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Floating bridge right? Get a second bridge, sand the bottom of the new bridge down. You'll have to adjust the truss rod once you have the action lower.
This happens sometimes on this type of instrument. The tension of the strings is too great for the construction so it is slowly warping the entire neck angle forward.
Your bridge will probably have to keep being sanded lower and lower until you have no choice but to reset the neck, which is a major procedure.
If it were my instrument I would put the lightest tension strings I could bear on it to delay the eventual reset of the neck.
Your bridge will probably have to keep being sanded lower and lower until you have no choice but to reset the neck, which is a major procedure.
If it were my instrument I would put the lightest tension strings I could bear on it to delay the eventual reset of the neck.
Turnaround
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That was no expert!
It’s difficult to tell from the pic, but my first thought was that the neck needed a truss rod adjustment- it looked as though there was an upbow in the neck. If that were the case a truss rod adjustment would have improved the situation not made it worse. Any halfway competent tech would have explained why a truss rod adjustment would not solve your problem before taking your money.
On these Hofner basses, the action should be set to 3 mm from the top of 12th fret to the bottom of the E string, and 2 mm from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the G string. Take it back to whomever you paid to do the set up and ask for this set up.
Just looking at it from you photo, it appears to have way too much relief in the neck
Just looking at it from you photo, it appears to have way too much relief in the neck
Thanks everybody for replying. I emailed Hofner who told me to go to the shop I bought it off. They originally told me there was nothing wrong with the bass. I showed them Hofner's email and the shop sent them photo's. Hofner have informed me there is a problem with how the neck is seated and are sending me a replacement bass. So a happy outcome at last! Just a little moan though! I bought the guitar from a shop rather than online so issues could be sorted out with little fuss. The shop have apologised however and I will leave it at that.
I'd say you are proved wise to have purchased it from a shop who worked with you to your satisfaction. Good also to read that Hofner recognizes that they made a problematic bass which they are replacing.
Yes, I am pleased with the outcome. I might be old fashioned but I prefer face to face for fixing issues like this.
My Hofner had really high action when I bought it as well. It had the same issue your bass had so I adjusted the truss rod and it did lower the action significantly. I also setup the bridge properly and it's much more playable now. Glad you got your issue sorted out. Honestly most hofners I've played typically have slightly higher action than I'm used to so I always assumed it was just a thing with Hofners.