Fender player series bass action hight

[Davee]

Hi

just got a fender player series bass , really like the bass but wondering  what action hight does it come with? Standard fender acton settings and not to be messed with but just get use to it?

thanks

dave  

[ezbass]

Set it up how you like it, it’s your bass, not Fender’s. My only recent Fender purchase was set up higher than I normally prefer, as was the MusicMan and I don’t like my actions ultra low. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bass that was exactly ser up as I like it out of the box.

[Supernaut]

Set it up how you like... one person's low is another person's high. You won't break it...

[bloke_zero]

Fender standard is 2.5mm at 12th fret (give or take - they have more info here: https://support.fender.com/en-us/knowledgebase/article/KA-01903). It may well not come that way! I agree with ezbass. Personally I like the Fender standard settings.

 

I think setting the action without ensuring the neck relief is correct first is asking for a cascade of niggling issues. When getting a new bass I'd hope to get a free setup from the shop, if second hand I'd want to do or buy in a setup.

[Lozz196]

For years I had my action higher than Fender standard settings as I was rather heavy handed, which was what I needed at the time, however I`ve found that having the action a fair bit lower than Fender standard makes me play with a more measured approach, so horses for courses, have the action that suits your current style of playing.

[ezbass]

43 minutes ago, bloke_zero said:

Fender standard is 2.5mm at 12th fret (give or take - they have more info here: https://support.fender.com/en-us/knowledgebase/article/KA-01903). It may well not come that way! I agree with ezbass. Personally I like the Fender standard settings.

 

I think setting the action without ensuring the neck relief is correct first is asking for a cascade of niggling issues. When getting a new bass I'd hope to get a free setup from the shop, if second hand I'd want to do or buy in a setup.

That recommended setting has had me ruching off to measure mine and, wouldn't you know it, 2.5mm at the 12th. You'd think I'd know my set up, but I measure at the 17th fret for reasons that pass understanding, or are lost in the mists of time.

[ezbass]

47 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Set it up how you like... one person's low is another person's high. You won't break it...

Unless you go crazy with the truss rod of course.

 

@Davee, don't go crazy with the truss rod adjustment, a quarter turn at a time, if required. If it won't move, don't force it, seek help.

[Supernaut]

50 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Unless you go crazy with the truss rod of course.

 

@Davee, don't go crazy with the truss rod adjustment, a quarter turn at a time, if required. If it won't move, don't force it, seek help.

If he's unsure on action height, I doubt he has done a full set-up. 

[Davee]

Thank everyone great tips , no not done a full set up before would you recommend just lowering the stings at the saddle until it feels right and no fret buzz? 

[ezbass]

26 minutes ago, Davee said:

Thank everyone great tips , no not done a full set up before would you recommend just lowering the stings at the saddle until it feels right and no fret buzz? 

That’d be a good starting point. Then you can measure the results and use them on other basses.

[Reggaebass]

Some basses don’t come setup very well  which can make them hard work to play, if your confident doing a few tweaks yourself then I’d say go for it, if your not it’s not overly expensive to have it done for you, it’s nice to get it to the point that you’re happy with and then you can just get on with playing it ,  your in the best place for advice, there’s some very helpful people here 👍

[Paolo85]

2 hours ago, Davee said:

Thank everyone great tips , no not done a full set up before would you recommend just lowering the stings at the saddle until it feels right and no fret buzz? 

I think this guide is good and the measurements here are always my starting point (except do not bother with the intonation BEFORE setting string height and truss rod, and do not worry about neck shim/micro tilt unless you cannot do a proper set up).

What I do with a new bass is getting roughly to that Fender recommended setup, and then adjust further if needed. You may want to try a lower action (I always try, rarely manage). The lower the action the more likely you are to get string buzz. You can lower the action either by straightening the neck with the truss rod or by pushing the saddles at the bridge down. Typically, if you do it with the truss rod you risk fret buzz up to the fifth fret, with the saddles after the fifth.

You may want higher action, or be forced to do that by fret buzz. In the latter case the opposite apply. If the buzz is near the neck use the truss rod (add relief), else the saddles. You may find that when you add relief you get a side effect of more fret buzz around the 12th fret or further toward the bridge. If that's the case, often times instead of going down a spiral of more relief and more string height I just compromise and decide that a certain amount of buzz on a couple of positions is fine by me. More expert people would have better advice on that.

[BassAdder60]

Learning how to adjust the bass regarding intonation, string height, pickup height, neck bow ( truss rod ) etc is a valuable skill to get a poor or mediocre instrument play nicely to how you wish it to be.

I learnt many years ago as a guitarist and everything from fitting strings correctly to action is a very important thing to learn.

My test on my bass is if I can play Iron Maiden gallops finger style on the E and A strings without clatter etc I’m set where I like it !! 

