Fender Mustang intonation adjust / string options

Post by m***@yahoo.com
I have a brand new Mustang

A 1965?

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j***@k2who.com

2005-02-10 03:54:08 UTC

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/511012/

2005-02-10 05:49:32 UTC

Try this:

Get an electronic chromatic tuner that reads in cents (100ths of a
half-step), then do these steps IN THIS ORDER (This is VERY
important!):

2) First make sure the truss ros is adjusted properly. This
takes time. Do the following with the bass tuned properly:
a) Hold down the E string at the 1st and 20th fret, and measure
how much clearance there is between the string and the 7th or
8th fret. If 1 credit card will fit, but 2 won't, the neck
the right amount of relief.
b) If there's too much relief, tighten the truss rod 1/4 turn and
leave it until tomorrow. Recheck the relief, and adjust
accordingly
c) If there's not enough relief, loosen the truss rod 1/4 turn
and leave until tomorrow. Recheck the relief and adjust
accordingly
d) Make no more than one adjustment per day.

3) When the neck relief is correct, you can adjust the action. There
are two things to adjust:
a) The height of the strings at the bridge. Adjust the height of
the bridge saddles so that the strings are the right height
above the fingerboard (this is very much a matter of taste, but
if when you play the bass the strings rattle on frets around the
12th fret, they are too close.
b) The height of the strings above the 1st fret. Again, a matter
of taste, but you want them close enough that it's not a major
effort to fret the string at the first fret. Too much height
here and you are stretching the string too much, and throwing
it off pitch, when you press the string down to the fret. You
make these adjustments by filing the slots in the nut deeper to
get 'em closer, or replacing the nut and cutting new slots to
make 'em higher.

4) Once the truss rod and action are adjusted properly, you can adjust
the intonation (so the open strings and fretted notes are in tune).
Start with the E string and do the following steps, then repeat the
process for the A, B, and G strings:
a) Tune the string to the correct open pitch.
b) With the tuner, see how far off the note is when the string is
fretted at the 12th fret. If it's within +/- 2 cents, you're
probably OK.
c) If it's sharp, lengthen the string by moving the saddle away
from the nut slightly (a turn or two on the adjusting screw).
d) If it's flat, shorten the string by moving the saddle closer
to the nut, by turning the adjustment screw 1 or 2 turns at
a time.
e) Check some of the other notes (5th, 7th, 15th, etc.). Some
may be a little sharp, some a little flat. Hopefully not more
than 4 or 5 cents. You may want to adjust the saddle a bit to
get the best compromise.

This is how I do intonation on my instruments, and it seems to work
pretty well.

--Steve

Post by m***@yahoo.com
I have a brand new Mustang (mail ordered from MF).
Is there a link that shows how to adjust the intonation on this bass?
(Looks like all 4 strings are slightly sharp at 12th fret as compared
to the harmonics.)
I don't know if I need to play with the truss rod or just the bridge
settings.
Also, the strings seem a little too heavy for my daughter who is
learning to play it. Are light short scale strings available from
somewhere?
Thanks
Mark

Derek Tearne

2005-02-10 22:43:14 UTC

Post by

Post by m***@yahoo.com
I have a brand new Mustang (mail ordered from MF).
Is there a link that shows how to adjust the intonation on this bass?

Get an electronic chromatic tuner that reads in cents (100ths of a
half-step), then do these steps IN THIS ORDER (This is VERY
2) First make sure the truss ros is adjusted properly.

You've got this all the wrong way round. This is the *last* step, and
the step that is *least* suitable for an amateur to attempt on a brand
new bass. It should only be undertaken if the other steps result in a
nicely set up bass that buzzes on certain frets - and then only by the
wary, highly trained or foolish.

I've noticed advice on this newsgroup seems to have gone from "Don't
mess with the truss rod, take it to someone who knows what they are
doing" to "Take the bass out of the carton it arrived in from the web
based retail store and mess with the truss rod right away before doing
anything else! Don't let it settle down to local conditions, just mess
with the truss rod right away!".

Is it because instructions on how to adjust the truss rod are readily
available on the net and we've lost our fear?

What has happened to the sage advice "Take the bass to a competent tech
and get them to do a professional set up"?

Like so many things, if you get the instrument set up properly and
professionally once, you have a solid reference point. After that you
can try adjusting things for seasonal variation and/or as your
(daughter's) playing skill requires it.

