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Bass DIY: How To Set Up A Bass Guitar
In This Issue, We Cover Just How To Set Up A Bass Guitar…
How To Set Up A Bass Guitar, by Guest Contributor Lee Atterton.
If you’re a bass player, you know that having a guitar set up to your specific playing style is essential to performing your best. But if you’ve never done it before, the thought of setting up your own guitar can be daunting. Where do you start?
With a few tips and tricks from my article, you can save yourself money by setting up and repairing your own instrument. And you can also make a few bucks doing odd jobs for your friends.
I started playing guitar when I was a teenager, and it quickly became my passion. I taught myself how to play, and I also taught myself how to set up and maintain my instruments. This was purely out of necessity; I couldn’t afford to pay someone else to do it for me.
Over the last 25 years, I have developed enough knowledge about guitar setup, and I’m now going to share that knowledge with you.
This guide to bass setup provides the basic knowledge required to set up your bass guitar to your own specifications.
As a bass player, it is important to have a working knowledge of the major components of your bass guitar.
Read through each section carefully, and understand the principles and techniques involved before starting work on your guitar.
My first piece of advice would be to get hold of an old bass and practice your techniques before applying your skills to your ‘working’ guitar!
Ok, let’s get into it…..
“The art of correct bass guitar adjustment lies in one’s ability to be able to appraise the various factors that constitute the playability of an instrument”
Work Area
Do you have a ready-made workshop? Nope? Neither do I. We will need to do our best with what we have. The good news is that setting your bass up requires minimal space.
Basic Requirements Are:
- Find a dry and clean environment to work in. Around 4ft x 2ft and a comfortable working height. A high chair or simply standing is the best practice.
- You’ll need a power supply nearby. Kitchen worktops are the perfect height for standing up, plus you’ll also be in reach the mains outlet. This is generally the best place to work.
- Last resort, you can always use your kitchen table, but you may be much lower and need to sit.
Equipment Basics
When placing your guitar on a worktop, it needs to be supported under the neck, directly underneath the nut. Also, lay a clean towel underneath the body. Avoid any scratches to the body.
This neck support removes pressure from that area and places the guitar at a secure angle. Do not work on a bass guitar if it’s flat.
A support can be made from a piece of wood in the shape of a half-moon with some soft protective cushioning; felt or similar material is best and prevents the guitar’s neck finish from getting damaged.
Tool Requirements
Make sure you’ve got all the specific tools you need before you begin to tamper with any hardware. Things can get really frustrating if you haven’t got everything to hand.
Below is a list of tools you can start out with. You will undoubtedly add other suitable tools and gadgets as you become more proficient.
Tool list (basic minimum)
- Smooth Flat Singlecut Mill-File
- Set of Files (Needle Files)
- Stanley Knife blades
- Large & Small X head screwdrivers
- 1/4 of an inch & 1/8 of an inch-Flat Blade Screwdrivers
- Adjustable Spanner
- 1100-1200 grade Wet or Dry Sandpaper
- 360-grade silicon carbide paper
- 000 grade Wire Wool
- Set of Allen keys to fit the locknut (if fitted)
- Tube of Super Glue
- Junior Hacksaw blade
- A small Steel Rule, graduated in 32s & 64ths of an inch
- Small Pin Hammer
- Truss rod adjustment key that fits your bass model
- A Smooth File / Gentlemen’s Hacksaw
Soldering
- 35-watt Soldering Iron
- Resin Core solder and desoldering braid
- Wire Cutters
- Wire Strippers
- Screened and Single Core cable
- A small Multimeter Circuit Tester
Assessment Procedure: The 11 Steps
Follow the sections in order. The numbered bullet points are explained in detail under the How To Set Up A Bass Guitar in 11 Steps section.
- Tune to pitch A=440 (440hz). Check the condition of the strings.
- Check the height of the action at fret 12.
- Check the access relief with a visual check from around the headstock down to the neck of the body. Pressing the 1st string at the 1st and the last fret simultaneously. Measure the relief at the 7th fret. (Ensure your pickups are lowered at this time)
- Truss rod adjustment if required and re-tune.
- Measure nut height at the first fret.
- Set action height and re-tune.
- Adjust the truss rod – again, re-tune.
- Test by playing – play chromatic scale along each string to identify areas that sound at fault. Identify these areas with a small cross on the side of the frets using a soft pencil.
- Fret dress if required.
- Intonation check.
- Adjust pickup height.
How To Set Up A Bass Guitar in 11 Steps
1- Tuning/Strings
The strings on your machine are one of the most important parts. Check the condition of your strings before every use. If they are damaged or worn, replace them with your usual gauges. Ensure that the strings are fixed to the machine head posts securely to prevent slippage and tune to pitch. This will help keep your machine in good condition and sounding its best.
