Bass Neck

[Lucius Paisley]

I've only ever owned one bass - bought 22 years ago - and have no comparison, so I'm wondering if the neck is supposed to have the "give" it does. There's no danger of snapping and I'm guessing the slight bow it does have is just a natural aging progression as I haven't touched the rod.

Basically, I'm asking if this is indeed natural, if I should look into having the rod adjusted and the neck straightened, or if I can just leave it as is?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Bass Neck

If it hasn't been adjusted in 22 years, i would recommend having it looked at and adjusted. It would likely need to be adjusted whenever string guage is changed, or over time as the wood ages, particularly if the instrument has been subjected to any 'extremes' of heat, dryness, cold, etc..

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Bass Neck

If it hasn't been adjusted in 22 years, i would recommend having it looked at and adjusted. It would likely need to be adjusted whenever string guage is changed, or over time as the wood ages, particularly if the instrument has been subjected to any 'extremes' of heat, dryness, cold, etc..

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Bass Neck

After 22 years, it is probably due for a setup anyway. Either learn yourself or bring it somewhere to have it checked over. How does it play now?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Bass Neck

Without actually seeing it, it is impossible to say if you're talking about "normal" neck relief or if the bass would be better suited for use on the archery range.

Give us something to go on.

Or perhaps you could answer a question for me..."Is it normal for my Desert Burst LP to be as dark as it is, or do you think it should be brighter?"

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Bass Neck

After 22 years, it is probably due for a setup anyway. Either learn yourself or bring it somewhere to have it checked over. How does it play now?

I'll probably have it looked over before I try doing something like that myself so I can see how it's done. It plays okay, the strings are sitting kind of high, even with the saddles on low, so I can get a little slappy with it without a lot of effort.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Bass Neck

Without actually seeing it, it is impossible to say if you're talking about "normal" neck relief or if the bass would be better suited for use on the archery range.

Give us something to go on.

Or perhaps you could answer a question for me..."Is it normal for my Desert Burst LP to be as dark as it is, or do you think it should be brighter?"

To answer your question, it depends on if it's on black or coloured vinyl.

As far as "relief" goes, I guess you could say if I push it from the back, it bends, but from the top, not so much. For now, I'm going to go with the service advice due to it's age.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Bass Neck

22 years of piano wire pulling it forward, yeah I'd say the strings are winning.

I always thought it was normal too; you need string clearance for bass strings to control rattle and clank, and they're thick as bridge cables, right? Then I played a "real" bass that had a straight neck and just a little clank.
I ran home and set my bass up properly, and have been much happier ever since. You'll still get fairly high action compared to guitar, but for the most part, you control that with the saddles.