So, to Mark with the Mustang, my advice is this. If the only problem
you can find is the intonation then adjust the intonation - you can't
permanently damage the instrument doing this - the worst that can happen
is you need to take it to a competent tech and get it fixed. It's a
good idea to loosen the strings before making any adjustments.

Lowering or raising the bridge saddles can't do any harm either -
although it's essential to loosen the strings before doing this. You
will also need to reset the intonation after doing this, so if you're
doing both set the action first.

Adjusting the truss rod incorrectly however, can permanently damage your
instrument. That's a difficult thing to explain a child.

"Honey, I followed this advice from the internet and your new bass neck
snapped".

Don't mess with the truss rod unless you absolutely have to, and then do
it gently.

--- Derek

--
Derek Tearne - ***@url.co.nz
Many Hands - Trans Cultural Music from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.manyhands.co.nz/

Brian Running

2005-02-10 22:55:39 UTC

Post by
2) First make sure the truss ros is adjusted properly.

You've got this all the wrong way round. This is the *last* step, and
the step that is *least* suitable for an amateur to attempt on a brand
new bass.

Derek, with the above statement, you disqualified yourself from giving
any advice on bass set-up. If you do not know how to adjust a truss rod
and set up a bass, please do not give advice on this newsgroup as if you
do know what you're talking about. Newbies and inexperienced players
come here for advice from experienced players. Steve's advice was sound.

Derek Tearne

2005-02-11 00:15:05 UTC

Post by Brian Running

Post by
2) First make sure the truss ros is adjusted properly.

You've got this all the wrong way round. This is the *last* step, and
the step that is *least* suitable for an amateur to attempt on a brand
new bass.

I know perfectly well how to adjust a truss rod and set up a bass. I
wrecked my first guitar neck through over-adjusting the truss rod 25
years ago - it wasn't my guitar. If the internet had been available in
those days I'd like to think someone would have given me the advice I've
just given here. Adjust the action using the bridge *before* messing
with the truss rod.

If the truss rod needs to be adjusted and this is ones first ever
attempt at setting up a bass *get a tech to do it*.

Why is this wrong advice?

Post by Brian Running
Newbies and inexperienced players
come here for advice from experienced players. Steve's advice was sound.

Steve's advice was sound *assuming* the person taking the advice already
knows how to do the steps required.

As a checklist for a competent tech or apprentice on setting up a bass
for a client it's excellent - apart from some small ommissions.

As advice to a newbie it's not, in my opinion, good advice. Especially
as a response to a question specifically on how to set intonation.

If his advice had been "Check the relief, in the unlikely event it
really needs adjusting find a tech or experienced friend and get them to
do this for you" I wouldn't have so much problem with it. However,
there are far far too many people on this forum suggesting truss rod
adjustment as a first step.

It's like telling someone who's just bought a classic sportscar that
isn't running right that the first step is to attempt to balance those
twin SU carburettors. Yes, in the fullness of time they need to be
balanced, but try putting oil in the dashpot first!

Going beyond the issue of advising newbies to adjust truss rods there is
also the philosophical issue of whether the relief should be set before
or after the action. Some say adjust the neck first, others say adjust
the action first and then set the relief accordingly - personally I'm in
the latter camp but I suppose I shouldn't quibble with people who want
to do it the other way round.

And certainly the intonation will need to be adjusted after adjusting
the relief or action - so if you *have* to do both then it makes sense
to adjust the intonation last.

However, if the only obvious problem is that the intonation is out then
*adjust the intonation first*. If you end up with a bass that is well
intonated, there may be no need to do the other steps.

So, I'll make it very clear.

My advice to NEWBIES wishing to attempt guitar setup is this.

1) Do the simple steps first - these being action and intonation.

2) Address the obvious issues first - in this case intonation. You're
doing this yourself so there's no time pressure to do all the steps in
the most time and cost efficient order.

3) If you get to a position where you think you need to either a) tweak
the truss rod or b) recut the nut slots *get some advice from a local
who can actually look at the instrument*. It's great having all these
experienced people on the internet giving sage advice without being able
to glance at your instrument - but they might give very different advice
if they could actually see your bass.

4) Don't do anything you can't reverse and make notes of each step you
make eg. how many turns of the bridge screw you made and in which
direction.

5) If you're thinking of rewiring anything, or replacing pots or pickups
*take digital photographs of the wiring in working condition*, in the
old day when we made our own fun I'd have suggested making colour coded
drawings. Digital photos are best though.

