| Author | Message | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 39 Registered: 2-2005 |
I am the happy recipient of a Custom Clarke 4 string...it is, as they say, "da bomb." But... I'm getting fret buzz on the first few frets, particularly noticable on the G string...the first fret on the G is especially bad, to the point of unplayable. Is there a quick and easy answer as to what's causing this? I've been tweaking the truss rod, bridge, and nut. The other day, I had it perfect. Low action, no buzz. But when I took it down the next day, the truss rod adjustment must have "settled in," because the strings were totally fretting out, particularly the G. So I loosened the truss rod and raised the action slightly, but there's still some buzz, and I can't seem to get rid of all of it. When I got the bass from the factory, it was perfect, but of course I had to muck with it. What does buzz along the first few frets signify? Neck too loose? Too tight? Up high, the bass plays totally great, no buzz at all. Everything around the 12th fret is fine. It's all happening around the first five frets or so... Any advice would be almost unbelievably welcome. | ||
| ed_r
Junior Username: ed_r Post Number: 40 Registered: 10-2005 |
Raise the nut a tiny teeny bit. Leave the truss rod alone, it's most effective from around 7th fret to the body joint. Just raise the nut a little, that's all, and let it settle. It'll be fine. | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 40 Registered: 2-2005 |
Dang, you're quick. I'll try that, though I thought that was only good for buzzing on open strings... Thanks | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 523 Registered: 11-2002 |
Ed is correct - though so are you. Raising the nut will reduce buzz in the first few fret positions (3-5, probably not all the way to 7), and also for the open string. Remember that you can adjust either side, so just do the one that is bothering you. It's great that you decided to muck with it. The people doing setups at Alembic (mostly James, I think) are great - but they will never be able to know exactly how you play. I started messing with mine within hours of getting it home. Congrats. -Bob | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 41 Registered: 2-2005 |
my biggest problem is "leaving it alone to let it settle" part. what kills me is that I had it perfect, absolutely perfect, for a little while... I lifted the nut and it seemed to help a bit, so I'll wait till tomorrow, and if necessary, raise it up again... It's true that the truss rod doesn't seem to affect if much one way or the other in that area. | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 42 Registered: 2-2005 |
glamorous photo here, though it's kind of small: www.hb3.com there's also some audio samples on the site, though nothing featuring the new instrument...yet...but there is some interesting stuff w/ a piccolo bass... | ||
| ed_r
Junior Username: ed_r Post Number: 42 Registered: 10-2005 |
Upside down American Flags aren't all that glamorous to me. Your guitar's made of wood. Even covered in polyester finish, it's going to move with the weather. It won't swell or shrink anywhere near as much as some, because the polyester seals any moisture out- but it also seals moisture IN too, so there's nowhere for it to evaporate out of the woods. What this results in is a slight swelling when you play it for long periods due to heat from the friction from your hands and fingers, followed by a slight shrinkage soon after you stop playing. So, the neck's going to move a little or a lot depending on how hot the surface will get. Though humidity doesn't play as STRONG a role, it's still important ,and temperature and amount of light will, also. Pay attention to th etemperature fo the surface on the front and back of the neck, it's a good clue. Best suggestion? You want to set it up when it's most likely going to be in the same condition it'll be in when you play it. If you're gigging 45 minutes at a time, play the thing for 10 minutes, then tweak it, then play it for another 10-20 minutes and see where it goes. If you're a couch player, you might have to do a little more compromising, but even couch players can play 45 minutes to an hour at a time and the neck will get warmer. So you be the judge- if it's going to be a workhorse, work it before you tweak it, because it needs to get loose , to be in fighting condition, before you can get it right on. | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 43 Registered: 2-2005 |
that darn flag seems to change depending on what website's it's on... http://radioenigma.com/pv.html | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 44 Registered: 2-2005 |
I haven't gigged with this bass yet, though I suppose I'll have to give in to temptation eventually. The weather has been as extreme as it gets in Los Angeles -- an unbearably hot summer followed by some very bizarre rain storms, including some highly frenetic hail last weekend, so, yes, it does seem as though the neck's been expanding/contracting... | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 2772 Registered: 6-2000 |
Wow, we had a little hail a couple weeks ago too. Were you able to get your bass adjusted? | ||
| hb3
Junior Username: hb3 Post Number: 45 Registered: 2-2005 |
just saw this...yes, actually it's fine now, behaving quite normally. it seemed to go a little crazy for awhile, I don't know why. it's really the most unbelievable instrument. | ||
| ox_junior
Advanced Member Username: ox_junior Post Number: 300 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'll say the weather has been extreme here in LA! I had my Spyder adjusted during a cold snap, about 3 weeks ago, thinking the weather would pretty much stay that way for a few months. Then our Quadrophenia production opened in Orange County. The Santa Ana winds blew in and the weather became completely dry and the temp jumped into the upper 80's. The action on the Spyder changed dramatically right before showtime - had to play it with the action much much higher than I like (and subsequently lost a bit of dexterity). I didn't want to mess with it for fear of losing my intonation (I'm an amateur at making my own adjustments to action and intonation). Guess I'll have to practice it now though! Hope I don't knock my Spyder so far out of whack it becomes unplayable. I'll go slow and use the official Alembic instructions, plus everyone's advice... |
