Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: evanfantastic on March 10, 2009, 09:13:54 AM

Title: Set up
Post by: evanfantastic on March 10, 2009, 09:13:54 AM

i recently got my hands on a spoiler. i took it down to bass northwest, here in seattle, to get it set up. supposedly this bass had been sitting under a bed for a while. there was a lot of buzz in the a string and some notes on the upper board were lacking a lot of sustain. they did a great job setting it up, but it didn't hold and the neck straightened out again, and it started buzzing again. i took it back, they adjusted it again, and after 2 days it straightened out again. i really don't want this to be an unending battle. it's the fastest, smoothest playing bass, i've ever owned and i'd be really bummed to give up on it. any suggestions?

Title: Set up
Post by: lbpesq on March 10, 2009, 09:21:38 AM

Evan:
 
Welcome to the club and congrats on your Spoiler.  You're in store for a wonderful ride on the Alembic roller-coaster.  As for how to set up your instrument, see  Joey's Post on Setting Up Your Bass (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311).  Everyone around here swears by it.
 
Bill, the guitar one

Title: Set up
Post by: funkyjazzjunky on March 10, 2009, 10:02:08 AM

Welcome to the Club

Title: Set up
Post by: mica on March 10, 2009, 12:25:36 PM

How recently did you get the Spoiler, and was it shipped to you or did you pick it up locally? What strings are you using?

Title: Set up
Post by: evanfantastic on March 10, 2009, 02:52:28 PM

my dad actually drove down from seattle to portland to get it. it's been in my possession for roughly a month. so no, it wasn't shipped in any way. i'm using thomastik-infeld, 45-105, although i'm considering switching to a 47-65-85-107 set up, after a talk with a bass buddy. the strings are brand new. as helpful as that post, on setting up you bass is, honestly the whole double rod neck kind of intimidates me a bit, as far as setting up the bass myself.

Title: Set up
Post by: kenbass4 on March 10, 2009, 03:46:42 PM

Evan,
 
While I don't personally use Thomastik-Infields, I've heard that their strings are very low tension. The truss rods on your bass are there to counteract string tension, so the less string tension, the more likely you'll get the neck springing back to the point of string rattle, unless you loosen your truss rods. One suggestion, if you don't want to change the type of string you use, is to loosen both truss rods equally to hand tight, and tune the bass up a half step, and let it stay like that that for a couple of days. After two or three days, come back, tune it to pitch, and see where your action is. Work slowly, and eventually you will be able to get the bass to behave the way YOU want it to.
 
Good Luck
 
Ken

Title: Set up
Post by: evanfantastic on March 10, 2009, 04:12:59 PM

thanks for the tip ken. patience isn't my most dominate characteristic, but i'll do damned near anything to make this bass sing like i'm well aware she's able to.  
 
i've never been one to really work on my instruments, i'm always afraid i'm going send them to the grave, since i am rather impatient.  
 
this is my first time using the thomastik-infelds actually. for years i've sworn by my dr hi-beams. i'd never try anything but on my fender. but i figured, new bass, new strings. they have phenomenal tone though.
 
thanks again.

Title: Set up
Post by: dadabass2001 on March 10, 2009, 04:24:59 PM

Your spoiler with DR Hi Beams will come close to a John Entwistle tone. Likewise Rotosound Swing Bass. I had both on my 81 Distillate in 2001 & 2002, although i have since gone to TI Jazz Flats. I still string my fretted Epic with DR Hi Beams.
 
Mike

Title: Set up
Post by: terryc on March 12, 2009, 09:55:17 AM

evanfantastic..welcome to our world and congrats on the Spoiler.
Basses and guitars are not quantum science and Joey's set up thread is THE bible for set ups on Alembics.
Patience young jedi and the Alembic force will come to you.
Seriously, you will get mountains of info on here but do take your time with any adjustments when you first attempt them.
Read Joey's instructions then
Read them again then
Read them again then
begin your set up and take your time.
As you become more proficient it will seem that you have nothing to be afraid of..Alembics are very tough and short of driving a truck over it, they can take a lot of punishment..but don't give it please.
best of luck and keep in touch

Title: Set up
Post by: David Houck on March 13, 2009, 09:56:09 PM

Since it was fine right after Bass NW set it up, my guess is that the bridge is fine and you just need to, gradually, loosen the truss rod nuts.  Loosen both nuts the same amount.  Start with just an eighth or quarter turn and try that for a day or so.  Then if it needs some more, another eighth or quarter.  Etc.
 
It may be the case that the humidity in your environment is higher than the humidity in the bass's last home, and the neck is stretching out some as a result.  The neck on my bass is quite sensitive to changes in humidity, and I just adjust accordingly.
 
The TI set that is 45 - 105 is probably the Infeld Superalloy Hexcore.  They are not nearly as light in tension as the TI Jazz Rounds or Jazz Flats.