Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: UglyBuzzard on September 29, 2022, 02:59:38 PM
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Would like to get the Spyder a professional set up and just don't want to leave it with anyone.
Any suggestions in Orange County?
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KR recently had one of his basses worked on by a well known tech in LA, but I can’t remember the name or finder he thread, maybe he will chime in with a suggestion.
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Found it, here is the name of a tech in LA you might want to contact:
Norik Renson in LA
I have never used him, so I don’t know what kind of work he specializes in.
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Rob, Norik Renson in LA does my basses, and takes care of many of the touring and session players who work in LA. He re-fretted my/your '78.
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This shop in Laguna did a fret level on my '66 P Bass, and it plays well. https://www.theguitarshoppe.com/
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Don't forget Joey's classic post (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311.0) (albeit recently updated by Joey). Anything short of fretwork you can do yourself.
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Beat me to it! Yes, those instructions are very clear and easy to follow. And only you can set up your own instrument exactly the way you want it. Unless your luthier knows your playing style and preferences really well (and since you're looking for a new luthier, that probably won't be the case), the best they can do is a "best guess" setup. There's a good chance you'll be going back either because it's too high for you or it buzzes everywhere when you play.
If you haven't done this before, I'll offer a few more suggestions. I like to slack off the strings when adjusting the truss rods and bridge height to take pressure off the mechanisms. Also, when I'm adjusting a truss rod, I apply some gentle back pressure on the headstock, also taking pressure off the adjuster nut.
When the relief is close to ideal, very small adjustments can make a big difference. 1/6 or 1/12 of a turn of the nut (judged by the flats of the nut) is a good amount. And like Joey said, let it settle after the change.
I bought a deluxe set of feeler gauges (in .001" increments) at the auto parts store. Out of the package, it felt like they were soaked in SAE 30 motor oil. I had to clean them with mineral spirits and wipe them dry before they were allowed out of the garage and into the same room as my bass.
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This shop in Laguna did a fret level on my '66 P Bass, and it plays well. https://www.theguitarshoppe.com/
I have used them in the past - issues is they take a couple of weeks and your bass just sits there. Also, the last job was not as good as in the past. Handed my my acoustic bass with horrible fret buzz. Old guy came running out the back when he heard and a half hour later, it was like butter. So happy I was not in a hurry and tested while there...
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Sorry to be late to the party (I don't venture into this end of the board much these days), but a good friend of mine in LA mentioned being happy with the work John Carruthers did on his bass (not an Alembic; a '76 P-Bass that was heavily modded on a plan he & I drew up about '81).
Peter
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I hate to do this as he will only get busier.
Tried out Doc at The Guitar Doctor in Costa Mesa he is legit…
Truly an artist and a players luthier…