Musicman Stingray Classic 5 - Issues with setting up the action

J

jhch14

Feb 21, 2020
5
0
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#1
Hi!

I recently bought a 2011 MusicMan Stingray 5 Classic, and I´ve been trying to get a low action without massive amounts of fret buzz, and it seems not to be possible, at least with this model.

I have played Stingrays in the past with super low action, so I´m worrying that the neck might be messed up, or maybe it´s just the way this model is?

I set it up to my liking and it was buzzing like crazy, and I had to give the neck more relief and adjust the saddles. The action now is not bad, but It’s not how i like it.

Has anyone here had any experience setting up this particular model? What was the lowest action you could get?

I am attaching a Google drive folder with pictures and a reference video. This pictures reflect the way I have it set up now, with the slightly raised action.

‪EBMM SC5 TALKBASS‬‏ - Google Drive

Thanks!!
 
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#3
RSBBass said:
Relief is just one component in setting the action. Ave you checked that the neck is straight? Are the frets level and properly crowned? How is the neck angle.
Click to expand...

The neck seems to be OK from what I can see, now it´s fairly straight but has a little bit of relief. Frets seem to be OK also, with no noticeable dings or anything out of the ordinary.

The way i have it set up now works just fine, but I would like to be able to set it up with lower action and without having terrible fret buzz.
 
#4
I guess the question would be what are your numbers?
It helps immensely to be able to take real measurements of your neck relief and string height to know what adjustments you may need to do to get your desired action

here’s the fender guide
How to Measure Neck Relief on Guitar or Bass

If I’m able to get my string height Around 2mm or a little closer, maybe 1.75mm that works for me
 
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#5
I've been able to get stupid low action on pretty much any EBMM bass. Of course, this requires the frets to be perfectly leveled and crowned. If your neck relief is dialed in and your bridge isn't bottomed out, I'd recommend going over the fretboard with a fret rocker to ensure there aren't any high frets which are preventing you from lowering the action to where you'd like it to be.

If it were a case of your saddles being bottomed out, a neck shim would probably do the trick. But if it's a matter of simply not being able to lower the strings to where you'd like them without them rattling on the frets, it's a good bet you've got a high fret somewhere, or maybe a ski jump at the end of the fretboard. But you definitely want to ensure that all your frets are level.
 
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#6
jhch14 said:
The neck seems to be OK from what I can see, now it´s fairly straight but has a little bit of relief. Frets seem to be OK also, with no noticeable dings or anything out of the ordinary.

The way i have it set up now works just fine, but I would like to be able to set it up with lower action and without having terrible fret buzz.
Click to expand...

Just looking at the frets will let you know if they are properly crowned but not if they are level. You can use a small straight edge, like a credit card to check. Place the card so the it is parallel to strings up against a string and covering frets 1, 2, and 3. If the card rocks on a fret you have a high fret. If there is space between a fret and the card you have a low fret. Now move up a fret to 2, 3, and 4. Repeat your way through all the frets. Now move to the next string and repeat. Take notes. This will determine if you have any high or low frets and should show you if you have a ski slope. Good luck.
 
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