If a string rests on a point inside the slot, rather than at the leading edge, this can create a "sitar" effect or cause a string to play out-of-tune along the fretboard. If you deepen a nut slot, work very slowly and frequently recheck the action at the 1st fret after a stroke or two of the nut file Photo If a string touches the 1st fret when you press it against the 2nd fret, then the nut slot is too low.
The offending slot will have to be filled and then fine-tuned with a nut file, or the nut itself shimmed to gain more height, or you need to fabricate a new nut. Sonically and mechanically, the latter is the best option. If you're not comfortable tackling this project, see your repair tech. Photo Measuring the distance between the 4th string and 12th fret with a precision metal ruler. Photo Measuring the distance between the 1st string and 12th fret.
Photo Adjusting saddle height for the 1st string. Photo Another view of saddle-height adjustment. Here, the 2nd string is being raised. The goal is to gradually make the strings go from higher to lower as they cross the fretboard from the bass to treble side. With multi-string basses 5, 6, and more , continue this concept across the strings by adding some height for lower strings and shaving a little off for higher ones.
Photo Once the neck relief, nut slots, and basic saddle height have all been adjusted, it's a good time to check fret condition. Once you have the strings close to their proper height with the instrument at pitch and the previous adjustments dialed in, you can really see if the frets are level all the way along the fretboard.
We're now at the stage in the setup where fret problems will be revealed Photo High or low frets, loose frets, and even dead spots from the buildup of gunk and funk that gradually seeps between the frets and fretboard over the years can create inconsistent string vibration, so be on the lookout for these problems.
Speaking of fret condition, if you notice that even after being tuned to pitch and intonated which we will get to in a moment , your bass does not play in tune with itself on some notes, check to see whether your frets have a nice round crown on top or if they're flat.
Frets that are worn flat will allow the string to read from either the front edge of the fret and play sharp, or read from the back side of the fret and create a sitar-like sound. Having your frets in level, crowned, tip-top condition is essential for optimal playability, focused sound, and spot-on intonation.
Fretwork is definitely the domain of a trusted repair technician. Photo A strobe tuner or pedal with strobe functions provides superior visual feedback for setting intonation.
Photo Properly wound strings wrap from the top of the post to its bottom. The wraps should lie tight against one another and not overlap. Now we're ready to check and adjust intonation. Unless the strings are fresh, install a new set before going any further. Intonating your instrument involves individually adjusting the length of each string so its notes are in tune along the entire fretboard.
To do this, it's best to use a strobe tuner Photo 18 because it lets you visually track incremental pitch changes in both a note's fundamental vibration and its overtones. Before we start, here are some tuning tips to consider. In my experience, you'll end up with a more stable tuning if you come up to pitch from below.
By tuning up, you reduce the possibility of slack being in the string that could release while you're playing. Also, be sure the windings progress around the post sequentially from top to bottom—with no overlapping—and that these winds are snug or butted up against each other so they can't move around Photo Stretching is important too. I spend time stretching strings when they're new. Usually tuning up to pitch and stretching a string six to eight times will get it stable.
There's no need to really yank— applying a firm upward pull as you move along the string's entire playing length is sufficient.
Photo Using a Phillips screwdriver to shift the 2nd-string saddle backward. Photo Checking the low-E's second-octave fifth interval—that's B at the 19th fret—with a tuner to see how it's intonating after the octave has been adjusted. Tip: Make small adjustments and always retune before making another adjustment.
Be patient— it's a painstaking process, but well worth the time investment. Once I get the fret octaves in tune with their respective open strings, I like to check if the fifth of each open string is in tune. For example, assuming my 4th string is tuned to E— standard tuning—the fifth is B, which occurs at the 7th fret and also one octave higher at the 19th fret Photo There are articles and books that explain the math behind the tone, equal-tempered tuning system that Western instruments—including the bass guitar—are designed around.
It's beyond the scope of this DIY tutorial to delve into the details of equal temperament, but in a nutshell, the system presumes that your octaves are perfectly in tune. All other intervals are fudged by a few cents from their pure harmonic form to allow the octave to be evenly divided into 12 notes, or half-steps. Each half-step consists of cents. In practical terms, once you've intonated each string so the octave is in tune with its corresponding open string, you may find that the fifth—a crucial note for bassists—is disagreeably out of tune.
This can be a result of equal-temperament "fudging" and how it affects fret placement, but also the thickness and material of a given string can contribute to the issue. We are, after all, simply stretching wire into different vibrating lengths to make music—a primitive scheme when you think about it.