6) If you seem to have completely messed up take it to a tech, or
experienced friend and get them to sort it out. Don't be embarrased
about this. You can always say "It came like this from Fender" and
they'll probably even believe you - as long as you haven't got
screwdriver scratches all over the place or snapped the truss rod.

Which reminds me of something almost no one ever mentions when giving
sage advice on setups on the internet. Before going near any of those
bridge height or intonation screws put masking tape over any paint that
could get potentially scratched by your screwdriver.

Tell me, where, exactly, is that advice flawed?

--- Derek

--
Derek Tearne - ***@url.co.nz
Many Hands - Trans Cultural Music from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.manyhands.co.nz/

Boom

2005-02-11 05:22:41 UTC

Derek, you are a fabulous bassist. As a repair tech, you are a
fabulous bassist. So please excuse me whilst I pull out my grain of
salt.

Post by Derek Tearne
I know perfectly well how to adjust a truss rod and set up a bass. I
wrecked my first guitar neck through over-adjusting the truss rod 25
years ago - it wasn't my guitar. If the internet had been available in
those days I'd like to think someone would have given me the advice I've
just given here. Adjust the action using the bridge *before* messing
with the truss rod.

Derek, how do you know where the action is without setting the truss
rod first? Once you adjust your truss rod, your action will
completely change. Sorry, but I agree with Brian here.

Post by Derek Tearne
If the truss rod needs to be adjusted and this is ones first ever
attempt at setting up a bass *get a tech to do it*.
Why is this wrong advice?

Because it's not that hard. I might adjust that and say "get a tech
to let you watch him adjust it and weasel free advice, then do it
yourself from then on."

Post by Derek Tearne
If his advice had been "Check the relief, in the unlikely event it
really needs adjusting find a tech or experienced friend and get them to
do this for you" I wouldn't have so much problem with it. However,
there are far far too many people on this forum suggesting truss rod
adjustment as a first step.

Does the weather change in New Zealand? Because I have to adjust the
relief at least twice a year to compensate for weather changes. It's
a very likely event your relief will need adjusting every few months
unless you play a graphite necked bass. And it's absolutely a first
step. Without proper relief, you may never be able to set the action
properly.

Post by Derek Tearne
It's like telling someone who's just bought a classic sportscar that
isn't running right that the first step is to attempt to balance those
twin SU carburettors. Yes, in the fullness of time they need to be
balanced, but try putting oil in the dashpot first!

Not even the same thing. If your action is off, there are only two
things that could happen: 1. Your strings are too high. B. The
truss rod needs adjusting. Both of these things work hand in hand and
it doesn't make sense to do one without checking the other. There is
no oil in the dashpot (we call it a crankcase here).

Post by Derek Tearne
And certainly the intonation will need to be adjusted after adjusting
the relief or action - so if you *have* to do both then it makes sense
to adjust the intonation last.

OK, you got one thing right ;)

Post by Derek Tearne
However, if the only obvious problem is that the intonation is out then
*adjust the intonation first*. If you end up with a bass that is well
intonated, there may be no need to do the other steps.

Two things.

Post by Derek Tearne
My advice to NEWBIES wishing to attempt guitar setup is this.
1) Do the simple steps first - these being action and intonation.

Action first, intonation last.

Post by Derek Tearne
2) Address the obvious issues first - in this case intonation. You're
doing this yourself so there's no time pressure to do all the steps in
the most time and cost efficient order.

Well sure, if all you want to do is set intonation, don't even touch
the neck.

Post by Derek Tearne
3) If you get to a position where you think you need to either a) tweak
the truss rod or b) recut the nut slots *get some advice from a local
who can actually look at the instrument*. It's great having all these
experienced people on the internet giving sage advice without being able
to glance at your instrument - but they might give very different advice
if they could actually see your bass.

That's true. I definitely don't recommend cutting nut slots unless
you have the right files and the patience of Job. And of course, some
practice doing it. But truss rod...eh, that's easy.

Post by Derek Tearne
4) Don't do anything you can't reverse and make notes of each step you
make eg. how many turns of the bridge screw you made and in which
direction.

You can do away with this step once you get some experience, but it
does help at first.

