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Action on a Bass

MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
in Musicians and Gearheads
I recently bought a beginner bass off Amazon and the G string tuning key stripped.

I got a replacement, but this time, the action is so low, the strings are making contact with the 1st fret. This creates much buzzing.

Is there an easy fix, or at least one that wont require $?

Comments

  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    no not an easy fix if you are just starting out. if it is a brand new bass and it has never been set up properly, you need to take it to someone and have it set up. i have been playing guitar for 21 years and every time i have an issue like this i take it to my tech. i know just enough about truss rods and neck adjustments to be dangerous. leave this stuff to the pros or you might mess up the instrument.

    just my thoughts and experience on the matter. sorry to be of no help....

    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
    thats what I figured, really. I did tune it to see if it bows the neck to provide some clearance.

    Part of me just wants to return it (again) and just go to Guitar Center and pick one out (would they set it up?)

    I also have a friend who is a "master" bass player. I may take it to him. He is a bit strange though and didnt answer my text.
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    i have only bought two guitars online. the one from ebay ended up needing to be sent back. i special ordered a black beauty LP Custom from gibson and that one had a twisted neck that was unable to be repaired so that one had to be sent back too. i always play guitars before i buy them. that is my general rule of thumb. i have much better luck with ordering amps online. they are more durable and it takes a lot to damage them in shipping.

    if it is a cheap bass and you do not want to invest the money, i would send it back and go to guitar center and play a bunch of basses and get the one you like. it is much safer that way. i have taken guitars to be repaired at guitar center and i do not trust them. i always go to a small, locally owned guitar shop. they seem to know what they are doing much better than the kids at guitar center in regard to repairs and set up, and their reputation is based on being good with repairs. when i get a new guitar i always take it to the local shop to be set up. only costs about $40 and they will tell you if something is janked up about the instrument.

    in my experience, i would not trust a friend to work on my stuff. i have too many thousands of dollars invested in guitars to let a friend do that kind of work, master player or not. most times, in my experience, people who are good players are shitty techs for some reason.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • FrankieGFrankieG Posts: 9,100
    Specifically, what do you mean by 'set up'? What exaclty needs to be done before you play it?
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  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    intonation, neck adjustments, action/string height, etc. you should always get an initial set up on a new guitar, and when the seasons change it needs to be slightly adjusted again. i usually get one set up a year, but some guitars, like my gibsons, i can kind of work on myself. strats on the other hand, i always have my tech set those up.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
    edited February 2014
    its just a $200 bass. Im just looking for something to get the fundamentals down for awhile and then I can upgrade.
    I researched a bit and saw this one had good reviews.

    Post edited by MayDay10 on
  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
    image

    1st fret
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    1st 3 frets
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  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
    A guy on another forum says the topnut is cut way too low.


    I think Im going to return this one too and go the Guitar shop route.
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    yeah when the nut is cut too low there is no saving it. you need a new nut, which on a $200 bass is not worth the expense, or a new bass. i would get a new bass. my cobain jaguar had that problem. had to have a new nut put on. i would have outright returned it, but of my 11 guitars, it is one of the best sounding ones i own. had to keep it.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • StarbassStarbass Posts: 11
    You could also raise the nut a bit to make it playable again.

    A new plastic pre-slotted nut at Allparts is 12 dollar, so the parts are not that expensive. If you are a bit handy you could replace it yourself, it is not that hard.
  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
    I ended up sending it back. I picked up a new one from a Guitar Center

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