Quote:
Originally Posted by John McGuire
I'm interesting in learning the proper procedure for adjusting the truss rods on a 5 string NT. I want to learn to master this myself as I do not have a shop I trust nearby. My specific bass is a 2008 BSR5GN.
1). Do you need to relieve tension on the neck prior to tightening (ala old rickenbacker)? Any limits on the amount of adjustment per day until the bass settles?
2). My action is abit high. I tried making adjustments at the bridge with no luck. What is some hints on getting the lowest possible action. will taking some of the bow out with a truss adjustment help? I play moderately agressive.
Many thanks in advance for your feedback!
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Playing aggressive and with Low action will cause fret buzz. The strings do need some room to vibrate and not hit the frets. Neck Thru Basses can have softer tension than bolt-ons therefor requiring a lighter right hand touch.
To check your neck relief, press down the E or B string (lowest on that bass) at the 1st and 15th frets at the same time using 2 hands. Do this with the Bass on your lap in playing position, not on a bench. Look at the space between the 7th and 9th fret from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. This is the amount of relief you have. I personally like about 1/16th" relief to 1/8th" at the most in this area. You can use the 24th fret to press down instead of the 15th but from the 15th to the 24th it's about the same level.
The Smith multi piece Neck with graphite inlaid bars and full thick ebony fingerboard is quite a strong neck. A slight truss rod turn will press on the neck internally at the center and the ends as it's turned but may NOT move the Neck right away. IF you do see the Neck move when the rod is turned then chances are that by the next day, it will be too far the other way. This strong neck design/construction needs some time to be 'coaxed' into moving, not forced.
Relieving the tension is not so important as how you turn the Rod and with which size and type wrench. If you use the smaller 3mm size Pickup polepiece wrench you will ruin the Nut. If the 1/8th" wrench is not put all the way in before turning, that too can strip out the slotted end as well.
What seems to be a simple adjustment can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing. Adjusting a car engine timing is easy for a trained auto mechanic. For a novice with his new x-mas tool kit, you may need to have a second car in the driveway.
I can show and explain this much better than I can write it out. Call me on the phone during the week for a few more tips. Since I also play the Bass and worked for 20 years professionally in NY, do not be insulted if my suggestions point to your way of playing. I know more about playing the Bass than most people that adjust instruments do from all of my experience combined. When I give instruction or an opinion, it if from a lifetime of doing it professionally.
By the way John, I don't trust most shops either. Since they are in the business of Repairs for a living (if you can call it that) a 2 minute job turns into a 20 minute overdone poor set-up that you can be charged an hour for. Then, like many have, we get called on the phone and listen to the cries. The Bass gets sent in and we un-do the incorrect work and then do it the right way. A 2 minute job messed up can cost hours of correction and shipping costs two ways. I have horror stories from these so called 'Luthiers' if you guys wanna come by or call me.
The old definition of a Luthier and requirement was to study the art and apprentice in a shop. Then you would take the Guild test to get your license. Like being a doctor, dentist, electrician, etc., In other words, a Professional in your field, trained, proven and tested. In London 200 years ago where I don't believe they had the same Guilds like in Germany or France, you would train in the shop for several years. Often, working for only room and board in exchange for learning a skill. Then if you have the way with it all, open your own shop and test the waters on your own.
Todays definition of a Luthier?, Buy a Screw driver and adjust your Guitar you got for Christmas. No training, no apprenticeship, no Guild test, no License, no proven results.
Knowing that now, why would you take your expensive handmade Bass to someone that just claims to be a professional Luthier? Does he know how my Basses are made and why we do the things the way we do them? Was he trained by me personally on how a Smith Bass is made and adjusted? If not, he is just improvising.
By the way, I do not consider myself a Luthier by the old definition. I humbly accept the title by profession but having known several real Luthiers in my lifetime by the traditional standards. I cannot in my mind use that title when describing what I do or who I am. I play Bass, work on Basses, design Basses and run a shop making Electric Basses. A Bass Specialist if you may including my work and passion with Double Basses.
I can teach anyone with a few ounces of talent how to adjust their own Bass. I even held group classes on this in the past. The last one was a few weeks ago at UArts in Philly which covered whatever they wanted to go over. I did a similar Class at the Gerald Veasley Boot Camp last year and might do one again this year. When I taught in the 1970s-'80s, I held two special group classes for the students so that they can learn hand-on how to adjust their own Bass regardless of the Brand. This is also by the way how you learn about your own Bass and how well or user friendly it was made.
Contact the Boot Camp and request my presence. I will do my best to cover as much as possible. Bring not only your Bass but the Tools you have to do the adjustments. Set-up is not that hard as long as repairs are not needed. That is a different story all together.