Post by Derek Tearne
5) If you're thinking of rewiring anything, or replacing pots or pickups
*take digital photographs of the wiring in working condition*, in the
old day when we made our own fun I'd have suggested making colour coded
drawings. Digital photos are best though.

Or at least label all the wires as you disconnect them.

Post by Derek Tearne
6) If you seem to have completely messed up take it to a tech, or
experienced friend and get them to sort it out. Don't be embarrased
about this. You can always say "It came like this from Fender" and
they'll probably even believe you - as long as you haven't got
screwdriver scratches all over the place or snapped the truss rod.

The repair shop I go to has a sign on the wall:

HOURLY RATES - $30 per hour
$70 if you worked on it yourself

Post by Derek Tearne
Which reminds me of something almost no one ever mentions when giving
sage advice on setups on the internet. Before going near any of those
bridge height or intonation screws put masking tape over any paint that
could get potentially scratched by your screwdriver.
Tell me, where, exactly, is that advice flawed?

The masking tape part. Nobody does that ;)

Derek Tearne

2005-02-11 09:12:53 UTC

Post by Boom
Derek, how do you know where the action is without setting the truss
rod first? Once you adjust your truss rod, your action will
completely change. Sorry, but I agree with Brian here.

My assumption is that, for most folks - and remember we're talking about
a bass being set up for a beginner, the neck relief is usually in the
ball park. I might not be perfect, but it's relatively close.

At least I *hope* new Fenders don't come with the relief completely out
of whack.

Perhaps I've been lucky, but I've never taken possession of a bass where
the neck relief hasn't at least been serviceable. I suppose in this age
where people buy instruments site unseen over the interweb thingy this
may become more common.

Post by Derek Tearne
If the truss rod needs to be adjusted and this is ones first ever
attempt at setting up a bass *get a tech to do it*.
Why is this wrong advice?

Because it's not that hard. I might adjust that and say "get a tech
to let you watch him adjust it and weasel free advice, then do it
yourself from then on."

Now *that's* the kind of advice I'd like to see people give more often.
And yes, it's not that hard.

Look into your heart, consider carefully the musicians you play with
regularly in bands. Even knowing that adjusting the truss rod is easy,
how many of them would you really trust to do it?

Post by Boom
Does the weather change in New Zealand? Because I have to adjust the
relief at least twice a year to compensate for weather changes.

On a couple of my basses I do just that. Some of them have stiff enough
necks to not really need it.

Post by Boom
There is no oil in the dashpot (we call it a crankcase here).

Er, no you don't. You're thinking of what we call a sump. You probably
call the dashpot something very unsavoury - and quite rightly too - it's
a good thing they're out of fashion these days.

The dashpot is little pot on top of an SU carburettor that needs to
contain a small amount of light machine oil. Without it the carburettor
won't work. So, people with old cars ask for advice about getting them
in tune. The responses are invariably in depth description of how to
adjust the carb for performance, and how to balance a pair of these
things - which is really quite a tricky procedure. Almost no one ever
says "did you know you need to have a few drops of oil in the dashpot?",
the dashpot is inevitably dry.

Well sure, if all you want to do is set intonation, don't even touch
the neck.

Right. We get to the crux of it all. If all that needs to be done is
set the intonation then don't mess with the rest.

If someone asks for advice on setting the intonation *why oh why* is the
response "First mess with the truss rod" followed by "Set the action,
part of this process involves filing the nut slots"

I'm sorry, but as advice for a newbie that's just wrong.

Post by Derek Tearne
Before going near any of those
bridge height or intonation screws put masking tape over any paint that
could get potentially scratched by your screwdriver.

The masking tape part. Nobody does that ;)

I do. Although usually after the first scrape...

--- Derek

--
Derek Tearne - ***@url.co.nz
Many Hands - Trans Cultural Music from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.manyhands.co.nz/

2005-02-12 03:41:54 UTC

Reminds me of the scene in Fiddler on the Roof when Tevye tells each of
the men with opposite points of view that they are right.

But this is important: If you are going to adjust the truss rod, do it
first--before you adjust anything else! Second adjust the action, and
last, the intonation.

That being said, I agree with Derek on one thing: if you don't know
what you're doing, or don't feel comfortable with it, don't mess with
the truss rod. Get an experienced tech to do it for you. You can do
damage if you mess it up. I think "snap the neck" might be somewhat of
an exaggeration, but a neck can develop an s-curve or a permanent
back-bow if the truss rod is adjusted improperly.

