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Why the setup?

J

J.Nuno

Aug 8, 2010
362
45
Portugal
#1
I believe I understand the need for a setup eventually. And I know it involves changing things that are specific for every player (like string action). Still, I don't understand why so many people do and recommend doing a setup right away when a bass is bought.

Aside from the bassist preference things, why is there such a need to setup a brand new instrument? Shouldn't it be done already? It looks like a considerable price increase to the bass selling cost. I may be missing something crucial but right now it seems to me like buying a car and having to change the oil or go to the inspection the next day :scowl:

Enlighten me please sirs.
 
#2
You already answered your own question--preference. You can't just set that aside. Aside from fatigue, why do you sleep?:D

It's more like adjusting the driver's seat when you first buy a car for your comfort.

Also, a setup adds nothing to the cost if you learn to do your own.:) And a good shop will set up a bass to your specs when you buy it.
 
#3
You are correct. A brand new instrument should not require a setup, although all too often they do. Few stores spend the man power on setting up instruments that will ship to customers. IME if you purchase in person from a brick and mortar store a setup is included, although it may delay your pick up of the bass.

So, along with the cost engineering of vendors, there is the concept of personal preference. Most players like to have their bass just a little different than most others, i.e. super low action or perfectly flat neck. This is where you decide if the bass needs attention or not. Additionally, most people are loyal to a certain type of strings. Changing strings does necessitate checking intonation and neck relief.

Almost all of the members that advocate setting up every bass purchase are equally vocal about learning this skill set yourself, therefore no expense.
 
#6
I can understand how it would seem unnecessary, but a setup is kindof important, especially if you're buying a cheaper model. The truth is that some music stores might not set up their instruments completely when they get them in, if at all. This would mean that the instrument won't necessarily play at it's best when you're playing it in-store, and the intonation may be off as well. Getting your bass a professional setup, or doing it yourself if you know how, would really help how comfortable the bass is to play - especially if it's your first bass and you don't have the experience to know if you're not playing properly, or if it's just your bass that's not setup properly.
 
#7
1. Maximizing profits means spending as little hands-on time on each instrument as possible.

2. There may be some post-manufacturing settling in that will need to be taken care of anyway.

3. In view of the owner probably swapping strings right after (or soon after) purchase, there's no point to a precise set-up with factory strings at the shop. Close enough is probably okay.

4. Besides, a field set-up (intonation, string height, pickup height, neck bow) should be well within the capabilities of any bass player.

I'm talking about the mass-market manufacturers here, not the custom builders. Not to say that you wouldn't want to do a set-up on a custom build, just that such an instrument would probably have a better chance of arriving not needing one, or at least if it does need one, it would be relatively minor.
 
#8
Shouldn't it be done already?
Click to expand...

yes, but from the builder it takes people's time and energy (read "money")! A summary coarse setup is surely done in the factory (the better the instrument the more accurate the setup) but it is something that won't fit 95% of buyers (normally: high action, octave out of tune, bowed neck) and this is what keeps the customer disappointed when getting something "off the shelf" but that is the way it goes!!!

In addition, for an axe changing the country (Usa to Australia, Japan to Europe, Europe to Brazil etc....) will strongly affect the playability of the instrument self, due to thermal/humidity changes, wood stabilisation etc.

:)
 
#10
P.S.: my own setup is surely different from yours and from the next poster etc....

I play with a soft touch but prefer heavy gauge strings with a sword-straight neck and like the pickups closer to strings; maybe you play heavy metal stuff and hit the strings heavy big time and therefore need some neck relief with pickups a bit far from strings etc...
 
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#11
J.Nuno said:
I believe I understand the need for a setup eventually. And I know it involves changing things that are specific for every player (like string action). Still, I don't understand why so many people do and recommend doing a setup right away when a bass is bought.

Aside from the bassist preference things, why is there such a need to setup a brand new instrument? Shouldn't it be done already? It looks like a considerable price increase to the bass selling cost. I may be missing something crucial but right now it seems to me like buying a car and having to change the oil or go to the inspection the next day :scowl:

Enlighten me please sirs.
Click to expand...

Setups can also keep your neck from warping. If you are going to play a bass then you want it to play easily and play in tune. A bad setup will make your strings sound floppy and loose.

Most new instruments come from the factory with the nut cut too high.

I find most of my basses need at least 2 adjustments a year.
 
