Solo SR Style DIY Electric Bass Guitar Kit
Copyright © 2011 Solo Music Gear. All rights reserved
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The height at the first fret can be adjusted by cutting deeper slots for strings at the nut. However, it
needs a very precise job not to spoil the nut. If you are not sure that you can do it properly, stay with
a factory pre-cut nut.
A higher string action makes the guitar harder to play, yet some musicians may prefer it.
Adjusting Neck Relief:
The truss rod compensates for string tension and allows adjusting the neck relief. You may need such
adjustment due to changes of humidity and temperature (or if you switch strings to a different gauge). Lay a
straight edge on the frets of a properly tuned guitar and measure the clearance at the 8th fret (alternatively
you can put a capo on the first fret and press down 6
th
string at 16th fret – then the height of the string at the
8th fret will show you the clearance). Optimal relief for an electric guitar neck must be very small – around
.014”- 024” (0.35 - 0.6mm). Turning the truss rod nut (with the included Allen key) clockwise will reduce neck
relief and turning it counterclockwise will increase the relief. Be very careful with truss rod adjustments and
never turn the nut more than ¼ of a turn at a time.
Adjusting Intonation:
The “speaking length” (or “working length”) of each string can be adjusted by turning the saddle position
adjustment screw. The best intonation can be achieved when the string fretted at the 12 fret sounds precisely
an octave higher than the open string. If the fretted string sounds sharper you need to increase the working
length of the string by moving the saddle away from the neck. If it sounds flat, you need to shorten the
working length of the string by moving the saddle towards the neck. The alternative way to intonate your
guitar is to compare a natural octave harmonic of the open string (you can get it by touching the string exactly
above the 12th and picking it) to the pitch of the string fretted at the 12th fret and adjusting the saddle
position so that they sound the same. This method is less accurate because the fretted string sounds a bit
sharper due to the height of the string, and the higher the action, the sharper it gets.
Adjusting Pickup Height:
Before adjusting the pickup height, make sure that both the volume and tone controls on your bass are set
to the full (“10”) position. Get your amp set to a medium/low volume and all tone controls to the middle.
You will get a better picture of the pickup’s tone change during its height adjustment with a clear sound.
There is no universal “optimal” pickup height position in a setup – it depends on playing style and personal
preferences of a bass player. Remember: bringing a pickup closer to the strings makes it sound brighter, but
bringing it too close will make the magnetic field of the pickup interfere with
the vibration of a string which will, not only result in reduced sustain, but may also cause complex harmonics
sound rather unpleasant. Moving a pickup too far from the strings will result in loss of its output signal and
