Hi there. I’ve got a maple neck 1975 Fender Precision Bass that’s been in my possession since 1992. The issue I have is that while I can get the action quite low on the D and G string, attempting to do likewise with the A and E strings produces buzzing, but only at the 12th fret. It plays low and fine everywhere else. This neck is all original and has had nothing done to the frets, probably in its 40 odds years of existence. It still plays pretty well but the action on the A and E strings needed to stop the buzzing is definitely higher, and something I’d like to avoid.
A few years ago I’d taken the bass in for a setup at a Brooklyn shop and the guy working there said the neck was twisted and that’s what was causing the buzzing. If it is twisted, I can’t easily see it. His proposed remedy was pretty nuts: He wanted to strip the frets, sand down the fret board on the A/E string side, refret and re-tint the fretboard, which has a pretty sweet look given its age. This sounded like insane overkill. I few years back I had an Ovation Magnum with terrible bowing and a non-functional truss rod. Sent it to a guy in Texas who heated the neck and completely restored it. Said he could do the same with a twisted neck.
So with all of that, what do you think I should do? Could a luthier do a little fretwork at the 12th position and get me the low action I want? Is something more serious called for? This is my forever bass and I’d like to get it back to tiptop shape.
A few years ago I’d taken the bass in for a setup at a Brooklyn shop and the guy working there said the neck was twisted and that’s what was causing the buzzing. If it is twisted, I can’t easily see it. His proposed remedy was pretty nuts: He wanted to strip the frets, sand down the fret board on the A/E string side, refret and re-tint the fretboard, which has a pretty sweet look given its age. This sounded like insane overkill. I few years back I had an Ovation Magnum with terrible bowing and a non-functional truss rod. Sent it to a guy in Texas who heated the neck and completely restored it. Said he could do the same with a twisted neck.
So with all of that, what do you think I should do? Could a luthier do a little fretwork at the 12th position and get me the low action I want? Is something more serious called for? This is my forever bass and I’d like to get it back to tiptop shape.
