Your top setup tips

[lidesnowi]

Well you don't NEED radius gauges. You can set the radius when you setup your action by measuring the distance from the bottom of each string to the 12th fret (or whichever fret you want above the 12th) From E to G the distance will usually decrease a bit. So you are using the fret top as a radius gauge and don't have to buy a set of gauges. Dollar saved, dollar earned.

Exactly!
Keep it simple and save some money!

 

[topo morto]

Setting action is so fast anyway.... just set it to whatever feels good for you on each string, for your style...

 

[96tbird]

Take the $25 bucks you save and all you need is this, 1.99 at Harbor Freight (Princess Auto in Canada). While you are there if you need it, look for a headlight headband or similar to light your way, 10-15 bucks.

 

[georgestrings]

Agreed. I frankly don't like bone nuts a great deal due to the inconsistency of the organic product. It's too easy to have density variances unnoticed by human eye. However understand that the "V" is mostly not a simple cut but a shaped angular opening, often with a bottom (on E & A certainly). To rid the nut of confines of not being able to move up or down in string size I will gladly lower witness point overall through reducing nut height. But if slack tuned two steps I doubt I would maintain that cut.

Yeah, if you're changing string size on a regular basis, I could understand giving that approach a try - I don't usually change string sizes very much at all, for the most part...

As always, to each their own, though...


- georgestrings

 

[96tbird]

A different gauge of strings is a good excuse for buying another bass!

 

[walterw]

I'd be interested to hear which basses require you to remove the neck to adjust the rod. Off the top of my head I can't think of any.


edit: Ahh the Geddy Lee.

and by extension, all vintage pre-bullet fender basses and their reissues.

i like the fender american standard's answer to this question: a hex nut instead of the cross-slot, and a real notch in the body and pickguard, so a wrench can fit right in and they can be adjusted without any hassle at all.

 

[walterw]

john suhr uses the same principle on his guitars (which also have vintage-fender type rods), a hex nut instead of a cross-slot, and a notch in the body which a special chopped-off 1/8" hex wrench will fit right into. (i modded my '62 reissue tele this way, so the neck never has to come off again.)

the american standard basses came out in the '90s; i think suhr worked at fender in the '90s; conicidence? hmmm...

 

[Staccato]

1. Start with the neck nearly flat, and learn about how, and when a shim may be helpful to the setup.

2. Nobody (except possibly a teenager with their head on crooked) should EVER overtighten a truss rod. No excuse, nada, and the culprit will earn a gold-plated dunce cap, and framed, 'stupid' award.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

I run a pencil tip in my nut slots... I was told many years ago that the graphite in the nut slots, helps to stop wear on the slots as it acts as a lubricant between the strings and the nut... in all honesty, I have no idea whether this actually does anything, but since I have been doingit for the better part of 35 years, I figure why change now!
Fishheadjoe

 

[Turnaround]

I used to agonize over setting the relief, until I read Sadowsky's setup tips: flatten the neck until the strings buzz at the first fret. Then, back it off a little bit. Done.

If it's good enough for Sadowsky, it's good enough for me.

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On the other hand, every Sadowsky I have inspected from his shop (hundreds) is set with the same relief, string height and nut height. Something tells me he is measuring them. You don't get that level of consistency by eyeballing or "backing it off a bit".

 

[ThrashMaster]

sure ya do...setup 10 identical guiatars a day for a few years and youd be amazed at how consistent ya get. to within a few thousandths easily.