Andyjr1515

Are those frets hard down or just buzzing? If it's the latter, then it would be as effective - and it would mean retaining the full (and impressive!) improvement in action - to file the buzzing frets a touch. I use nail file emery boards from a supermarket and can run through with you how to do it without wrecking anything. If they are absolutely hard down, you could still do that but probably safer to adjust the shim a touch as you describe.

So, the various options we have discussed. Option 1 This is where a single, long, wedge-shaped shim - or a series of progressively thicker shims - lift the whole neck to the bridge position. In order for the bridge to drop and result in the lower action, the protruding wedge of neck needs to be flattened back down to the level of the body top Option 2 This is where the extended neck is cut into two, cutting through just after the fretboard ends. Then, with the addition of a couple more neck fixing screws (that can be hidden under the existing back plate), the shim or shims only need to be under the heel of the neck and the pickup chambers and bridge are unaffected Option 3 Similar to option 2, with the neck being cut to avoid having to disturb the bridge, but this time the cut is made at the pickup chambers. There may need to be some more wood removed in front of the pickups, but probably not Option 4 This is where there are no shims involved, but the bridge area is routed so the bridge can be sunk into the top, lowering the action. The disadvantage with this one is that the strings may then start fouling either the bass top near the bridge or, more likely, the pickups. Hope this helps clarify.

I think I found it. I was over my image allocation on the forum here. I've cleared some so can now attach the new ones

As there has been so much confusion, I've done four drawings of the options discussed so far...but just found out about Imgur stopping working in the UK. My whole Basschat portfolio of photos were on Imgur! No matter about that - anyone know/remember how to post an image (small jpeg) nowadays?

No problem in theory, but a couple of extra factors to consider. The first one that springs to mind is that, whether or not the shim was at the back of the cut, nevertheless the shim or gap thickness will be higher the further back the extended neck you go. As such, you will still have a wedge of centre block wood from the end of the fretboard to the cut - and so some planing or sanding would still be needed if you wanted the centre block to be flush with the body between the cut and the fretboard. But yes, that would work too. As the saying goes, (all types of) guitars are made up of a bunch of compromises held together by hope...

It's not an easy choice. If I add skills/ experience and tools to the equation then there are significant pro's and con's for both approaches. 1. The problem with lowering the bridge is that it really has got to be lowered a LOT. And you have to be confident with a router or chisels to go as deep as it will need to go. 2. The problem with shimming is that, depending where the shim is, the resulting wedge of neck that will now stand proud is over quite a long length. And ideally you have to be confident in planing/sanding to get that right. Not for the faint-hearted. There is, also, a third option - and it would probably, and reasonably, scare the word-not-allowed out of you. But, now I've had a good look at the unconventional design and construction of the bass, I think it would be the one I would personally do. So, for what it's worth: 3. I would cut the neck through at the end of the fretboard. I would take the back plate off and then add two extra screwholes in the neck pocket about 2 cm from where that cut point is, clamp the neck back in its original place and drill into the neck for two extra fixing screws. These holes would be countersunk so these two new neck screws would sit flush with the body wood. I would then add a shim underneath that 2cm neck overhang and add the two extra neck screws (with the neck now able to move more like a conventional bolt on neck and the shim needed would be quite thin). The two new screws, flush with the body wood would then be hidden under the refitted back plate. - bridge unaffected - pickup unaffected - nothing to see at the back - two teeny cut marks at the fret end - great action Answers on a post card....

I'm sure there are loads of 'it depends if...' there, but very interesting observation 👍

Personally, I wouldn't do that on this bass. I would do exactly what @Hellzero suggests. If you try to lower the bridge as a whole, you will need to chisel/rout both into the neck extension AND the body sides to accommodate the two bridge 'wings'. I would shim it under the bridge, say 1mm, bolt the neck back on, sand/chisel the neck extension back flat with the body, string it and see where the action is. If it's still too high, take the neck off again, add another shim, bolt it back and flatten the bridge wedge again. Externally, the bass will look exactly the same as it did originally - which is not the case if you try to sink the whole bridge into the body.