--Steve

Post by Boom
Derek, how do you know where the action is without setting the truss
rod first? Once you adjust your truss rod, your action will
completely change. Sorry, but I agree with Brian here.

My assumption is that, for most folks - and remember we're talking about
a bass being set up for a beginner, the neck relief is usually in the
ball park. I might not be perfect, but it's relatively close.
At least I *hope* new Fenders don't come with the relief completely out
of whack.
Perhaps I've been lucky, but I've never taken possession of a bass where
the neck relief hasn't at least been serviceable. I suppose in this age
where people buy instruments site unseen over the interweb thingy this
may become more common.

Post by Derek Tearne
If the truss rod needs to be adjusted and this is ones first ever
attempt at setting up a bass *get a tech to do it*.
Why is this wrong advice?

Because it's not that hard. I might adjust that and say "get a tech
to let you watch him adjust it and weasel free advice, then do it
yourself from then on."

Now *that's* the kind of advice I'd like to see people give more often.
And yes, it's not that hard.
Look into your heart, consider carefully the musicians you play with
regularly in bands. Even knowing that adjusting the truss rod is easy,
how many of them would you really trust to do it?

Post by Boom
Does the weather change in New Zealand? Because I have to adjust the
relief at least twice a year to compensate for weather changes.

On a couple of my basses I do just that. Some of them have stiff enough
necks to not really need it.

Post by Boom
There is no oil in the dashpot (we call it a crankcase here).

Er, no you don't. You're thinking of what we call a sump. You probably
call the dashpot something very unsavoury - and quite rightly too - it's
a good thing they're out of fashion these days.
The dashpot is little pot on top of an SU carburettor that needs to
contain a small amount of light machine oil. Without it the carburettor
won't work. So, people with old cars ask for advice about getting them
in tune. The responses are invariably in depth description of how to
adjust the carb for performance, and how to balance a pair of these
things - which is really quite a tricky procedure. Almost no one ever
says "did you know you need to have a few drops of oil in the dashpot?",
the dashpot is inevitably dry.

Well sure, if all you want to do is set intonation, don't even touch
the neck.

Right. We get to the crux of it all. If all that needs to be done is
set the intonation then don't mess with the rest.
If someone asks for advice on setting the intonation *why oh why* is the
response "First mess with the truss rod" followed by "Set the action,
part of this process involves filing the nut slots"
I'm sorry, but as advice for a newbie that's just wrong.

Post by Derek Tearne
Before going near any of those
bridge height or intonation screws put masking tape over any paint that
could get potentially scratched by your screwdriver.

The masking tape part. Nobody does that ;)

I do. Although usually after the first scrape...
--- Derek

Boom

2005-02-11 05:03:32 UTC

Post by
2) First make sure the truss ros is adjusted properly.

I totally disagree with this, Derek, but you knew I would. Despite
all the horror stories about truss rod adjustment, it's a pretty safe
thing to do as long as you don't force the nut to go tighter than it
should. Truss rod breakage is pretty rare, and as long as you follow
the instructions that are readily available just about anywhere they
discuss guitars and basses, you'll be safe.

Post by Derek Tearne
I've noticed advice on this newsgroup seems to have gone from "Don't
mess with the truss rod, take it to someone who knows what they are
doing" to "Take the bass out of the carton it arrived in from the web
based retail store and mess with the truss rod right away before doing
anything else! Don't let it settle down to local conditions, just mess
with the truss rod right away!".

Now that I will agree with. You should always let it settle down to
local conditions for a couple days if it was in a completely different
environment than the one you're in.

Post by Derek Tearne
Is it because instructions on how to adjust the truss rod are readily
available on the net and we've lost our fear?

No, we just lost the will to drive to the repair shop and pay someone
$20 to do something you can do yourself.

Post by Derek Tearne
What has happened to the sage advice "Take the bass to a competent tech
and get them to do a professional set up"?

They don't set them up the way I like. I always have to mess with
them a little to get them right.

Post by Derek Tearne
So, to Mark with the Mustang, my advice is this. If the only problem
you can find is the intonation then adjust the intonation - you can't
permanently damage the instrument doing this - the worst that can happen
is you need to take it to a competent tech and get it fixed. It's a
good idea to loosen the strings before making any adjustments.
Lowering or raising the bridge saddles can't do any harm either -
although it's essential to loosen the strings before doing this. You
will also need to reset the intonation after doing this, so if you're
doing both set the action first.