2- Action Height:
Measure the action height at the 1st and 6th strings (at the 12th fret). Use a rule with 64ths of an inch increments.
Take a measurement from the top of the fret to the underside of the string.
Basses with bridge saddles can be adjusted individually for height and will need to be measured one at a time.
Typical string gauge and action heights for various bass styles are 5/64″ up to about 7/64″… this comes down to personal preference, skill, and style. Remember, the higher gauge strings you choose, the thicker and lower tones will be.
Here are some pointers for string gauge:
- Rock and Blues
Typical string gauges 0.045 and 0.105 inches thick.
Players with a heavier technique may wish to try thicker strings.
- Funk/Slap
Stick with stainless steel strings for popping and slapping. Again, medium size seems to be the favorite.
Flea uses 45-65-85-105.
- Metal
You are going to need power with heavy metal. It’s the number one driving force behind a Metal band. Try steel bass strings.
If you’re thinking of using a plectrum, go heavier, but in general, 50-105 should suffice your urge to break eardrums.
- Acoustic Bass
Depending on how deep you want your sound, players are advised to use strings 045, .065, .080, .100
3- Neck Relief
Neck relief is necessary for a guitar’s strings to resonate properly and create sound. Relief assessment can be measured in the following ways:
- Look down the neck from the headstock, along the line of the E and G strings. You may see a slight ‘bowing’ of the neck. This is absolutely fine. You should see a bow on each side. Hollow reliefs and crowns are decoratively worn on the bass strings. However, one will appear concave while another is convex.
- Take a measurement from where the neck meets the body. Then take a look between the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. This should be, on average, about 4/32nds of an inch.
4- Truss Rod
The truss rod is a vital component of any stringed instrument. It is important to know how to adjust it properly.
The truss rod is responsible for counteracting the tension of the strings, and it can be adjusted to change the amount of relief in the neck.
Relief is the amount of space between the strings and the fretboard, and it should be set within a specific range to prevent buzzing.
If the relief is too great, the strings will buzz against the frets when played; if the relief is too small, the strings will be difficult to press down.
As a result, it is important to check the relief periodically and adjust the truss rod.
Carefully turn the truss rod nut in a clockwise direction. The neck will then take on a convex relief; counterclockwise produces a hollow or concave relief.
Remember: Never adjust a truss rod more than two complete 360 turns.
Make tiny adjustments with the Bass tuned to standard pitch.
My advice would be to adjust in quarter turns, then check, repeat.
As a general rule of thumb, if you need more relief at the 7th fret, you should slacken the truss rod slightly.
On the other hand, if you need less relief, you should tighten the rod slightly. Of course, every bass guitar is different, so you may need to experiment to find the perfect setting.
However, these tiny adjustments can make a big difference in the playability of your instrument. So don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect setting for your guitar.
5- Fingerboard nut
Nut height is measured at the 1st fret in 64ths of an inch.
E & A Strings 3/64ths or lower – D & G strings 2/64ths or lower.
6- Bridge height
Luckily most modern-day bass guitars give you the facility for overall and individual bridge height modification.
Acoustic Bass guitars require adjustment to the saddle. You would need to shave off excess material, which lowers the action. Alternatively, you can use a process called ‘shimming,’ which raises the action if too low.
A helpful video on Shimming:
7- Final Truss Rod Prep and Action Check
Check the neck relief again to ensure all looks good. If required, make further minor truss rod adjustments, followed by final action height adjustment and re-tune to pitch.
8- Playing Test
Play a chromatic scale on each string to test for buzzes or dead notes. Start from the nut to the last fret.
It’s best practice to make a small mark with a water-based pen or pencil to know where your issues lie.
If the strings buzz and stop playing towards the top end of the fingerboard at the required action height, the frets may require removing to shave excess material.
9- Fret Dressing
I’ve made myself a single-cut ‘Mill File.’ The file has been cut and is attached to a block of wood. It’s pretty easy and a useful tool that you may want to consider making yourself.
Now for the Fret dress
Unwind the string tension and secure them away from the fretboard.
Another homemade tool you can make to assist you is the string retainer. It’s really easy to produce. It’s in the shape of an ‘M,’ from stiff plastic covered wire. All you have to do is bend it into shape. It keeps the strings away, so you won’t need to unwind them off the pegs.
Use a small file to lightly dress the frets you’ve previously marked. Ensure your frets are straight with a steel rule. Any rocking would mean a fret is too high and needs dressing. You can tell where the high spot is as the steel rule will knock slightly and rock up and down.
Attach the strings back and tune-up. Once again, run through a chromatic scale test. Mark any high spots and repeat the process until the fret buzz has completely gone.