Hi, @W-1Pro - hope all good with you! It's been a long time Remember: - the truss rod is not there to change the action height. It's there to keep the neck straight. My strong advice is to loosen it back to where it was ASAP so it doesn't break something. When I get a moment tomorrow I'll post some simple instructions how to set the truss rod at the right tension - especially seeing that this is a sort of bolt-on-neck, almost certainly the neck needs a shim in the body side of the neck pocket. We are not talking anything of significant thickness...put in the right place, a thin shim can make a HUGE difference to action height

My view is that there are decent reasons for using wedges instead of a simple shim at the end of the pocket but: - it's not essential - it has nothing to do with ski-jumps The main decent reason that I might use wedges is that a wedge does provide a tighter contact between the neck and neck pocket - and the more rigid the neck fixing, then the less vibration loss. Whether anyone could hear the difference is, of course, a totally different matter! And so to ski jump. Ski jumps are real and not uncommon, but a single shim at the end of the neck pocket causing a ski jump is a 'challenge' to physics, materials science and, certainly in my case, practical observation: - Physics. The pair of screws at the shim end of the pocket is close to the shim. The pair of screws at the other end is close to the other contact point. The gap is in the middle - and on most basses (admittedly not all) there aren't additional screws there. So the screw forces are holding the two contact points tight - there is no bending force - Materials science. The heel of the neck has one of the largest aspect ratios (thickness: length) of most of the other wood components. Even in a hydraulic press, it would take some considerable force to bend that. I think the wood round the screw threads would fail first. - Practical observation. Those who have followed my build threads over the years will know that I exclusively build through-necks. And yes - you can and do get ski jumps with through-necks. Basically: the neck is pulled up by the string tension; the truss rod keeps the bendy bit straight but there remains a movement axis at the neck/body joint; the string tension wants to snap the neck at the joint for the neck and body to clap hands. There is some flex upwards even when new. And, over time, that continued tension can result in a set lift of the neck. It's one of the reasons that many builders add a 'fall-away' of the frets that sit over the body bulk near the heel. If you don't, then folks who like a super low action and play way up the dusty end will tend to get buzz of the upper frets.

Lovely. Simply lovely...

I think the Osmo Polyx products are absolutely splendid - but I have limited experience with their gloss formulas. All of that range is super-easy to apply and, in that you can always sand it off and start again if it doesn't suit, then probably worth a try. My reservations are that it depends just how hard the gloss version finally sets at. It is a modified-wax based product but, if you saw some of my satin results and tapped the finish as hard as you like with your fingernails, you generally would never think that. And bear in mind it is sold primarily for the rigours of home and commercial parquet and wooden floors. But whether the gloss version 'drags' on the fingers I really don't know. But - a small tin is cheap as chips and one of the easiest finishes to apply. It needs just a clean lint-free cloth and rubber gloves (just to keep the stickiness off your hands - trying to wash a waterproof coating off your hands is always a challenge ) and is pretty much fumeless - probably worth a try. If you do, my recommendation would be a single wipe, leave it overnight, another one, etc, and then leave it at least 2 weeks to really fully harden.

That doesn't look at all right to me. That looks like a stress crack that has also gone into the centre splice.

Oh...and, you never know with such things, but based on the photos and where the crack actually is, I would be very surprised, if done as above and from what I can see in the photo, if the resulting mend was not strong enough.

Yes - this ^^^^ I've never used Super 'Phatic (it sounds great!) but you can certainly do the same thing with extra-low-viscosity CA glue (number of makers/suppliers but it is easy to get hold of and is a specialist 'super glue' that is much, much thinner than the standard stuff ) As @Stub Mandrel says, capillary action sucks the glue deep into the joint. Masking tape right up to the edge is essential with CA glue, though, and after peeling it off, probably would need scraping with a razor blade to clean it up - and this might be where the super-phatic may well have the edge if it is water-based. If you're fast with your fingers, you could even squirt the glue into the crack while the string tension is on, maximising the opening, then immediately release the tension when the glue's in there and, as @Stub Mandrel says, pop the pre-prepared clamps on.