adjustments.

thanks!

 

[Johnny Alien]

A straight neck will give you the lowest action. I normally go for as straight as I can get it without any buzzing. Everyone has a personal preference in their amount of relief though.

 

[John Wentzien]

I use a dollar bill as a feeler guage on mine.
If your frets are nice and level, you can get by with a straight neck without buzzing.

 

[Bassmickeyd]

When you tighten the truss rod, (turn to the right) it causes the neck to stiffen so there is no center bow. Necks should have a slight center bow away from the strings.

 

[levis76]

Take it to a luthier, tell him/show him what you play and how you play it, and let him work his magic. It will be the best $100 you ever spent. Trust me.

 

[bassbully]

I agree low as possible but with a bit of relief to give the strings room and allow movement in weather changes etc. IMO learn to do your own setups. Its easy and saves $. Plus its something every bassist should know so you can dial in the level of relief you like.

 

[stflbn]

An accurate setup is a combination of truss rod adjustment and bridge saddle height adjustment. Generally, set your truss rod for the amount of relief that your style of playing allows without buzzing, then adjust the bridge saddle height up or down accordingly for each string.

 

[scottbass]

Take it to a luthier, tell him/show him what you play and how you play it, and let him work his magic. It will be the best $100 you ever spent. Trust me.

I beg to differ. It's only "the best $100 you ever spent" if:

(a) You are too inexperienced, and too unsure of your own abilities, to attempt to set up your own bass.

(b) It's $50, not $100.

You will not damage your bass if you are careful, patient and make your adjustments gradually. Many, many, many of us do our own setups and do them as well (or even better) than anyone else can do them.

Now, fret leveling is another matter all together that requires serious tools as well as serious experience. But it sounds as if OP's frets are just fine if he can set the neck perfectly straight and get no fret buzz.

Don't let anyone tell you you NEED to pay for a setup. Anyone with patience and common sense can do a setup using only the tools that came with the bass and an accurate ruler. Or shell out $5 for a set of feeler gauges so that once you get the setup perfect for your individual preferences, you can measure everything, write it down and then easily duplicate it when you need to do another setup.

IMHO.

 

[htharp]

The only thing I find very confusing is that the OP says he tightened the truss rod to create more relief. If the neck was flat, and you tighten the rod, you should create a back bow. A slight loosening of the rod should create the desired relief. Perhaps he has his rights and lefts (or tights and looses ) mixed up.

 

[Bassmickeyd]

I stick by this rule:
Always loosen, turn to the left first, to make sure the truss rod is moving and reacting, then never turn the truss rod screw more than 1/4 turn at a time and give it at least 15-minutes to react to the adjustment before adjusting it again.
It's always worked for me.
A busted truss rod is a throw away or hang on the wall neck.

 

[Solarmist]

I copied this from another thread - maybe it will help:

Neck relief, and action height are two entirely different, but related adjustments.

1st - set the relief where you want it - some people like it flat - I like mine about the clearance of a credit card (8th) on the lowest string (the highest string will be a tad more do to the higher tension). I can't stand buzz on my lowers (which I get if it's any less).

2nd - set the action height [saddles] - I use a Stew-Mac string action gauge (a most valuable measuring tool) roughly setting it at the 17th - then fine tuning at the 24th ... perfection.

3rd - set intonation - check the 12th fret note with the 12th fret harmonic - use a tuner.

READ >> http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/
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[meta]

great info!

thanks a lot. I have it set up virtually straight now, at least what i can get with about half a credit card width (ie. between 1 to 2 business cards). no buzzing, and I'm happy with it. thanks again for the info, I just wanted to make sure I am doing it right and this helps a lot.

 

[*insertcoolname]

Sorry to slightly hijack the thread, but can you adjust the truss rod with your bass still strung up? I feel like a complete idiot asking this...

 

[cnltb]

Sorry to slightly hijack the thread, but can you adjust the truss rod with your bass still strung up? I feel like a complete idiot asking this...

Yes you can.
-provided you don't have to detach the neck from the body to get to the truss rod( on some bolt ons).

It's real easy to do as long as one is careful in the process.

 

[Disraeli Gears]

Take it to a luthier, tell him/show him what you play and how you play it, and let him work his magic. It will be the best $100 you ever spent. Trust me.

Or you can buckle down and learn how to setup your instruments yourself, and save a good chunk of change over time. You know what they say, teach a man to fish and whatnot.