Re-profile the frets with a small file gently. Then sand the frets lightly with 320 gauge silicon carbide paper. Ensure you wrap the paper around a rubber backing block or a cork sanding block, not a solid block that will damage the fretboard!
Finish with 1100 – 1200 grit sanding paper. Finally, use 000-grade wire wool to shine up those frets. Brush dust away with a small paintbrush.
Once again, tune-up and check all areas of the fretboard.
10- Intonation Instructions
Electric Bass Guitars
The bridge and saddles enable you to achieve an equal tempered tuning throughout the fretboard, thus giving you perfect tuning.
Use harmonics to assist you in your tuning and to gather if the length of your bass strings is correct.
Simply play a harmonic note at the 12th fret and use a tuner to see whether the note is perfectly in tune. Do it for each string.
If the harmonic note is sharp in relation to the tuner, the guitar’s saddle would need to be moved backward, increasing the string length – therefore flattening the note.
If the harmonic note is flat in relation. The saddle must be moved forwards.
A simple tip to keep in mind is sharp-backward, flat-forwards.
Acoustic Bass
‘Feathering’ the saddle can be used to make minor intonation adjustments. The same applies to the flat and sharp notes. Feathering in the direction of the issue. If you discover more severe tuning and intonation issues, you may need to reposition the bridge slot.
11- Pickup Height
The correct height for the pickups compromises obtaining the best possible signal strength from the strings. While not incurring any nasty tones caused by the pickup magnets being too close or too far from the strings.
The pickups should be set by holding strings down at the last fret. The measurements can then be taken from the top and bottom E strings to the top of the pole pieces. See your bass model setup guide to obtain ideal intonation.
Bass guitars, in general, are a quarter inch on the bottom E and approximately 1/8th of an inch on the G.
Final Thoughts
Musicians worldwide seem to think a bass is better once it’s been ‘played in.’ This statement has some fundamental truths, and a bass sometimes needs to settle in. Yet you can buy a brand new instrument, and if you set it up correctly, you can get a near-perfect guitar action.
A brand new guitar needs to be set up within the first three months of purchase.
I do not believe in vintage guitars ‘playing’ better than new ones. This statement is generally untrue. You can certainly find a newer model that has been set up professionally and sounds just as great as a worn-in vintage model. It’s all down to the player’s perception and preference, really.
Just as bass players’ skills vary, so do basses. Fit your bass around your style and hand size. You wouldn’t find Bootsy Collins playing a heavy metal bass. Ultimately a metal bassist may be lost with a set of light strings.
Bass setup is a finely tuned balance between the instrument’s suitability and your playing style.
These are components that only you, the player, can discover, as we all have different needs. Setting up your own instrument actually makes you a better player.
Consider the limitations of the bass model you’ve chosen and what you can and cannot accomplish by altering it.
It is essential to develop your own skills and feel to determine which modifications are necessary.
The skills are easy to learn but take time and practice to master.
Good luck,
Let me know how it goes ~ Lee
ABOUT LEE
Lee has been playing guitar for over 25 years. In the 1990s he made a few TV appearances in London and supported a few big bands at festivals. He’s recently sung on radio and worked as a full-time guitarist/singer on a holiday resort. Lee is the founder of Authority Guitar, a site where he wants readers to enjoy every aspect of learning the guitar.
Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Gear News
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass…
Esopus Guitars is proud to announce the new “Tailwater” bass guitar, from legendary bass luthier Stuart Spector. This 32” scale bass is handcrafted by Stuart using the only finest woods and components at the Esopus Guitar workshop located near Woodstock NY in the Catskill Mountains.
From its fully carved spruce top (the top is carved on both its exterior and interior surfaces) with a thumb rest that is elegantly carved into the top, to its custom-made Fishman piezo pickup and super hard Carnauba wax finish, every detail of the Tailwater is part of creating the ultimate playing experience.
The Tailwater bass features a fully chambered spruce over alder body (15.5″ lower body bout width, 2.25″ body thickness measuring from the peak of the carved top) that delivers a super comfortable tonal tool for all your low-end needs.
Each Tailwater bass is hand-signed and numbered on the back of the peghead by Stuart Spector. A very limited number of Tailwater basses are handcrafted each year at the Esopus workshop.
“I am proud to present the Tailwater bass, a bass that I have spent the last three years perfecting. The Tailwater is a culmination of all of my 45 years of experience, knowledge, and passion for bass guitar crafting. I am so eager to hear what fellow musicians create with this exciting new instrument.” -Stuart Spector
Direct Pricing : $4995.00 plus options.
For more information about Esopus Guitars and Stuart Spector’s handcrafted instruments, visit www.EsopusGuitars.com.
Bass Videos
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
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