If it happens, let's say, that the 19th-fret B on the 4th string is a little sharp, but the octave is dead on, I may fudge the intonation a little bit to favor the B note. This entails moving the saddle back slightly to reduce the sharpness of the B. It's a tricky and imperfect game—you don't want to put your octave noticeably out of tune because then the whole equal-tempered tuning system collapses.
If you find large discrepancies between the correctly tuned open string and its octave relative to other intervals, seek out an experienced repair technician who can help you diagnose and remedy such intonation troubles.
There are a lot of techniques available to address this particular dilemma. As a part of my setups, I also include a thorough electronics check. Dirty pots, loose pots or jacks, and loose knobs can all interrupt the seamless connection between performer and instrument. Often the scratchy sound from a dirty pot can be remedied with a squirt of contact cleaner. This requires disassembly, and depending on your instrument, you may want to have your tech handle it. As you troubleshoot and adjust your instrument, remember that the aim is to remove everything that can distract or hinder you from playing music.
Between you and an experienced repair technician, you should be able to achieve this goal. Good luck! We tend to look too closely at music and totally miss the big picture. Por ejemplo, I suspect musicians rarely enjoy live music as much as civilians do. Go to a show with non-players. They bob their heads, sway, bounce, dance, then they start shouting and shaking their fists and applauding like their hands are on fire.
Double that measurement to find the scale length of your bass. 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. Watch this video demonstration to understand how to adjust the string height:. By shortening or lengthening the bass guitar string one can set up the intonation of the guitar.
You will either have to move it in the forward or backward direction. At the backside of the bridge, you find the screw that you can use for adjustments. You have to tune every open string in their proper pitches correctly.
You have to begin with the lowest string and then fret that string in the location of the 12th fret. Ensure that the string is pressed in the downward direction. Always keep the fretted note in tune. You can thus check whether the bass tuner is too sharp or too flat. If you see that it is flat, then you adjust the string by shortening it and pushing the saddle in the forward direction.
If you see that it is too short, then you adjust the length of the string by keeping the saddle in the backward direction. Now you will have to check whether it is appropriately tuned or not and repeat the same step with the other strings as well.
It is quite difficult to put every fret in perfect tune, and these instruments carry their natural flaws where perfect intonation is not possible. Watch this video to know how to intonate a guitar or bass:. One can easily adjust the height of the Bass guitar by loosening or tightening all the screws that are outside the pickup. Several brands use foam under the basses to pick up in the upward direction. To understand the process clearly, watch this video:. When you notice that the foam has started to break down, then you can also use several springs under this to keep it in the opposite direction.
You can easily get your favorable amount of output from the treble side if you can raise that particular site. There are several ways in which you can quickly lower or raise pole pieces. Watch this video explanation on how to adjust guitar pole pieces:. If your truss rod has a cover on it, it'll need to be removed.
You will see a metal plate screwed into the back of the bass where the neck joins the body. This can be removed by simply unscrewing the screws that are fixing it to the guitar. Remember to keep the truss rod cover and its screws in a safe place. These truss rods can be adjusted using a Phillips screwdriver. Check the gap between the strings and the fretboard. A good rule of thumb is the thickness of one to two business cards between the string and the frets.
More experienced bassists will probably have a more specific gap in mind, and can adjust to that. Frets are the ridges on the neck that you press the strings onto to create different notes. Slide the business card between the string and the 8th fret starting your count from the headstock.
If the card can't fit, you'll need to loosen the truss, and if there is extra space, you'll have to tighten it.
Adjust the truss rod. In most basses, you will turn the rod clockwise to tighten the truss rod, and counterclockwise to loosen it. Clockwise and counterclockwise directions based on looking down the neck from the headstock. Check the adjustment. Once you have made the turn, check the gap with your business cards at the 8th fret again. Avoid adjusting more than 2 or 3 times in total. If you still aren't satisfied with the adjustment, or notice you can't turn the rod any further, take it to a professional technician to let them examine it.
Let your guitar rest. Once you have finished setting the truss, retune the strings and let your guitar sit for a few hours. You want to let the wood settle after the adjustments. After the rest, pick it up and give it a try. If everything feels right, you are ready to go. Aaron Asghari. It's a little pricey, but not too expensive. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. If you're not feeling confident making these adjustments, take your bass to a guitar shop and ask them to do them for you. Watch closely to see how it's done, and if there was anything you missed before. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1.
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