Jerzy Drozd setup guide ... SPECIFIC QUESTION.

[tbonepete]

Hi Basschatters,
A question for the well informed,
SPECIFICALLY talking about the Jerzy Drozd set up guide, and NOT the many other guides that refer to different ways of setting up your bass, OR personal ways of set ups. Question: whilst looking through the string height section I cant seem to find what fret the measurements are taken from, ie 12th fret, last fret etc, so does anybody KNOW for CERTAIN which fret the measurements are taken from in this method?
I would have contacted them myself but Safari (iPad browser) said there was an issue with the sites certificate?. NO BIG PROBLEM if you DONT know, as I've yet to try this particular set of numbers, but I have an errant bass that may benefit from a different set up from my normal ones.

Thanks in advance,
Cheers Pete

Edited March 16, 2015 by tbonepete

[Manton Customs]

With those figures I'd imagine it'd be at the 12th fret though it could easily be the 17th as there isn't anything in it if you were to measure at the 17th as the Fender guide instructs. It's important not to get too fixed up on numbers, they are just given for approximate guidelines. The correct action height should be found for each instrument and each player and not setup to numbers which may or may not suit the player and the state of the frets.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Manton Customs

[tbonepete]

[quote name='Manton Customs' timestamp='1426421792' post='2717831']
With those figures I'd imagine it'd be at the 12th fret though it could easily be the 17th as there isn't anything in it if you were to measure at the 17th as the Fender guide instructs. It's important not to get too fixed up on numbers, they are just given for approximate guidelines. The correct action height should be found for each instrument and each player and not setup to numbers which may or may not suit the player and the state of the frets.
[/quote]
Thanks for the reply, yes I'd also guess the 12th fret, but was looking for the factual answer (someone on here may have already contacted Jerzy with the same question). My basses all have different setups, but one in particular has issues ( not relavent here ), and I was looking to explore this seemingly different method, that is to say all my usual set ups follow the truss rod, action, intonation pup height formula, and this one doesn't.
If anyone out there actually knows what fret Jerzy is measuring from in regards to string height please do tell.
Please, and thank you,

Cheers Pete

[Ghost_Bass]

Well, the first part of your problem is easily solved by going to the app store and downloading the google chrome browser (free).

Can't help about the string height, i do my setups without measurements, i found that each bass has it's own sweet spot to have the strings as low as i use them (really low action) without buzz.

[tbonepete]

Thanks Ghost Bass,
It's looking like I shall have to ask Jerzy myself for the answer to my question, I thought I'd try here first though. I guess you can't get lucky every time eh? Lol.

Cheers Pete

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote][color=#ff0000]Place the capo at the first fret[/color] so that the strings are touching it. While you are sitting and holding your instrument as if you were going to play it,[color=#ff0000] hold the string down at the last fret[/color] with your right index finger and use a gauge to measure the [color=#ff0000]distance between the string (at) the 7th through the 9th frets. This distance should normally be between .3mm and 1mm[/color], depending on your instrument and playing style. This is not an exact science, but rather an Art and you will have to experiment a little in order to find the optimal distance that works for you.[/quote]

This is from the guide, to measure the neck bow. Is this what you're looking for?

[Ghost_Bass]

or maybe this:

[quote]
1. As a general rule, the bass should be tuned using standard tuning or whatever tuning you normally use. Tune it now if you haven't already.

2. Determine the arc of the neck, as described in the previous section.

3. The neck should have a slight arc and the distance between the 7th through the 9th frets and the underside of the strings should be between .3mm and 1mm.

4. If the arc is greater than this, you need to tighten the truss-rod a quarter-turn clockwise and if the arc is less than this, you should loosen the truss-rod a quarter-turn counterclockwise.

5. Remember that most truss-rods work this way; however, in some cases to tighten them, you have to turn them counterclockwise and to loosen them, you have to turn them clockwise. Please read the instructions that came with your instrument very carefully.

6. Tune the instrument again to compensate for the changes you have made to the neck tension.

7. Test the arc again and if it still isn't within .3mm to 1mm, you will have to repeat the process as many times as necessary starting from step 4.

8. Remember that you should NEVER tighten or loosen the truss-rod by more than a quarter-turn at a time. You can even turn it as little as an eighth of a turn if you only need to make a small adjustment.

9. Once the arc has been adjusted, check the tuning again and try playing the instrument in all positions to make sure that it doesn't buzz.

10.If it doesn't, you may even be able to lower the strings a bit on the bridge. A half-turn of the saddle pins should do the trick.

11.Pay attention to where the instrument buzzes. If it does it at the first frets (Fig. 14), you should loosen the truss-rod a quarter-turn. If it does it at the last frets (Fig. 15), then you should tighten the truss-rod a quarter-turn.

12. The optimum point is between the place where the bass stops buzzing at the first frets and the place where it stops buzzing at the last ones.

13.If you can't make it stop buzzing, this means that the strings are too low and you will need to raise them at the bridge by giving each of the saddle pins a half-turn, as described in the section Adjusting the Height of the Strings here. You should readjust the height of the outer strings first and then adjust the height of the others using the correct curvature template (Fig. 4).

14.You will have to repeat this process of raising the strings on the bridge as many times as necessary until the bass doesn't buzz at any point along the neck.

15.If the neck buzzes randomly at certain frets, this means that the frets have worn out or have started to lift up and you will have to turn to a professional luthier to level them.
[/quote]

I've had a read through the guide and it seems that Jerzy doesn't use an actual measuring for string height to fretboard. and it makes sence because, from experience, each bass will have it's own sweet spot.

He starts adjusting string height close to the desired using with the radious template and then adjust the neck bow. Then he sees if there's any fretbuzz and raise/lower the strings at the bridge. Repeat process until geting to the sweet spot immediatly after buzz stops.

Sounds like a good way of doing it.

[tbonepete]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1427372813' post='2729456']
This is from the guide, to measure the neck bow. Is this what you're looking for?
[/quote]

No thank you, it was string height measurements, not neck relief, and to be specific, the place at which the measurements are taken.

Thanks anyway.

[tbonepete]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1427373488' post='2729476']
or maybe this:



I've had a read through the guide and it seems that Jerzy doesn't use an actual measuring for string height to fretboard. and it makes sence because, from experience, each bass will have it's own sweet spot.

He starts adjusting string height close to the desired using with the radious template and then adjust the neck bow. Then he sees if there's any fretbuzz and raise/lower the strings at the bridge. Repeat process until geting to the sweet spot immediatly after buzz stops.

Sounds like a good way of doing it.
[/quote]

At page 20 in the guide are two tables giving a range of approx heights for strings. The question still is at what fret are the heights taken from, not what the heights are, or neck relief.
I have emailed direct for the answer, but haven't received a reply yet. I'll be sure to post the answer to my question when I get it.
Thanks to all who looked, I'm afraid it's one of those "you either know it ,or you don't " type questions.

Cheers Pete