Any Thoughts on Neck Relief

[Pete si]

I’m curious how much of a bow, if any, does anybody consider too much before adjusting the truss rods. I’ve heard some people say they like a slight bow while others like the neck dead straight.

[rv_bass]

I need a slight bow because I pluck the strings up near the neck pickup and tend to apply a bit of pressure when doing so, which can result in the strings slapping against the frets.  So to eliminate that I have a slight bow and adjust the bridge height and angle.  I still like low action, so the bow is minimal, just enough to eliminate most of the string slap.  That is my approach, but it comes down to what you are comfortable with.

[jacko]

Because I tend to dig in and play quite hard I have to dial in enough relief to stop the strings rattling. with the first and 24th frets pressed, that equates to around 2mm on the G string and 3mm on the B string.


Graeme

[gearhed289]

I always have a little relief. I've never actually measured it, I just go by look and feel. I whack the strings pretty hard, and a little relief seems to give me the response I like.

[jacko]

It has to be said, living in Scotland, relief is something I have to adjust almost weekly to keep up with the vagaries of our weather.

Graeme

[lbpesq]

I like enough relief so that when you press the string down at the first fret and where it meets the body, there is about a thin pick’s thickness of relief at the midpoint.

Bill, tgo

[growlypants]

jacko:  I thought Atlanta was bad, with the humidity swings.  (I adjust the neck just a bit, every 6 months, or so.)  But almost WEEKLY... that's a bit rough!

[Pete si]

Here in New York City over the past few years the weather has been relatively even. The winters have been warmer than usual while the summers have been on the hot side. In ~15 years that I’ve owned my epic I adjusted it once. I’ve noticed a slight bow now but I’m debating whether or not to do an adjustment. I capo the first fret and hold down the 17th and while in a playing position I slide a 6/64 feeler and if it slides easy then I leave it alone. So far it’s met that criteria.

[jacko]

My Epic is the same. The neck never moves. Maybe it's a characteristic of the set neck. Both my neck-thrus shift regularly.

Graeme

[bigredbass]

It all depends on the player, the strings used, and the bass:  Wood varies, some require more attention over time than others, though generally the older a piece, the more it tends to stay put, though there's no absolutes with wood.

Alembics tend to stay put set-up wise relative to a lot of other brands due to the laminated necks, and the 1/4" ebony fingerboards are plenty 'reinforcement' to the double truss rods.   

I tend towards a relatively flat fingerboard, so for me, around 10 to 12/1000ths relief (this is measuring the gap with feeler gages) is where it feels right to me.  The only real importance is how it feels to you, there is no 'right' answer.  I've been doing my own adjustments now for so long, I'm very used to what those numbers feel like, and my hands will tell me when things are starting to creep away, and typically, my Alembics required very occasional attention to this, they were just very stable.

[edwin]

I like enough relief so that when you press the string down at the first fret and where it meets the body, there is about a thin pick’s thickness of relief at the midpoint.

Bill, tgo

When I toured with my David King fretless 5, I would adjust the neck at least a couple times a week just to deal with the various climates. Colorado to Oregon and in between is quite a range. But, the bass is easily adjusted and with a fretless, you want to get just that exactly perfect amount of relief to get the wonderful fretless tone. Most people probably would bother.

[cozmik_cowboy]

I always set the neck dead straight unstrung; stringing & tuning to pitch almost always makes it perfect for me; if not, it's seldom more than a 1/4 turn away.

Peter

[keith_h]

For my fretted basses I set the relief holding the string at the 1st and 24th fret and measuring with a Fender heavy pick at the 7th fret. I look for a bit of drag much like setting the valves on a car. For my fretless I set the relief mostly by the sound. I am looking for the strings hitting the fretboard and giving the mwah with a bit of grit up the full neck. The result is a bit of relief but not a lot.

[gearhed289]

I always set the neck dead straight unstrung; stringing & tuning to pitch almost always makes it perfect for me; if not, it's seldom more than a 1/4 turn away.

Peter

I like this idea. I think I'll give it a try over the holidays.