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who here sets up there own basses?

#81
I paid 40 bucks to get my bass setup, only to re-do it myself 2 days later. I recently bought a 6-inch steel ruler from General and it's a good thing/bad thing. I've found myself to be constantly adjusting things now that I figured out little things on my bass, like my A and D strings are half a milimeter further away from the pickup than my E and G strings.
WarriorJoe7 said:
Also I agree with VintageBT6Lover but I use a $85 Boss TU-12 (has an analog meter on it) for intonation.

I don't use the 12th fret harmonic for intonation. I actually check all the dotmarked positions. I will compare open with 12th and see if the meter moves appreciably. Then I check the 3rd fret and the 15th, 5th and 17th etc. If the meter moves less than one or 2 cents for each note I know that i am close.

In general the smaller strings are very easy to get REALLY close to perfect intonation. The A sometimes is a pain but I can usually get it pretty good. The E (and B) strings are usually impossible to get perfect intonation so I usually only check up to the 15th fret and the rest after that usually end up getting progressively sharper. I have only seen one bass that I remember having an almost perfect E string and it even had 24 frets. My Jack read Custom short scale.

Some tips: If you are going to intonate, you might as well plan on having those strings on there awhile. As soon as you change brands or guages you will need a slight adjustment.

Do the setup in this order:

Change strings (or be comfortable with having them on for a long time after)
Truss rod relief (hold down string at first and last fret. credit card thickness visible under 7th fret)
Bridge saddles (follow the curvature of fingerboard. Thicker strings need progressively more space off the last fret)
Microtilt or shimming if needed (this can be tricky)
Nut filing (when you fret the first fret the string should optimally move no more than when you hold down at the 1st fret and fret the 2nd fret.)
Intonation (forget about harmonics and check more than one spot. I do all the dots)
Pickup height (usually slanted so that the G side is closer to the strings and the E further away. best thing you could do is set your eq flat and record yourself on a computer (direct) and look at the height of the waveforms for each string in most sound programs. Adjust accordingly.)
Click to expand...
Great, now I have to clear my schedule for the whole weekend :spit:
 
#82
Yeah it's best to check intonation with as much real life playing position as possible. This not only means fretting actual notes up and down the baord but strap it on like your playing it. Make sure your keeping the strings on for awhile. etc.

If you lay a bass flat the magnetic pull of the pickups PLUS gravity may pull the string slightly sharper. IMO this is noticeable (not by ear but on an accurate tuner.) Tune up a bass with a super accurate analog meter then lay it on it's back. It will be sharper. How much depends on the strength of the magnet and how afr away the magnet is from the strings (plus what planet you are on (and elevation) among other things) :hiding:
 
#84
You didn't say what brand of bass you play, but here's a link to the Fender Guitar and Bass instruments owner's manual and in the bass section it tells you how to set up your bass just like they do at the factroy. It's a really good place to start from. Once you get good enough you'll be able to fine tune your personal set-ups. Even if you don't own a Fender, there's still some great info in there. )-(
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#85
scuz said:
-[snip]- I've found myself to be constantly adjusting things now that I figured out little things on my bass, like my A and D strings are half a milimeter further away from the pickup than my E and G strings. -[snip]-
Click to expand...

Since your neck has a radius and your pickups are flat, I don't see how this can be avoided. Adjustable pole pieces?
 
#86
Do everything myself, except fretwork and MAJOR electronics revamp. I started doing my own tinkering when I started playing bak in the early 80's.

I've had pro set-ups several times , including from Mike Lull, Pete Skjold, and Chris Stambaugh. I've ended up making adjustments every time, and these guys are among the best in the biz. My experience with customization
"to me" after getting them back from these shops just led to reenforcement of my "Why pay somebody else?" theory.

But I must say that I recently had a major fret-leveling done by a great local tech on a Lull M5 that made a world of difference. I was ready to give up on the bass, but after getting it worked on by a real pro, it's my #1 go-to bass.

All the more reason that I let the pros handle the tougher stuff.

dcr
 
#88
I do absolutely everything myself. It's been a long process learning to do things correctly, and I've still got a little further to go, but I feel much better knowing that if there is a problem, I can take care of it. Additionally, I find that what flies as "ideal" for many people does not work for me at all. So many people would say I keep my neck too bowed and my action too high, but I get the performance I need out of it.
 
#90
Most basses that have any wear at all, or new ones that aren't boutique quality need a little fret work to have my preferred setup. But, once the frets are all level, I can do the rest. I like my necks nearly flat with pretty low action: buzz when I want it, no buzz when I lighten my attack or pick near the bridge.
 
#92
The best part about setting them up yourself is you can tailor it to your own tastes! I once had a bass professionally set up, and it was completely different from how I like it. See, I like the action super-duper high, so the strings never ever hit the fretboard... even if I try! Naturally, some things are best to do by-the-book, such as intonation, but as far as saddle height and truss rod go, I don't trust anyone else with the power to adjust those!
 
#93
I do everything but fret replacement or fret leveling. Also bone nuts should be made by a professional. Those are the only areas I stay away from. I've assembled two basses now out of parts purchased on eBay. One Precision bass and one Jazz bass. Fender basses are easy to assemble. Like LEGO's, they just snap together!
 
#95
I have done everything there is to do, still do it, and will continue to do it. I've come awfully close to building a bass, actually, and have just barely toed this side of the line.

Neck shimming, neck relief, nut adjustment, new nuts from blanks, tuner swaps, bridge swaps, strap pins, pickup replacement, control (electronics) mods and tweaks, completely new electronics sets, passive to active and active to passive conversions, new pickguards from scrap and pickguard swaps.

Oh, and pickup height, intonation, and action.

Heck, once I even routed into a body, drilled and pegged the neck heel holes, and re-set a neck 7/8ths of an inch deeper into the body (and moved the bridge accordingly) - this to counter neck-dive. The only thing I have not done is fret work, and that only because I have yet to own a bass that needs it.
 

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