Is your bass guitar hard to play? Do you get a metallic rattling sound when fretting notes? Then it is likely that your bass needs a good setup. The basics of a good setup are not hard to learn. We will show you some basics and share some tips for a great bass setup.
First, adjust the action of the neck
What does “setting the action” of a bass guitar mean? When bass players talk about the action on a bass guitar, they usually mean the height or distance of the strings above the fretboard. When that distance is too high, it means the bass is hard to play, and when its too low it usually results in buzzing or rattling of the strings. So setting the right action is very important for optimal playability.
The action is determined by the amount of relief in the neck and the height of the string saddles.To set the action, you first check and set the neck relief and then check and set the proper height of the bridge saddles (always in that order). If you want to learn how to do this, we wrote a simple step by step guide for beginners on how to adjust the action on your bass guitar
Second, adjust the intonation of the notes on the neck
What does “intonation” mean? A correct intonation means that every note played anywhere on the neck is in tune. This is really important if you play higher up the neck. A bass that is not properly intonated will sound in tune on the low notes, but out on tune when played higher up on the neck.You can learn how to set the intonation with our simple step by step guide for beginners on how to adjust the intonation on your bass guitar