#12
It depends on the bass. To be honest, I dont think I have bought a new bass that absolutely needed a setup out of the box. But thats just my experiences. Its more of a precaution...kind of like dont go out in the rain without your rubbers!
 
#13
Doesn't string preference affect neck setup? How is the factory (or previous owner) to know if you like light or heavy strings?

The world if full of guitar players who sound terrible only because their intonation is not set correctly and their guitars always sound out of tune.
 
#14
Something else people sometimes overlook is that changing strings can have a drastic effect on the playability of a bass. I know that when I get a new bass (or used) I usually want to put my preferred strings on it. Due to differences in tension and string gauge, this usually requires at least small tweaks of string height and the truss rod. The best thing I ever did was figure out how to do a good setup on my own bench.
 
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#15
A setup is one of the most important things to do to a bass. A poor setup, for you, can make the bass feel like garbage, but if the setup is 100% perfect with your style, then the bass should be 100% perfect for you.

I bought a used 2000 MIA Fender P (I know, it's used, and a bit of a different case here, but it will show my point), the setup was awful; the relief in the neck was probably wide enough for me to stick a pencil in, the action was high, the pick-ups were low, and didn't curve with the radius (it is a P Bass), the intonation was WAY off, and I found out later that it had stock strings on it for about 10 years. Clearly, the original never got it setup, and it was apparent that there was never any adjustments done to it to keep it in a good shape... Maybe the owner felt it wasn't necessary, that it should be good on its own. After I got it, put on new strings, and did a perfect setup for me (by myself) the bass plays like a dream, and I smile whenever I think about how the poor guy never knew what his bass could sound like. He likely even got bored with it because of how it eventually sounded.

My first bass required a setup (done by me, truss rod, intonation, and possibly string height) twice a year; at the beginning of winter and the beginning of summer due to dry and humid conditions.

Learn to do it yourself and you'll have a long history of great playing basses.
 
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#16
It's interesting reading about setups but it can be confusing for the new bassist. After playing guitar for years and picking up the bass seriously this year, I can't say for sure what my preferred set up would be. I think it takes a fair bit of experience (and probably trial and error) to find 'your setup'. For example, I find the B on my bass a little prone to buzzing and clanking when I play harder. At this point in my bass playing 'career' I'm taking the view that playing softer with more control and turning the volume up is a good habit to start with. I'm effectively letting the setup shape my playing rather than the other way round, but with the belief that the setup is helping to improve my technique. If that makes any sense at all...
 
#17
Some shops set 'em up, a lot don't. For the first setup on a new instrument, I get someone reputable to do it. Then I just maintain it myself.

The only way to experience what a good setup does is to cough up the (fairly minimal) bucks and get it done by someone who really knows what they're doing. Then you'll know.
 
#18
pie_man_25 said:
I can understand how it would seem unnecessary, but a setup is kindof important, especially if you're buying a cheaper model. The truth is that some music stores might not set up their instruments completely when they get them in, if at all.
Click to expand...

Actually, the sad truth is that these days, MOST music stores don't provide a free setup with the instruments they sell. Increasingly in the last few years, I've noticed a trend towards smaller stores not even having an in-house tech.

Although inexpensive instruments are getting better all the time, all instruments priced under $1,000 generally come with a rather cursory setup, and are made from lower-priced, less stable wood. As a result, the intonation and action probably weren't right out of the box, and will have only gotten worse as the instrument settles in during transit.

Even going over the $1,000 mark doesn't guarantee a perfect setup. And then there are the preference issues that other posters have mentioned...
 
#19
J.Nuno said:
I believe I understand the need for a setup eventually. And I know it involves changing things that are specific for every player (like string action). Still, I don't understand why so many people do and recommend doing a setup right away when a bass is bought.

Aside from the bassist preference things, why is there such a need to setup a brand new instrument? Shouldn't it be done already? It looks like a considerable price increase to the bass selling cost. I may be missing something crucial but right now it seems to me like buying a car and having to change the oil or go to the inspection the next day :scowl:

Enlighten me please sirs.
Click to expand...

I think every bass on sale at a shop should have a reasonable setup. But that's not what happens. Especially on cheaper instruments, where perhaps the margins are not that high, so sellers don't invest much time on getting them set proper, probably assuming most buyers would not know any better, being mostly inexperienced...
 

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