The Importance Of A Good Set-Up

[Billy Apple]

I've had a good weekend getting stuck into my new Spector Forte 5 and Marshall Super Bass. The Forte was a custom order and when it arrived the action was so low all I was getting was fret-clatter. I'm a difficult customer as I want a low action but I'm a full-on pick player that really brings out any fret-buzz. A certain amount of buzz is OK, but you know when it's wrong. The bass had to go back to Bass Direct to change the pre-amp. It came back with a better set-up, but still not quite right. I took it along to Martin Peterson at the Gallery for a change of strings and then it was around 75%. On Friday I took it back for some fine tuning (all done on the spot and part of the original set-up price) and now it's at 100%. He put a touch more relief in the neck and managed to lower it a bit at the bridge. So now I've got a very nice action, but clearly ringing strings in-spite of my violent pick. The B is something to behold.. Mmmm Baby!

I've also had Stuart at Berkshire Guitar Amplifier Repairs http://www.fixguitaramps.co.uk/ go through my stable of Jule, Burman and Marshall. All the loudners are in tip-top condition and I'm enjoying the Marshall very much, no hum, hiss or scratchiness, just loads of beautiful valve.

I've sat playing the Spector through a B7K into the Super Bass and out an EAD Foundation 212, all with a big smile on my face. So thanks to Martin and Stuart. You'd be hard pressed to find better people who do what they do, and the price? £68 all in, plus a free set of strings courtesy of the BC connection and D'Addario.

The moral of my story is, if something is not right maybe it needs a bit of time and a small investment to get it how you want it, as opposed to just thinking you need different gear. And the beauty of Basschat is there is a wealth of information to point you in the right direction to get the right people to do the work.

I'm made up.. aint life grand!

[cameltoe]

The right set up is massively important! I have learnt (through trial and error) how to set up my basses over the years and even when I take them to a pro for work, I find I still need to tweak them when I get them back to get them exactly to my liking.

I would also add in that the right strings can be important, strings vary in tension and if you can find a set that feel right this will change how the instrument is set up.

Also, unless you are lucky enough to own a top-end bass, I would recommend getting the frets levelled. This can have a huge impact on how well you can get the bass set up. As I like a nice low action with as straight a neck as I can get away with, I have found that It's well worth the effort to get a buzz-free 'plays like buttah' feel.

What started this was I once a/b'd my Roadworn Precision with a 3TSB heavy relic Custom Shop precision. They felt alike in weight and resonance but the Custom Shop stood out on it's superior fret work. The frets looked like they'd been played in over decades, as opposed to the Road Worn that looked freshly crowned and pointy in comparison. This allowed the CS to feel smoother and play lower that the RW. After this I took the RW to my local luthier and paid £90 to have the frets levelled in the same way as the CS, and it transformed the bass. Ever since then, I've found it's worth doing if you are considering keeping the bass long-term.

[Twincam]

Indeed it's probably to many the number one most important factor. I believe there was a poll on this recently, on which you would prefer playability or great tone.