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Post subject: Setting up P/J style bass
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2016 4:31 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Tucson
Hi there, I'm a guitarist, not a bass player, but I just acquired a Korean made P/J style bass for almost free that I'd like to mess around with. I was able to set the neck relief with no problem, but even with the lowest bridge settings, the action is too high -- almost 3mm at the 12th fret!

I've read that I have to take the neck off and shim it, either just at the lower two bolts or raise the whole thing. What I haven't found is a guideline of how much shimming I need to do. Seems for a bass, I'd want around a height of 2.25mm under the low E string and maybe as low as 2mm. So how much shimming will it take to drop the minimum action by 1mm at the 12th fret? Anything else I'm missing?

Since I have to take the strings off to get remove the neck, I kind of don't want to do it more than once! Also what are people using? business cards? acetate?

For an acoustic guitar, you take off twice what you want to lower the action by, but if I'm shimming the lower two screws of the neck bolts, the math is a lot more complicated!

Thanks!!!!

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Post subject: Re: Setting up P/J style bass
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 12:54 am
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Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
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For shim I use piece of brass sheet see in a Hobby shop, thin like a sheet of paper. IMO it is better than a bussiness card.

How much shield ? How to calculate ?
I try once and I was very lucky, it fit.


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Post subject: Re: Setting up P/J style bass
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:04 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Tucson
ok, thanks! being a bit of a math nerd, I'll make some measurements and try to make an eduajakated guess! :)

I have an assortment of brass shim stock I've used for other projects. Think I'll use that based on your recommendations!

But as a total nube with a bass, do you have a ballpark recommendation of 12th string height for a beginner to make it easier all around?

Thanks!

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Post subject: Re: Setting up P/J style bass
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:12 pm
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Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
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Scroll down, Custommer Service , Support, How to Guides, Bass set up Guide
All set-ups are there.

http://www2.fender.com/fr-FR/support/ar ... tup-guide/


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Post subject: Re: Setting up P/J style bass
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 7:57 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 7:18 pm
Posts: 463
Location: Tucson
stratele52 wrote:
Scroll down, Custommer Service , Support, How to Guides, Bass set up Guide
All set-ups are there.

http://www2.fender.com/fr-FR/support/ar ... tup-guide/


Perfect!!! Thanks for this!

Finally put the pieces together. the bass I got for almost nothing is a Samick PJ bass which I've figured out is essentially a Squire Vintage Modified PJ Bass -- supposed to be made in the same Korean factory and the only difference is the headstock and tuning machines.

The link also had the shimming rule of thumb!

So all under control!

:)

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Post subject: Re: Setting up P/J style bass
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2016 12:40 am
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Thumbs up :D


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