Set up settings for a MusicMan Sabre (action height etc)

[coffee_king]

Hey all
Are there any folks out there with a MusicMan Sabre that would like to advise on what their height (or what the correct) height settings are for:-

Truss rod to fret height (and where measured from)
Nut action height
Bridge action height
?

I'm getting quiet a bit of buzz from mine (that Ive just purchased) and don't want to have to take it to be professionally set up unless I really have to as its skinted me out.

cheers

[brensabre79]

Hi Shippo,

Its a difficult question to answer for any bass as its a very personal thing is the setup.
Not sure what truss rod to fret height is either..

do you mean the relief of the neck? (i.e the bow) if so, the idea is to have the neck almost straight, but with a slight bow upwards so that when you put a finger on the 1st fret, and a finger on the last fret at the same time, there's a little gap between the string and the 12th fret. the size of the gap is largely personal, but if there's no gap you'll get alot of buzz - if there is a large gap it will make the action of the bass very high. I have about .5mm releif on my MM neck (measured at 12th fret)

Nut action height should be slightly more than the height of the first fret (to avoid buzz).

Bridge action height (a very personal thing) I have mine set about 3mm measured at the 12th fret - but some people have less, some have more. I'm a pretty heavy player and i like a high action for the tone.

I have to say, out of all my maple neck basses the Sabre does seem the most prone to string buzz, even after a complete refret and a set-up by a highly respected luthier it can buzz a bit if i play it hard.

i hope that helps a bit...?

[coffee_king]

Hey,
Cheers for the response, by truss rod to fret height I mean:-
With a capo directly on top of the first fret, fret at where neck joins body and measure the height of the action at 7th fret.


as in this video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te44eWXd9pc

[brensabre79]

Yep, thats neck relief - see above!
Did you get the string positioning sorted?

[coffee_king]

Hey,
Not yet no. I might put a new nut in. Ive never done this before, but I dont mind having a go.

[brensabre79]

Not sure a new nut will help much unless its really far over. Any pics?

[coffee_king]

Whats really far over?

[brensabre79]

Well it occured to me the string position issue you have could be because the nut has slipped towards the low string. But if it hasn't, if its where it should be I would leave it well alone. Fitting a new nut properly is quite a skilful job so if there's nothing wrong with your nut I'd leave it alone!

[coffee_king]

Hey,
The nut looks like its in the right place OK, but the nut action height is quiet a bit off compared to the above (or his other) videos. I think I might just get myself some files and file the nut down a bit. I dont mind giving stuff like this a go, plus I'd rather do that THEN take it into a shop for an expert to look at nowing its craped out so they have to do their job properly

Heres a few quick pics of here. She's the same year as yours '79

[attachment=127637:Sabre-1a.JPG]

[attachment=127638:Sabre-2a.JPG]

[attachment=127639:Sabre-3a.JPG]

[brensabre79]

Sounds like a plan. get some needle files and do a bit at a time. I'd get the bridge issue sorted first though. I forgot about the bolts, its gonna be a mission to move those a couple of mm.
The neck on yours is much more figured than mine, looks lovely.

[coffee_king]

Cheers man.
The bridge issue, I'm wondering if its got the correct saddles on it. Any chance you can post a pic of your saddles?

[brensabre79]

Here's the full bass, don't have a close up of my bridge handy but I'll try and get one. (sorry pic is a bit poor, iphone camera)


Here's a close up off the net, same thing going on here with the angle of the string between the saddle and the anchor, yours looks to be more of a straight line wheras mine and this one are diagonal... (see how the string is centered over the mute knob - yours is off to one side on the E) Also the angle of the saddle might help, you could try lowering the inner one and increasing height of the outer one - its not much but it might make a tiny difference)

Edited February 15, 2013 by brensabre79

[brensabre79]

[GarethFlatlands]

This any help?

[url="http://www.sterlingbymusicman.com/support/setup-guide"]http://www.sterlingb...ort/setup-guide[/url]

Edit: - Nice Sabre BTW.

Edited February 15, 2013 by GarethFlatlands

[coffee_king]

[b]Here's a close up off the net, same thing going on here with the angle of the string between the saddle and the anchor, yours looks to be more of a straight line wheras mine and this one are diagonal... (see how the string is centered over the mute knob - yours is off to one side on the E) Also the angle of the saddle might help, you could try lowering the inner one and increasing height of the outer one - its not much but it might make a tiny difference)[/b]

Mine do come out diagonally like yours, if they didnt theyd be even more off spaced incorrectly. Mine do look like the same saddles as yours though dont you think?
Dropping one side of the saddle doesnt do anything either though as it just stays where it is (With a gap under the grub screw) as the saddles are so tightly packed close together it stops them from moving when lowering/heightening just one side.

[coffee_king]

I'm wondering if different sadles might shift the positon of the string over ever so slightly so that I wont need to goto the extreme measures of boring out the whole in the body that the bridge sits in to move it over about 2mm, and also redrilling the screws that hold the bridge in (and then having to fil the other side with something) The saddles that are on it already as I stated previously are very tightly packed close together and I only assume they are the correct saddles for the Sabre, even though they feel really cheap to me. Does anyone have ay suggestions what other saddles I could try?
Cheers