Vigier Passion neck relief/action/zero fret thing going on !

[far0n]

Right then, I have my trusty Vigier Passion Series 3, which I'd like to get the action further down on. Now this is where it gets tricky, it has no truss rod. It is however fitted with a couple of carbon rods to strengthen then neck and keep it straight which largely it does very well. Trouble is I just can't quite get the action low enough for my taste, so I wanted to explore my options a bit. It has a zero fret which by looking at it, looks higher up than the other frets to create a kind of pseudo-nut. Is this normal to have it higher up ? I always assumed they were the same height and just acted like a capo, maybe I'm wrong. I've looked down the length of the neck and it looks pretty straight, but is it worth measuring how straight it is with say a steel ruler ? Is it feasible to shave down the zero fret at all, or even have it replaced with a normal nut, maybe even an adjustable one ? All advice gratefully received.

Edited May 30, 2012 by far0n

[Roland Rock]

I've never had a bass with a zero fret, but I'd imagine that it would have to be higher than the others, as it needs to have contact with the strings, otherwise there would be no point in its existence.

You don't mention the bridge - I assume you've lowered this as far as you can with no buzzing? If so, I guess you could look at the zero fret, but be careful, if it gets lowered too much, it won't have proper contact with the strings and will buzz. This could be alleviated by filing down the nut in turn.

Personally, I'd fiddle with the bridge, and if that doesn't do it, I'd go to a professional.

[ped]

Series 3 basses have a 'textbook' amount of relief built into the neck which I too found a little bit too much for me. The bridge (assuming it's a Kahler) doesn't allow for a super low action unless you remove the saddles and file them down a bit. Even then, the relief meant the strings feel a little high for me.

Bear in mind my main bass is a series 2 which is totally flat, with a super low action (I'm lazy). Friends all preferred my series 3 but I've never been into the higher feel.

The only option would be to have the neck planed by a pro to make it flat. Vigier will be able to help, I recommend emailing Patrice who is very helpful.

A good way to see how flat the neck is is to hold the G string at the first or second fret with your index finger and then, with your elbow, fret the same string at one of the last frets. You can then see how far the string is from the fingerboard at around the 7th fret. My series 2 is literally a hair's distance away wheras my series 3 was probably about 2mm. I assume Vigier built this in to cater for the majority who like a little relief

Cheers

[brensabre79]

I don't think the zero fret should be any different to the others to be honest, if you get the neck relief right. Having a zero fret higher is the same as having a poorly adjusted nut, the string will be too high making fretting the first position hard work, and you'll never get a low action that way either.

[far0n]

Right, I've done as you've suggested and there is a good 1-2mm relief in the neck. If I lower the strings further then there's a region around the 10th - 12th fret where they start being choked with fret buzz. All other notes both higher and lower seem fine. A plane and refret would be a nice option to have done I must admit. Wouldn't the neck straighten to a certain degree once the strings are removed or is the neck ultra stable in that respect ?

[Lfalex v1.1]

I own a '96 s3 passion V.
Ped's got it right, assuming you want to go super-low. Definitely mail Patrice, he's very helpful.

Re; Zero frets/Nuts.
The Z fret should sit fractionally higher than the others. They're also often hardened, so will be tougher to file down (if it comes to that)
The Z fret defines the scale length, not the nut, so removing the Z fret altogether isn't an option. Changing/altering the nut will only alter the break angle down to the tuners, not the action, as the Z fret defines the string height at the headstock end of the neck. I'd only get this end of things looked at if you're getting fret buzz from the frets [i]behind[/i] the one you're fretting.
I had the action on my Passion down to what I'd consider to be very low. Whilst I wasn't getting any nasty buzzes or choking, I did feel that it wasn't "singing" like it did before I'd adjusted it, so I put it back up again.. Seems I can go [i]too[/i] low. Your mileage obviously varies

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='far0n' timestamp='1338490297' post='1675406']
Right, I've done as you've suggested and there is a good 1-2mm relief in the neck. If I lower the strings further then there's a region around the 10th - 12th fret where they start being choked with fret buzz. All other notes both higher and lower seem fine. A plane and refret would be a nice option to have done I must admit. Wouldn't the neck straighten to a certain degree once the strings are removed or is the neck ultra stable in that respect ?
[/quote]

As far as I'm aware, they are ultra-stable. That's certainly been my experience! Didn't Roger Glover lay a Vigier neck across two cabs and stand on the unsupported bit? To no adverse effect, allegedly.