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Why isn't this system used by more Bass builders


fleabag

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1 minute ago, fleabag said:

Dear Cliff, they're coming out of the woodwork  :)      I was thinking they were rare

They are rare - mainly because the bass buying public likes the Precision/Jazz 1950’s/1960’s formula of an inaccessible nut which needs the neck removing and a stupid imperial sized cross head slot that nobody has a driver for.

 

;)

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I havent come across that as i avoid the fever of vintage J's and P's.  

What i have come across is  allen key  truss sockets that seem to defy all size allen keys,  or allen sockets that get rounded off inside by the allen key tool

Also,  depending on the bass and how well the allen key fits,   you have to slacken off the strings first so as to be able to manipulate the allen key in either direction.

 

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27 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

I had this system on one of those decent easy German p copies in the late 80s

Yep - Musima, those were. They made some of the 80s Marlins too.

Same type of truss adjuster appears on a fair few low-end Korean & earlyJapanese instruments, along with other eminently sensible but uncommon features such as zero-frets.

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15 minutes ago, therealting said:

Have one on my Sadowsky too, works brilliantly and adjusts so quickly even with a nail!

There’s been a few occasions with this type of adjuster where I’ve been weirded out by there not being a “proper size” tool and sort of hesitating and thinking “but it doesn’t feel right!” 

I now have a screwdriver with the right diameter shaft for this job and it’s a right pain in the proverbial when I can’t find it :D

 

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1 hour ago, Bridgehouse said:

There’s been a few occasions with this type of adjuster where I’ve been weirded out by there not being a “proper size” tool and sort of hesitating and thinking “but it doesn’t feel right!” 

I now have a screwdriver with the right diameter shaft for this job and it’s a right pain in the proverbial when I can’t find it :D

 

But so handy if you’re caught out, and means that you never have to put up with an action that you’re not absolutely happy with. Mind you, I find the neck on mine very stable anyway. 

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37 minutes ago, therealting said:

But so handy if you’re caught out, and means that you never have to put up with an action that you’re not absolutely happy with. Mind you, I find the neck on mine very stable anyway. 

Always the way. Stable neck - easy neck adjuster. Wibbly wobbly all over the shop neck = remove 16 screws and resolder 8 wires just to get to the adjuster

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On 14 July 2018 at 18:04, fleabag said:

This is such a simple truss rod system that i'm wondering why it isn't used in loads of basses ?

sRnzwAs.jpg

It's on all of the ones I own!!

I suspect most people will know it's been fitted to all Musicman basses since about 1990 (so for 28 years!!). I don't think they invented it though - but it's such a simple system to use.

As for aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I personally don't think it detracts from a bass (I doubt a lot of people looking at a pre 90 Stingray would even notice the bass has a headstock mounted bullet truss rod instead) - Musicman have even made a feature of it on the Classic series (but not Sabres) by making the wheel a chrome version, looking very smart. 

I suspect as Fender makes most electric basses and they've never been the brightest (or quickest) of innovators, that has influenced the adoption of the system to their basses, which was included on their Elite series (and thus premium) instruments a couple of years back. So it seems Fender see it as a premium feature to be fitted to the most expensive basses. Probably a matter of economics for them - but interesting they see some of their most expensive production basses needing to compete with Musicman. 

The same could be said of un lacquered neck finishes which improve playability no end!! 

 

Edited by drTStingray
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43 minutes ago, LewisK1975 said:

Twas a major selling point when I got my Elite Precision.  Guess what, after my initial setup to my preferred strings, I've never touched it!

It's like insurance.. if you didn't have one of those adjusters you'd have the neck on and off like a chuckle brothers sketch..

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On 14/07/2018 at 18:04, fleabag said:

This is such a simple truss rod system that i'm wondering why it isn't used in loads of basses ?

sRnzwAs.jpg

1. Because it looks ugly.

2. Because it's just as easy to put the truss rod adjustment behind the nut.

3. Because not every bass has a bolt-on neck.

 

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