Went to the music shop to have the action on my bass set which i had to do myself because nobody teaches their employees about bass guitars anymore or maybe they never did. Bassists always have it the hardest lol
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
Welcome to TalkBass! Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Bassist Problems
- Thread starter GodPlayedBass
- Start date
-
- Tags
- bass bass 4-string bassist pbass
In this 'Selfie' world I am guessing but probably not many aspiring to be Bass Player
Many have learned to do a set up themselves.
We have put them out of work.
Remember the first time you did your own brake job?
It was easy.
You said"We pay a mechanic to do this?"
Then you learned to replace a bearing.
We have put them out of work.
Remember the first time you did your own brake job?
It was easy.
You said"We pay a mechanic to do this?"
Then you learned to replace a bearing.
I recommend every player learn how to do a basic setup for themselves:
How do I set up my bass guitar properly?
I also highly recommend that people stay AWAY from "music stores" for getting anything done.
Find a stringed-instrument repair-person or luthier in your area, for when you need real work done.
How do I set up my bass guitar properly?
I also highly recommend that people stay AWAY from "music stores" for getting anything done.
Find a stringed-instrument repair-person or luthier in your area, for when you need real work done.
I agree.
I setup up my basses the way I like.
For things like electronics or something more complicated I go to a reputable luthier.
=========================
Great link there. Condenses everything to the basics.....
Thanks
A couple years ago I needed tuner replaced so I took it downtown to a music store that I'm familiar with. The luthier there did a great job for me with the repair and tune up. No complaints. Now, however, I have a good friend living close by who is a superb guitar/pedal steel player and luthier, specializing in pedal steel guitars, who won't even let me pay him for work he does on my basses. I'm livin' the life now!
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Having a set up done at a music store has always been a roll of the dice, unless you knew the specific person doing the work. Add in:
1. Like many retail establishments, most music store employees are low paid and inexperienced.
2. More people have learned to do it themselves, meaning there is less reason to train the he employees to do it.
1. Like many retail establishments, most music store employees are low paid and inexperienced.
2. More people have learned to do it themselves, meaning there is less reason to train the he employees to do it.
I've been pretty lucky in that regard. TBer @walterw works at Alpha Music which is a really nice music store within 15" of my house. Good work is reasonably-priced but be prepared for a slightly-longer turnaround as these guys are busy...reputations spread far 'n wide.
The majority of set-up work can be done on your kitchen table with simple tools but there's always that 5% which requires a special level of attention. For me, it's electronics and fret / fingerboard issues.
Riis
You also have this resource(in principle, guitar and bass set-ups are the same, just the idiosyncratic details are different)...
Get the Perfect Setup | stewmac.com
Another benefit in learning to setup your own bass is that you can basses really cheap if the owner thinks his bass is "broken" and doesn't want to take the time/money to get it fixed.
I find its usually a 1/4 to 1/2 turn of the truss rod, neck shim and adjust the string height.
I find its usually a 1/4 to 1/2 turn of the truss rod, neck shim and adjust the string height.
I do agree on every one alt least knowing the basics of a set up. But I disagree that all music stores are inadequate to the task. I have two in my area. They difference is that they fall under the mom and pop realm. Not a Guitar Center. Just a little more personalized at these places. Been satisfied with the work from the basic to middlin’ to almost advanced stuff. However, if it was for a major overhaul (like a lot reshaping, adding a pickup/routing, major repair, etc)!the luthier might be the way to go. I have a contact just in case. Players should do their homework before they take their axe to anyone.
A lot of music store no longer employ a full time service department. They sub out the tricky stuff, and usually only deal with string replacement, and VERY basic stuff in house. While I agree that everyone should know basic setup, there are those who simply have no interest. Find a good luthier, or tech and get to know him/her.
I didn't actually state ALL, but I'd be willing to bet that most (more than 50%) of 'music store" repairs have not been done to the customer's satisfaction. (unless the customer just didn't care that much or doesn't even understand)
We are commenting about repairs, because the basic setup should be done at home by the user.
Our nearest music store is a mom & pop, but w/o a mom. The owner is there a lot of the time & he's a nice enough guy, but...
I'd never take anything there for an actual repair. The young adult who does work on instruments there botched a fret-leveling on a NEW guitar I bought there. I didn't even notice, but it cost me $60 to get it leveled correctly & the luthier said it was poorly done. Once he showed me the filed spots I wondered how I hadn't noticed myself. It put me off of buying new from there, if they fiddle with them like that! I can buy pre-owned cheaper & have a much larger selection.
I highly recommend finding a stringed-instrument repair-person or luthier in your area. Develop a relationship with that person! (not a 'just in case') If that happens to be at the music store, then so be it.
As mentioned above, Alpha Music, in VA Beach, is one of those places.
Whenever I buy an instrument, I play it for about a week to decide if I'm really going to keep it, adjust the setup one more time, & then take it to the local luthier for his insight.
He often notices things I don't, & the highest I've paid for work was $60. He usually charges me $20 if it's just small things like a quick nut adjustment.
Just was taking you literally when you recommended staying AWAY from all music stores. You didn’t specify a percentage. Just as I glossed over my luthier contact. Yes, my guy has been a good bud for 15 years and a luthier for over 40. He’s “just in case” for my major stuff and he doesn’t come cheap and he takes a long time complete. So I save him for the serious stuff.
Some stores are better than others, apparently for sure, I’ve been lucky with my contacts. I am aware we are talking about repairs. It depends on the severity before I decide who the best choice is. The stores are ok with pickup installation, grounding issues, nut replacement, etc and yes basic set up if they’re already under the hood. (Lol)
Bottom line is for all to do their research and find the best resource to do your work.
Last edited: