Warmoth Short scale neck asjustment..initial set up.

[dmraco]

I will be building my 1st short scale bass (30 inches) and am curious about neck set up and adjustment.  Since the neck has fender style adjustment and must be taken off, I am looking for tips to set up the neck and limit the number of times it had to be removed.

Thanks

 

[Cagey]

Ideally, you want an 18" or 24" straightedge and some feeler gauges. Lay the straightedge from the 1st fret to however far it goes, and measure the clearance at the midway point. I don't know what it's supposed to be on a bass, but I gotta think it's in the .025" - .030" range. But, there's an easy way to find out - check a bass that's already set up the way you like it.

If you don't have a straightedge, you can use a string and a capo, or if you don't have a capo get someone to help you because this'll takes three hands. Fret the string at the first fret, then pull it taut and fret it at the 18th or 20th fret as well. Measure the clearance under the string about midway. Take notes, or adjust as needed.

Tightening the truss rod will gradually flatten the neck until you go too far and start to put some back bow in it. That's NFG. You don't want that. Loosening the truss rod will "relieve" it, increasing your string clearance.

It usually doesn't take much adjustment to bring it in. Think 1/4 turn or so. Also, it may move once you string it back up to tune, so you may have to do this twice.

 

[Wyliee]

When setting up the short scale test basses here at the shop, I tightened the neck so that it was dead straight using a precision straight edge and turned the nut just a hair further.  After installing the neck, the string tension pulled the neck into a slight amount of relief.  I think I only had to take the neck off once or twice after that to finish the setup.  Pretty easy! :rock-on:

 

[dmraco]

When setting up the short scale test basses here at the shop, I tightened the neck so that it was dead straight using a precision straight edge and turned the nut just a hair further.  After installing the neck, the string tension pulled the neck into a slight amount of relief.  I think I only had to take the neck off once or twice after that to finish the setup.  Pretty easy! :rock-on:

awesome as usual.  What gauge strings are you recomending/using.

 

[dmraco]

Ideally, you want an 18" or 24" straightedge and some feeler gauges. Lay the straightedge from the 1st fret to however far it goes, and measure the clearance at the midway point. I don't know what it's supposed to be on a bass, but I gotta think it's in the .025" - .030" range. But, there's an easy way to find out - check a bass that's already set up the way you like it.

If you don't have a straightedge, you can use a string and a capo, or if you don't have a capo get someone to help you because this'll takes three hands. Fret the string at the first fret, then pull it taut and fret it at the 18th or 20th fret as well. Measure the clearance under the string about midway. Take notes, or adjust as needed.

Tightening the truss rod will gradually flatten the neck until you go too far and start to put some back bow in it. That's NFG. You don't want that. Loosening the truss rod will "relieve" it, increasing your string clearance.

It usually doesn't take much adjustment to bring it in. Think 1/4 turn or so. Also, it may move once you string it back up to tune, so you may have to do this twice.

Thanks cagey...great advice.  I was looking pre-install, but it is always good to hear it is not that much different than a guitar.  Always good to have a good straight edge!!!