I need help with action

[Archie L]

Hello, not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I am trying to lower the action on my 'Chord CCB90'. I understand how and am able to adjust the action at the end with the body, but the fretboard has some bowing, which has caused an uncomfortably high action (and has since I got it but have only noticed now). I believe it can be sorted by doing something with the headstock and truss rod.

My main questions are:

Is there a special tool I need to turn it? Which way do I turn it? and is this specific bass's truss rod able to be changed? as it is quite a cheap one.

 

any insight helps, thanks 

 

In wiltshire, england as @Dad3353 said to add

Edited June 5 by Archie L

[Dad3353]

17 minutes ago, Archie L said:

... any insight helps, thanks 

 

Adjusting the truss rod, and getting the 'action' right for one's playing style, is quite easy, and should be something that every bassist (and guitarist...) should know how to do. It's easy, once you know, but just as easy to mess the bass up completely, or even, in the worst instance, destroy it, if you don't know. My advice would be to find, in your local area, either a fellow bass player, or a reliable technicien, and ask them to do the job, whilst showing you how it's done. Don't try doing this yourself without tutoring. No special tools are needed, and, as I say, it's easy enough for anyone to do, once they're shown. Maybe give your location; there is probably a fellow BC member not too far from you that could help, or recommend a technicien..? 

Hope this helps.

Douglas

[itu]

Some tips:

- paper and pen to write down everything you do: easier to come back

- good, accurate tools

- good light

- plenty of time

 

When you touch action, it is done after changing fresh strings.

 

Adjust the truss rod only a little, like 1/8 or 1/4 of a turn. Write now down what and how you did this. Tune the bass and wait for an hour or two. If the direction was right, but the result was not enough, turn 1/8 more. Leave it there for another hour after tuning the bass.

 

Check bridge and fine tuning by using an electronic tuner. Adjust height, if needed. Tune. Play.

 

If the truss rod nut is stuck, drop some oil to the thread/nut. By using the tool, move the screw back and forth little by little. If the fine oil lubricates that thread, the nut should start to turn. No excessive force needed.

 

If this sounds complicated, do as @Dad3353 said: visit someone that has the experience needed.

[Archie L]

21 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Adjusting the truss rod, and getting the 'action' right for one's playing style, is quite easy, and should be something that every bassist (and guitarist...) should know how to do. It's easy, once you know, but just as easy to mess the bass up completely, or even, in the worst instance, destroy it, if you don't know. My advice would be to find, in your local area, either a fellow bass player, or a reliable technicien, and ask them to do the job, whilst showing you how it's done. Don't try doing this yourself without tutoring. No special tools are needed, and, as I say, it's easy enough for anyone to do, once they're shown. Maybe give your location; there is probably a fellow BC member not too far from you that could help, or recommend a technicien..? 

Hope this helps.

Douglas

Thank you so much, noted

[Archie L]

20 minutes ago, itu said:

Some tips:

- paper and pen to write down everything you do: easier to come back

- good, accurate tools

- good light

- plenty of time

 

When you touch action, it is done after changing fresh strings.

 

Adjust the truss rod only a little, like 1/8 or 1/4 of a turn. Write now down what and how you did this. Tune the bass and wait for an hour or two. If the direction was right, but the result was not enough, turn 1/8 more. Leave it there for another hour after tuning the bass.

 

Check bridge and fine tuning by using an electronic tuner. Adjust height, if needed. Tune. Play.

 

If the truss rod nut is stuck, drop some oil to the thread/nut. By using the tool, move the screw back and forth little by little. If the fine oil lubricates that thread, the nut should start to turn. No excessive force needed.

 

If this sounds complicated, do as @Dad3353 said: visit someone that has the experience needed.

Cheers, I'll be writing down everything i do to it.

[3below]

Great advice from @itu and @Dad3353.  One further aspect to consider is whether you loosen the strings before making adjustments.  I always adjusted truss rods with the strings in tune, never had a problem with 20? 30? basses.  I then encountered my G&L L1505, got stuck in and terminally cracked the fretboard off the neck.  Fixed by Jon Shuker (new board, better than new).  The advice I was advised to slacken the strings,adjust and bring back into tune.  

 

@itu suggests wait an hour which is good advice.  Most basses in my experience respond pretty quickly, the hour is a good figure. Some do not, my Warwick Corvette (baseball bat neck) takes several hours to respond.

 

There are many good videos on YouTube on action and truss rod adjustment.  Remember also that there are no absolute measurements /settings. Strings, condition of frets, your playing technique all play a part.  I have a heavy right hand technique, 2.7mm to 3mm at the 12th fret is the result.

Edited June 5 by 3below

[Dad3353]

In Trowbridge, there's ...

 

Wilts Guitar Repairs...

 

... or Salisbury ...

 

Guitar Repairs UK ...

 

Both mention bass set-up, at £40 or so.

[3below]

Following on from @Dad3353, sometimes you will encounter a bass (or guitar) that you just can not get sorted.  Symptoms of a deeper problem where, stating the obvious, the luthier setup is the way forward. 

[tauzero]

Adjusting the truss rod: generally (and this is not universal), you turn the adjuster clockwise to tighten the truss rod and decrease the bow in the neck, and anticlockwise to loosen it and increase the bow in the neck. When loosening it, you don't need to loosen the strings. When tightening it, you can loosen the strings or push back on the headstock to decrease the bow while tightening it.

 

The commonest truss rod adjuster is probably a 4mm allen key. A capo is also very useful - put the capo on the first fret, then hold the strings down at the top fret and see what clearance you have to frets halfway between the two. Some people like a lot of relief, others like very little - find out what suits you, sort out a way of measuring it, then you can reproduce it on other instruments or after changing string gauges or when the weather changes and the neck shifts a bit.