[bubinga5]

19 hours ago, Davee said:

Thank everyone great tips , no not done a full set up before would you recommend just lowering the stings at the saddle until it feels right and no fret buzz? 

I slways set the neck dead straight. Then adjust the saddles. 

[BassAdder60]

9 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

I slways set the neck dead straight. Then adjust the saddles. 

This only works if you have perfect frets and no high spots 

[ossyrocks]

As some know, I’m relatively new to playing bass, however I do know how to set up my own guitars, having played electric for many years. This thread has had me rushing off to measure mine too! 

 

At the 12th fret, my 1973 Precision is currently 1.5mm under the E string and 2mm under the G. I’d like it lower on the G, but I’d need a fret dress first as it would choke notes from about fret 15 upwards if it was lower. (Frets are original and don’t look to have ever been dressed)
 

I’ve visited the setup on this bass about three or four times. It’s all a balance of truss rod and saddles, and nut too if that’s an issue. I have the very tiniest relief in the neck, barely there, but it is.

 

When I changed to Thomastik flats from Picato had had to start again! Way less tension in the Thomastiks and I had to back off the truss rod a quarter turn before I could make any refinements.

Rob

[4000]

3 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

This only works if you have perfect frets and no high spots 

I’d be aiming for a relatively straight neck before adjusting the saddles though. 😉

[Marty Forrer]

On 21/07/2022 at 01:15, Davee said:

Hi

just got a fender player series bass , really like the bass but wondering  what action hight does it come with? Standard fender acton settings and not to be messed with but just get use to it?

thanks

dave  

Every new bass needs a good setup to suit the purchaser's tastes. When I was selling basses I would ask the buyer what sort of setup they preferred. It only takes ten to fifteen minutes if you have the right tool on hand and know what you are doing. For my go to bass, a MIJ Jazz with a P neck, I put 14 thousandths relief in the neck, 22 thousandths under the strings at first fret, and string height of 3/32" under the E at 17th fret, and 1/16" under the G.

[King Tut]

I will always start with neck relief. I remember my Flea Jazz bass arriving brand new with an action you could drive a bus under. The Truss Rod was completely unwound and i was a bit panicked that there was something wrong with it. However, it wasn’t broken, just hadn’t been set up and the neck straightened out fine. I prefer the tiniest bit of relief (flat on my Ricks) and aim for 2mm at the 12th on the E  with a bit less on the G. This is an aspiration though and not always achievable. Having said that, I do get a bit of clatter and while often frowned on, in the music i mainly play its ok. What really bugs me is when i get a bass with the nut cut too high (Making it harder to play near the nut) as I’m not confident to cut one in case i take too much off (long live Warwick Adjust a nuts!). A good tip i picked up was once you’ve made an adjustment, play the bass in the position you’r gonna play it (ie vertical) rather than lying on its back on a bench. A little at a time! Last night I was fettling my Sire. And i kept getting a weird sound on the D string. Took me a few minutes to realise it was the clip on tuner rattling on a Mack=hind head!! To the OP - its not rocket science but can be a bit daunting if you’re worried about damaging your investment. Might be an idea to pick up a cheapie to practice on?

[bloke_zero]

I found these really useful: https://www.elixirstrings.com/tipsandtricks/setting-up-bass-guitar

In addition you just need the feeler guages - bass direct do a £20 ish bass/guitar set up kit,

Edited July 22, 2022 by bloke_zero
ish

[Crusoe]

This might sound like a silly question, but is it not the case that you need a little bit of relief in the neck, rather than a completely straight neck, or else you run the risk of fret buzz closer to the headstock?

[Paolo85]

13 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

This might sound like a silly question, but is it not the case that you need a little bit of relief in the neck, rather than a completely straight neck, or else you run the risk of fret buzz closer to the headstock?

This is technically correct. It seems some people can do without. Setup is subjective ultimately. But obviously, if you want a buzz free bass and a straight neck, as a compromise you would have to raise the saddles more then you would with some relief - in most basses, certainly in my basses, way more. This can result in an action that overall is not very low, as well as in intonation problems

[Crusoe]

21 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

 

My test on my bass is if I can play Iron Maiden gallops finger style on the E and A strings without clatter etc I’m set where I like it !! 

But, but surely the clatter is the whole point of Maiden basslines! 😆

[BassAdder60]

25 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

But, but surely the clatter is the whole point of Maiden basslines! 😆

Not how I play them !! 
I prefer a clatter free sound as it suits the fast rock I play at times 

 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

22 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

This only works if you have perfect frets and no high spots 

 

Plus, strings don't vibrate in a neat curve, if you pluck near the bridge there will be extra string excursion near the nut caused by the harmonics.

Another reason why a slight forward bow in the neck helps achieve the lowest action for all but the most delicate of players.