It is? I regularly adjust my intonation and don't loosen the strings.
Why would you need to? Unless of course you have a bridge that forces
you to, like my Kahler fixed and whammy bridges.

Post by Derek Tearne
Adjusting the truss rod incorrectly however, can permanently damage your
instrument. That's a difficult thing to explain a child.
"Honey, I followed this advice from the internet and your new bass neck
snapped".

Bah...as long as you're not an idiot and turn the truss rod 3 or 4
full turns, it's an easy and relatively safe operation.

Post by Derek Tearne
Don't mess with the truss rod unless you absolutely have to, and then do
it gently.

LOL...funny you say this...I'm about to go adjust the rod on one of my
basses.

Kloka-mo'

2005-02-11 06:26:27 UTC

Indirectly, at nobody at all:

If you're a mechanically challenged person... go to a tech. If you're
somewhat handy with basic tools, DIY. If you know how NOT to strip things,
gouge varnish, it's not that mystical.

Truss rods: In MY experience, if the bass is in a new locale (I move every
three years across country, and make several trips a year therein), it will
need a slight truss rod tweak. Youll tweak it, and it will be not enough,
or will NOT be enough in an hour or so. Tweaks are 1/4 turn max. I don't
think you really need more than an hour or two between 1/4 turns on a good
bass. I do it all the time. Even more drastically at times. I think if
you have a bass that breaks with 1/4 turns at every 1-2 hours... it was
nearing the end of it's life anyway.

We're musicians. In the classic sense, we travel, set-up, and play. We
tour, it's common. (I don't/haven't/won't, but see my meaning) I believe
the gear should used, not abused, and perform as expected, when needed.

It's never a good time $$ to break a truss nut/neck or anything, but darn
it... if it happens, the bass had some issues that were going to get better
with time. No... it would have gotten worse, and soon broke.

My Ibanez 6, Pedulla5, Fender Urge, El Capitan 5 have been with me for
several years, and at some point I've cranked each truss rod nearly a full
turn within an hour. At some point, not unlike emergency brake cables in a
rusty environment, I'd bet that a truss rod that is adjusted reguraly will
be a free moving truss rod longer.

Be conservitive, plan ahead, allow time as you can, but don't let's get all
weird about this stuff. Really.

The only way to learn it is to try, and everyone should be able to make
emergency repairs/adjustments. If you absolutely can't afford the risk,
fine. Otherwise... start with some small baby steps.

--
-rob Slidell, LA

O>
/(\)
^^

Derek Tearne

2005-02-11 08:31:44 UTC

Post by
2) First make sure the truss ros is adjusted properly.

I totally disagree with this, Derek, but you knew I would.

Of course, it would be terrible if everyone agreed.

Post by Boom
Despite
all the horror stories about truss rod adjustment, it's a pretty safe
thing to do as long as you don't force the nut to go tighter than it
should.

Yes, but we've heard recently about people doing just this. In fact two
recent threads, one featuring our very own PD, who seems to regularly
max out truss rods, and another featuring a rickenbacker guitar with a
twisted neck which is likely caused by poor truss rod adjustment. Both
of these threads involve people being told their warranties are not
valid and the instrument couldn't be returned - of course in both of
those threads we're only hearing part of the story.

Post by Derek Tearne
Is it because instructions on how to adjust the truss rod are readily
available on the net and we've lost our fear?

No, we just lost the will to drive to the repair shop and pay someone
$20 to do something you can do yourself.

For a newbie I really think paying that $20 to get the thing set up
initially properly is well worth it. From then on one has a reference
to work from.

Post by Derek Tearne
What has happened to the sage advice "Take the bass to a competent tech
and get them to do a professional set up"?

They don't set them up the way I like. I always have to mess with
them a little to get them right.

You're an experienced player, with (very particular) preferences, I'd
expect nothing less.

Post by Derek Tearne
It's a
good idea to loosen the strings before making any adjustments.
Lowering or raising the bridge saddles can't do any harm either -
although it's essential to loosen the strings before doing this. You
will also need to reset the intonation after doing this, so if you're
doing both set the action first.

It is? I regularly adjust my intonation and don't loosen the strings.
Why would you need to? Unless of course you have a bridge that forces
you to, like my Kahler fixed and whammy bridges.

