Most new instruments actually have the action set too high which is one of the main reasons why people have a setup done in the first place. Regardless of if your strings are buzzing or not though, I would recommend that you set your action as low as possible. One of the most common reasons why you might be hearing buzzing or rattling coming from your bass is simply because you are strumming it way too hard.
Anyways, if you are either plucking or strumming too hard, this can cause the strings to move around way more than they were designed for. Sometimes this extra movement will cause the strings to hit the frets and yep, they buzz like crazy. Most bass guitars are electric anyways now though so there really is no need for you to strum so harshly. Simply turn the volume up if you want to get louder.
If you are looking for a brighter sound and not volume, consider using roundwound bass strings or try using a pick.
If you press down right next to a fret on either side, this can cause the string to be pressed down very slightly lower than normal. This causes the string to hit the frets which leads to buzzing. On the upper end of the neck, however, the frets are a lot closer together so you might find yourself having a problem up there. This is usually an issue with new players instead of more experienced people. When I first started playing the bass, this was the main problem that I ran into.
If you do this, you can actually end up bending the note down too far which can lead to the notes being a little bit sharp. This is when the notes will sound best. Now we are going to talk more about things that happen with older instruments. Really old instruments just like anything that gets older over time start to wear down.
One of the first things that might wear down on your bass is the nut. The nut is the little usually white piece of either plastic or some other material that connects strings from the fretboard to the tuners.
However, as your instrument gets older and older, so does the nut, and what do old things start to do? They wear down.
If the strings eventually dig too far into the nut then the strings can go back to hitting or glazing the frets which can cause rattling and buzzing sounds. Replacing the nut on your bass is quite a bit more complicated than a lot of other repairs or adjustments made for your bass and it will require a few extra tools that some of you might not have. If you feel confident in what you are doing though, I have another article that will walk you through how to replace the nut on your bass step by step.
You can remove the old nut from your bass with a flathead screwdriver. The fact that the tools are somewhat easy to acquire does not diminish the skill level needed to use them appropriately,. However, it is not a bad idea to buy bass setup tools and make your own kit, even if you do not intend to become a professional luthier. The experience you get from learning to tweak and adjust your instrument to your liking will make you a better musician with a greater understanding of why things happen the way they do, period.
On the other hand, more expensive instruments or even cheaper ones, if you depend on them will require the right tools and knowledge to set up , considering that some procedures can damage the instrument permanently, such as in the case of truss rod adjustment. There might be a variation depending on the age and manufacturer of the instrument, and when in doubt you can test with a few different sizes to find the one that fits.
These are inserted at the slot in the headstock and turned in the desired direction to achieve the right curvature of the neck:. Without these or similar tools it is practically impossible to twist the truss rod inside the neck. Bear in mind that this procedure is somewhat delicate and must be performed carefully and patiently to effectively alter the neck curvature.
Follow this guide in case you need more information. Though these are by far the most common tools on the list, we cannot overstate the importance of having good screwdrivers when dealing with any instrument set up or repair. And all of these components might have different screws holding them in place, regarding length, size, head and diameter. When in a pinch, people will resort to anything they can find.
Knives, keys, and other pointy objects to take the screws off… and this writer is guilty of this crime as well, but has learned his lesson the hard way and moved on long ago. Better to get it right at first using the right tool. Common rulers will not fit where they need to in order to take the measurements in the angle they need to be taken seriously. Many adjustments will require fine-tuning and in the case of the truss rod, some time to allow the wood to adjust to the pressure change.
Bass strings are thicker and not every tool can do the job without getting damaged. The first thing you will need to do before you both doing anything else is remove your old strings. Once they are off, toss them out and grab some guitar cleaner, some lemon oil, a microfiber cloth, a tooth brush, and some cotton swabs.
This is not only the first step in setting up your bass, but it is also the most important. Proper maintenance will keep your bass in proper playing condition and avoid any rust, mold, or any other possible issues that could in turn rot out your bridge and neck and render a setup useless.
Scrub behind those frets with the toothbrush, and then get to work cleaning your bridge out with those cotton swabs. When finished, pour some lemon oil on your fret board and allow it soak in for ten minutes. Then, wipe away the excess and pop on a new set of strings. To intonate your bass, plug your bass into a tuner. The best kind to use is a chromatic, as it reads more efficiently for intonations.
First, pluck your open E and make sure it is tuned perfectly. Then, fret the twelfth fret of your E. The note should be an E, and it should be perfectly in tune. If your twelfth fret E was flat, tighten a tiny bit. If it was sharp, loosen a tiny bit.
Adjust the first-string bridge saddle to this scale length, measuring from the inside of the nut to the center of the bridge saddle. Now adjust the distance of the second saddle back from the first saddle, using the gauge of the second string as a measurement. For example, if the second string is. Move the third saddle back from the second saddle, using the gauge of the third string as a measurement.
Adjust the fourth saddle in the same manner and fifth if you have a five-string bass. Note: If you're using a taper-wound fourth string and fifth if it's a five-string bass , use the actual gauge of the string for your measurement rather than the dimension of the tapered portion of the string. First, check your tuning. Affix a capo at the first fret and depress the fourth string at the last fret. With a feeler gauge, check the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the 8th fret—see the spec chart below for the proper gap.
Caution: Because of the amount of string tension on the neck, you should loosen the strings before adjusting the truss rod. After the adjustment is made, re-tune the strings and re-check the gap with the feeler gauge. Adjustment at headstock allen wrench : Sight down the edge of the fingerboard from behind the headstock, looking toward the body of the instrument. If the neck is too concave action too high , turn the truss rod nut clockwise to remove excess relief.
If the neck is too convex strings too close to the fingerboard , turn the truss rod nut counter-clockwise to allow the string tension to pull more relief into the neck. Check your tuning, then re-check the gap with the feeler gauge and re-adjust as needed. Adjustment at neck joint phillips screwdriver : Sight down the edge of the fingerboard from behind the body, looking up toward the headstock of the instrument.
Note: In either case, if you meet excessive resistance when adjusting the truss rod, if your instrument needs constant adjustment, if adjusting the truss rod has no effect on the neck, or if you're simply not comfortable making this type of adjustment yourself, take your instrument to your local Fender Authorized Dealer. Players with a light touch can get away with lower action; others need higher action to avoid rattles.
First, check tuning. Using a 6" mm ruler, measure the distance between bottom of strings and top of the 17th fret. Adjust bridge saddles to the height according to the chart below, then re-tune. Experiment with the height until the desired sound and feel is achieved. Shimming is a procedure used to adjust the pitch of the neck in relation to the body.
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