OK, so most players like the slinky strings with the action low. I said most, not all, but most. There are many ways to skin the proverbial cat, getting the action lower. Today, we are going to refer to guitars and basses with bolt on necks. The first rule in theory is: Tone and Volume are determined by how heavy the strings are and how high they are off the body. The heavier the string, and the higher the action produces more volume and desirable tone. The trick is to get the action low enough for the player's style. Fender, years ago evolved to the micro-tilt adjustment at the neck base. This allowed for pushing the heel of the neck closer to the strings. From there, it is a matter of adjusting the string height at the bridge saddles. By moving the base of the neck out, it requires raising the string saddles up to avoid buzzing. The higher saddle height gives more volume and tone, and the micro-tilt allows for lower action for better playability. With me, so far?
OK, so what if you don't have a micro-tilt at the base of your neck pocket? First check to see how straight the neck is. You want some relief, but not too big a bow, nor the neck bowed backwards. I have a previous post on adjusting the truss rod! It is in a post titled "Acoustic tough to play?" The truss rod adjustment is the same theroy as the acoustic. Loosen the strings
and unbolt the neck. Find some shim material. I like thin plastic, a bit thinner than a credit card. Cut a strip, a bit thinner than 1/2 ", the width of the neck pocket. Place your shim in the neck pocket, so that the very bottom of the back of the neck heel will rest on the shim. Bolt the neck back on, first snugging the screws lightly, taking care to keep the neck straight in the pocket. Next, tighten each screw tight. Re-tension the strings, and you'll find the strings may be resting right on the fingerboard. The next step is to raise the individual string saddle height. You may want to loosen the string you are working on before raising the saddle. Remember that the fingerboard has a radius curve to it and you want to adjust each string saddle to keep with the fingerboard radius. That means that the saddle should not be level on the bridge. One end is going to be higher than the other side of the saddle. Raise each saddle, one at a time and check each string for buzzing along each fret. Once you achieve this, every string should play on every fret without buzzing. Inspect to make sure each string is not grossly higher than it's neighbor string. Remember the radius of the fingerboard. You must mimic the relative same radius of the fingerboard at the saddles. Now that the saddles have been raised higher, you may need to raise the height of the pickups. They should not be so close to the strings that the magnets are pulling at the strings, nor each pickup, the same height. Listen to each pickup alone, and with the others and it should end up where one is not too much louder or softer than the other. You may want the bridge pickup hotter than the rest, but if they are close, it's really personal preference.
What have you ended up with? Higher saddle height for better tone and volume, and nice low string action up and down and across the fingerboard.
Rock on!!!
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