It depends on the bridge design and it's one of those things that you
can get away with 9 times out of 10 even with an iffy bridge. If you're
raising the action it's a really good idea to loosen the strings to
reduce the strain on the screw threads - and it's essential to do so if
you've got something like a badass bridge with dodgy grub screws.
Lowering the action it's less important - unless you've got something
like a badass with iffy grub screws in which case it is absolutely
essential.

When adjusting intonation by loosening the screw the little spring often
doesn't have enough push on its own to overcome the tension of the
string. If you loosen the strings it can move freely. Again,
tightening the screw usually works without loosening the strings
although you're less likely to strip the threads if you loosen the
strings first.

This is particularly important with the bridges supplied on budget
instruments - probably wise with really old bridges on classic
instruments too.

There's a surprising amount of tension on those tiny little screws, the
adjuster wheel bridges on my electric upright, hofner bass and electric
mandolin are essentially immovable unless I slacken off the strings.
Although I can force the screw based adjustments on my electric basses I
prefer to slacken the strings so they can move smoothly and easily.

Bah...as long as you're not an idiot and turn the truss rod 3 or 4
full turns, it's an easy and relatively safe operation.

I only ever did this once. I was very young. Fortunately it wasn't my
guitar.

As you know, sometimes you can turn the truss rod what seems to be a
fair distance and nothing appears to happen - until the next day.

Now, I know all the advice on the web says 'turn half a turn and wait'.
However, we're into the generation of low attention span, and the quick
fix, a generation who read "Take two and consult your doctor if pain
persists" and think "Well, four can't hurt then, and will probably work
more quickly!".

I feel caution should be urged just a tad more often than it is.

Post by Derek Tearne
Don't mess with the truss rod unless you absolutely have to, and then do
it gently.

LOL...funny you say this...I'm about to go adjust the rod on one of my
basses.

Thanks for the reminder, summer came late this year, but with the heat
and humidity we've been having this week I'd better check my own bass
before the gig tomorrow.

Remember, this is meant as advice for someone who (one assumes) has
never done a guitar setup before.

For the rest of us, who feel the need to mess with the truss rods
occassionally, truncate that to 'do it gently'.

--- Derek

--
Derek Tearne - ***@url.co.nz
Many Hands - Trans Cultural Music from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.manyhands.co.nz/

Walker

2005-02-10 09:40:00 UTC

You and your daughter may enjoy putting it together but by the same token
she may get discouraged quickly if it doesn't tune or play well right away.
Consider having it initially set up at a shop and then have her adjust it to
her liking as she gets used to it and starts to understand what it's about.
She's lucky to have an old man with your support and interest. Good luck.

Bob Walker
an old dog with no new tricks
www.walker-entertainment.com

Ian Hayward

2005-02-10 19:03:45 UTC

Here's Fender's own set-up guide:

http://www.mrgearhead.net/

The standard strings on the Mustang are .040/.095, which are "light"
already, really. I don't know of anything lighter, but you might try
flatwounds.
A well set up MIJ Mustang is a quality instrument (IMO), and a joy to play.

Ian

Kloka-mo'

2005-02-11 03:00:37 UTC

It's been my experience, that aside from Thomastick Jazz flats, all other
flat wound strings feel stiffer than round wound. Not sure that's what they
want.

Now the TI flats are the easiest strings to play, that I know of, but, a
little on the pricey side for a beginner.
--
-rob Slidell, LA

O>
/(\)
^^

Post by Ian Hayward
http://www.mrgearhead.net/
The standard strings on the Mustang are .040/.095, which are "light"
already, really. I don't know of anything lighter, but you might try
flatwounds.
A well set up MIJ Mustang is a quality instrument (IMO), and a joy to play.
Ian

Ian Hayward

2005-02-11 19:57:10 UTC

I may have misinterpreted the "heavy/light" question there, Rob, although I
don't have sufficient experience of the various flats to comment upon your
suggestion. My recollection of my daughter Rachael's experience as a
beginner is that the abrasion of the fingertips before they achieved the
familiar "bass-player's fingers" hardness was the biggest physical
difficulty she suffered, and I thought that flats may be a little kinder in
that respect.

Do TI do short-scale flats?

Ian

Post by Kloka-mo'
It's been my experience, that aside from Thomastick Jazz flats, all other
flat wound strings feel stiffer than round wound. Not sure that's what they
want.
Now the TI flats are the easiest strings to play, that I know of, but, a
little on the pricey side for a beginner.
--
-rob Slidell, LA
O>
/(\)
^^

Kloka-mo'

2005-02-12 04:32:11 UTC

I ALMOST added the less abrasive factor with the flats. Meh...

