PDA

View Full Version : I Need Help Setting up a Fretless

Scooch
03-13-2006, 08:05 PM
I recently changed my Yamaha Rbx 170 into a fretless bass, all went well with it. Now I'm trying to set it up properly. I've got my intonation almost perfectly, but my action is too high. At the first fret the strings are perfect, about 1 cm off the fretboard, but as it goes down to the 12th it is closer to 3 cms off. So I'm pretty sure the nut doesn't have to be filed down, is this a truss rod issue?

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3498/rbxboth2po.jpg
Son of Magni
03-13-2006, 08:10 PM
I recently changed my Yamaha Rbx 170 into a fretless bass, all went well with it. Now I'm trying to set it up properly. I've got my intonation almost perfectly, but my action is too high. At the first fret the strings are perfect, about 1 cm off the fretboard, but as it goes down to the 12th it is closer to 3 cms off. So I'm pretty sure the nut doesn't have to be filed down, is this a truss rod issue?
Um, 3 cm is over an inch. I'd say that's a bit too high...
Double You Awful
03-13-2006, 08:14 PM
I'm guessing you'd have to lower your bridge sattles. Check to see if the neck is bowed, though, because if it is, then you have to adjust that too.
EADG
03-13-2006, 08:19 PM
1mm you mean?
British Kid
03-13-2006, 08:19 PM
GOOD LORD!!! THAT ACTION IS HIGHER THAN ANY PSYCHEDELIC BAND!!!! lol, but in all seriousness, lower the bridge saddles and tighten your truss rod.
Double You Awful
03-13-2006, 08:23 PM
1mm you mean?

I think he means cm's actually. Look at the pictures, even at the nut the action seems pretty high.
Son of Magni
03-13-2006, 08:27 PM
Ok, seriously, I think I know what might be happening here.

When the frets are pressed in they tend to try to spread the fingerboard which tends to decrease the need for a trussrod. When you pulled them out it's possible that the lack of that pressure is now letting the strings bend the neck some ridiculus (sp?) amount. So a trussrod tightening would be in order.

But I've never seen a neck bent that much :eek:
Scooch
03-13-2006, 08:53 PM
I adjusted all the saddles till the string was just above hitting the J pickup, it helped some but it's still there so I guess I'm moving to the truss rod, thanks for the help.


Edit: Ya the truss rod fixed it, now I can only fit 2 1/2 .88mm picks inbetween the fret and string
EADG
03-13-2006, 09:29 PM
I think he means cm's actually. Look at the pictures, even at the nut the action seems pretty high.


No string could possibly be 3cm high.
Scooch
03-13-2006, 09:45 PM
No string could possibly be 3cm high.

Ya I measured with some .88mm picks before I fixed and I could fit 4 and a bit in so it was like 3.75mm
faelun
03-13-2006, 10:07 PM
holy sweet jesus mother of....omg......i've never seen action so high in my life...yeah i definately think it's a truss rod dealeio
nopicks4me
03-13-2006, 10:56 PM
it might not be the action. i think its mainly your neck. tighten up the truss rod a bit. should fix it up.
Thonk
03-13-2006, 10:59 PM
He fixed it already..^^^
sanray
03-13-2006, 11:27 PM
my friend had a piece of crap guitar with strings an inch of the fretboard no joke, I deemed it unworthy to piss on