lowest action

[Mlazarus]

My 82' series 1 string action is bottomed out. Meaning I can't lower the bridge any further. It plays well, but I want the strings to almost match the height of the area closest to the nut. I wonder if the bridge can be lowered a bit into the body about an 3/32 of an inch. that requires routing. The neck looks straight so I didn't adjust yet.

[mica]

You can always cut the slots in the saddle deeper.

[Mlazarus]

Hi Mica! So i can get a luthier to lower the slots 3/32 deep. BTY, i still want to move my pickup selector to the controls area. can you give me the process of how you would do it for the lustier i talked to. Maybe he can call you or one of your people to do it your way and also to cap off the original area with an LED light. Maybe you can send me the parts. I'll pay.

[adriaan]

You can always adjust the neck to see where you like the fret clearance. And if the nut is adjustable (I thought most of them were by 82) that's another variable to play with. You can easily take those adjustments too far either way, and they're as easily reversed if you need to. Experiment!

Adjust it to where its unplayable, then adjust it back in baby steps to where it's playable again.

[Mlazarus]

adriaan, yes. I do use the truss rod approach too. I lower Riiiiiiight before the buzzing point. This reminds me that the neck IS wood, so temp changes is another variable. I keep the bass in the case until I decide to play it. I live way up in the northeast (Massachusetts), so the temp ALWAYS change. No steady temps here. So, we have to make adjustments. Funny. The bass tends to be flat, so I have to use the tuner to bring the E-A-D-G back in tune, which means the neck it slowly bowing but it's hard to see.

[mica]

Humidity is more of a factor than temperature if the bass is kept where people are. Temperature comes in to play more in places like warehouses and cargo holds of aircraft, but humidity is pretty much the boss of wood movement.

Any good guitar repair person can move the switch for you - there's no rewiring involved, just drilling. They can make a new plate if you need it. For wiring an LED to mount in your plate, you'll have to wait in line a little for Ron's attention. Also note that the LED would usually only be powered with the power supply.

Likewise, any good guitar repair person can cut the slots deeper in the saddles.

[KR]

Per a previous post, try tightening your truss rod until you have a dead straight neck with the bass in-tune---no bow in the neck at all. See where your action is with this adjustment. With a Series 1 bridge and sustain block, you can try to deepen the counter-sunk area around the screw holes in your bridge sustain block. This will allow the two nuts that sit on the bottom of the bridge to adjust deeper into the sustain block. If you already have your bridge bottom resting on the block, then deepening the counter-sunk area under the bottom bridge screws won't help you.                                                                                                                                                                 

[Mlazarus]

The bridge sits about 3/16th above the sustain block, so that means if I cut the slots about 3/32 deeper (like mica said) that can help. Also, Mica, what advice can you give to lower the truss rod plate area, so the gold plate is flush with the body top. A luthier would route it down.

[Mlazarus]

I need the Alembic series 1 truss rod wrench. When the neck is a bow, do you turn the wrench AWAY from the body a 1/4 turn?

[Mlazarus]

I noticed it's just a 1/4-inch wrench. I should have one.

[adriaan]

Righty-tighty - raises the frets towards the strings.

[keith_h]

Clockwise will straighten the neck. The truss rods can be pretty sensitive so I generally don't turn them more than 1/4 turn at a time if I need a gross adjustment. I then let it sit for a bit to let things settle in before adjusting again. Once I have the neck relief set where I like it I've found I usually need no more than to turn the nut one flat in either direction to account for seasonal changes. 

[Mlazarus]

Clockwise would be as if you are turning in the direction of the pickup selector side. Correct?

[pauldo]

Affirmative.  Down towards the ground if you were holding a "righty" bass in a playing position.

[Mlazarus]

Thanks for the affirmation.