TI has a 32" (medium scale) Jazz flat.
http://www.juststrings.com/toi-jf324.html
Dude would be the one to ask though.

Pyramid has short scale flats:
http://www.juststrings.com/pyr-bfs40.html

I'm not sure, but I think "m" (***@xush) might have had these pyramids on
his Jay Turser Beatle bass I played. If this was them, they were nice.
--
-rob Slidell, LA

O>
/(\)
^^

Post by Ian Hayward
I may have misinterpreted the "heavy/light" question there, Rob, although I
don't have sufficient experience of the various flats to comment upon your
suggestion. My recollection of my daughter Rachael's experience as a
beginner is that the abrasion of the fingertips before they achieved the
familiar "bass-player's fingers" hardness was the biggest physical
difficulty she suffered, and I thought that flats may be a little kinder in
that respect.
Do TI do short-scale flats?
Ian

Post by Kloka-mo'
It's been my experience, that aside from Thomastick Jazz flats, all other
flat wound strings feel stiffer than round wound. Not sure that's what

they

Post by Kloka-mo'
want.
Now the TI flats are the easiest strings to play, that I know of, but, a
little on the pricey side for a beginner.
--
-rob Slidell, LA
O>
/(\)
^^

Dude

2005-02-12 11:29:37 UTC

What?

Kloka-mo'

2005-02-12 21:20:53 UTC

Do TI Jazz flats come in short scale?

--
-rob Slidell, LA

O>
/(\)
^^

What?

Dude

2005-02-13 01:37:03 UTC

They come in 32" scale but not 30" but I have alot of customers who use
them on 30" scale basses with no problems.

In fact, many of the 30" scale basses need the 32" scale sets because
of the tailpiece/bridge assemblies on them. One that comes to mind is
the Guild JSII model.

Kloka-mo'

2005-02-13 04:42:53 UTC

Thanks Steve!
--
-rob Slidell, LA

O>
/(\)
^^

Post by Dude
They come in 32" scale but not 30" but I have alot of customers who use
them on 30" scale basses with no problems.
In fact, many of the 30" scale basses need the 32" scale sets because
of the tailpiece/bridge assemblies on them. One that comes to mind is
the Guild JSII model.

Dude

2005-02-13 05:22:44 UTC

Youbetchya...I happend to know a good TI dealer as well but I wouldn't
want to SPAM now would I??

Kloka-mo'

2005-02-13 07:14:00 UTC

Well, we were talkin' about Mustang basses, and since they have REAL bass
tuners, I'd bet they would work. There's a guy around here who has the best
prices I've seen:

Steve "Dude" Barr

http://www.TheDudePit.com
http://www.VintageBass.com
http://www.schoolofbass.com

Not that you'd be expected to know him or anything...

--
-rob Slidell, LA

O>
/(\)
^^

Post by Dude
Youbetchya...I happend to know a good TI dealer as well but I wouldn't
want to SPAM now would I??

Dude

2005-02-13 07:50:07 UTC

Yeah they should work fine on a Mustang although you may have one wrap
around the post after the taper which I do all the time without any
problems.

The JF-324 measurements are about 34" on average distance between the
silk wrap at the ball end and the top.

I'd also recommend 30" Rotostound RS 77S short scale Monel Nickel Flats
for a Mustang.

jeffb

2005-02-13 05:39:03 UTC

They won't work on a Danelectro or Jerry Jones 30" scale basses
because the taper on the E ends before you can pull enough through the
peg of the guitar tuners they use on these. I was most annoyed to
discover this and as stupid as it may sound is one of the reasons I
sold my JJ Longhorn.

Dude

2005-02-13 06:05:18 UTC

Post by jeffb
They won't work on a Danelectro or Jerry Jones 30" scale basses

because the taper on the E ends before you can pull enough through the
peg of the guitar tuners they use on these. I was most annoyed to
discover this and as stupid as it may sound is one of the reasons I
sold my JJ Longhorn. <

True...I use 30" scale Rotosound Tapewounds on those.

Dude

2005-02-13 06:47:08 UTC

Speaking of JJ Longhorns...saw this pop up tonight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=7300347113

2005-02-12 03:57:42 UTC