Neck setup -0:50 An ideal neck relief for low action is a slight bow where the middle of the neck is slightly lower. Hold the bass in playing position. E string - “fret” the string at the 1st and 17th fret markings. In the middle, approximately at the 7th fret marking, the space between the string and the neck should be a fraction of a mm. Adjust the truss rod as necessary. Repeat for each string. Nut setup: Fret at the 2nd fret line. 0.5mm is on the higher side Bridge saddles: Outer strings first. Base adjustment on its sound (absence of buzz, adequate sustain) Middle strings next. Use a radius gauge or your eye. Intonation: Play the 1st harmonic (12th fret) and then “fret” the string with your nail at the 12th fret line. Adjust string length at the saddle. Pickup height: Push down E string at the highest fret marking. Aim for 2-3mm distance between bottom of string and each pickup.
Bought a JB-40FL about a year ago and love it! Swapped out the strings for flats and a few quick tweaks to dial in the intonation on the D string was all it needed and it has been amazing!
This is so timely! I just de-fretted a cheap kit bass last weekend because the fret work was horrible. I've filled the slots with plastic and re-radiused the fretboard. Now I can give it a proper setup. Thanks!!
Few things, the guitar needs to be tuned to pitch and adjustment checked before and after, every time, even from the beginning when tweaking neck relief at the outset of the setup procedure. Also keep in mind your setup will only be relative to a specific tuning pitch/tension with the strings/gauges you use, so make sure you’re doing what is appropriate for your taste and tactile sense. After nut and bridge height adjustments, string length comes next, but even though pickup height is last, make sure pickups are low enough not to affect tone adversely to successfully make it to the last step!
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and skills! I enjoy playing my 1968 Hagstrom F400 fretless bass again for the first time in a long time 🙂
The first thing I ever bought from Thomann was an acoustic fretless bass! It had a very brutal flaw, but I was to inexperienced to call support. The scale/intonation at the (acoustic) bridge was nowhere near what the side markers would suggest. What followed was a learning trip for me learning all about scale lengths, printing out a fret template according to my best measurements, and drawing fret markers on the fretboard binding. Hell, for 150 I learned a lot, the bass still plays fine to this day 😍
This is exactly why fret markers on fretless instruments do more harm than good. If it didn't have lines on it you could have just played it and it would be fine, but because the manufacturer put lines onto the fingerboard that didn't match the scale of the instrument then you had the issue
I would use the radius gauge under the strings at the bridge. Have the two middles strings set up high and adjust them down until they touch the gauge. You want the bottoms of the strings to match the neck radius (but it probably doesn't really make much of a difference!)
when doing intonation adjustments on fretless basses, I find it useful to use the blade of a butter knife to accurately fret the note at the twelfth fret position. use caution to not damage the surface of the fret board or the string windings.
Good trick! Many turn their fingers so that the nail is acting as that butter knife. There are many ways of doing it and as long as you can be as accurate as possible, it's all good. :) Cheers //Kris
My fretless bass is arriving tomorrow, and I’m searching for some tech tips, your tips are very useful for my case, I play fretted bass and you mentioned some small differences between them, very helpful. Thanks!
Always adjust bridge first, which affect buzz above 12 fret, as the angle between strings and fingerboard affect the neck curvature. But vice versa, neck curvature doesn't affect buzz above 12 fret, so it should go last.
Setting the intonation by using your finger creates uneven intonation and intonation problems all across the neck. Each finger has different "intonation point" due to bone/flesh and press ratio, and point of pressure varies in certain positions. Not to mention, that luthier's fingertip can be much different than bassist's. To properly set the intonation you should use consistent tool, such as an edge of credit card that is put directly on 12th "fret" marker. It creates a consistent system you can rely on.
I usually go for lowest fret and highest fret as a measurement. If it buzzes then it's too low. Especially when the neck is adjusted, then I go for pickup height. But overall this is extremely important for a good sound, thank you ❤️
Yes, adjust mwah to taste👉😉 I personally prefer a little bit lower action on fretless, than I do on the fretted basses.. fretless jazz bass is the one!
I just bought a project 5 string fretless that was returned for string buzz. I believe with a truss and height adjustment it will be fine.....P.S. I also am going to have to replace the jack because it looses signal when you move the plug.
@@charlescdt6509 you're really gonna want a luthier for that. If the lines areoff even a little bit and you're using them and not your ear intonation will be impossible. As far as filling the slots there are four main options that I've encountered: 1. Plastic strips (common in factory made instruments like my Fender jazz); 2. Thin wood veneer, often maple; 3. Wood glue/filler (aka the Jaco route); and 4. Glue mixed with wood dust. 2 and 4 impact playing the least from my limited experience.
@@charlescdt6509 Also, make sure you get lines on the side of the neck at the same time. My fretless doesn't have that (though I'm planning on having a luthier add them) and it can make checking my hand position difficult in dim illumination unless I angle the bass slightly so I can see the front of the neck. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out!
Intonation: a luthier gave me a very good tip for intonating a fretless. Take an Allen key/wrench and press it down on the string above the 12th fret line or marker on the side of the neck. Then check the tuning against the open string or harmonic. It is failsafe, acurate and has worked well for me.
Question regarding intonation, since the 12th position marker is made of two dots, and I should 'fret' it exactly on the marker, where is the exact point then?
No, you should fret it in the position where the fret would be. To be honest, doing the intonation on a fretless instrument is never going to be accurate, but it's a fretless instrument so it doesn't actually matter, so long as it's in about the right place. Violinists and double bass players don't have nearly the level of adjustment that we do and they get along fine. Intonation adjustment is more important for fretted instruments because the frets can't move, whereas your fingers can. Theoretically, a fretless instrument would work perfectly fine with no adjustability at all, so long as the initial setup is done well. Lap steel guitars have bridges that have no compensation and they sound fine. A fretless instrument is only as well intonated as the player, because even a dramatically different bridge position can be played in tune across all the strings, so long as the strings themselves are reasonably intonated relative to one another. It would just be a different scale length with the distances between notes stretching and shrinking.
I think most people will agree that there is no right or wrong, just personal preferences. I definitely prefer flat wound strings and a normal gauge (45-100), but that's just me. 👍 Just keep in mind, that round wound strings are not fretboard friendly. You will see notches in the wood after a time, which can be really annoying when you play. Cheers //Kris
Depends on a number of factors including personal style and what kind of tone you want. Some players actually like roundwounds. They tend to get quite a bit more growl on a fretless compared to flats. But, they will tear up your fretboard over time unless you have that proper near perfect fretboard hand technique. I love Labella's low tension flexible flats myself but will switch to daddario chrome flats when im playing "heavier" kind of stuff. The chromes are fairly beefy and have quite a bit more bottom end punch. Try a number of different kinds of strings out and you'll find what works for you.
Hey James, out of the last 4 Guitar Tech Tips episodes 2 were for bass players and Julia has a new bass video out every Friday. That's not too bad, isn't it? ✌️Cheers //Kris
Hello : I have a Jaco Pastorius Fender Jazz Fretless Bass made in the USA. I have had it for 3 years this month ( June ) and have played it pretty much everyday unless something comes up. Meaning I have played it to death. Now my Bass Strings Rattles and sounds like their hitting the neck or pickups but its not. So I put New Strings on it this week but now they sound even worse. What's you thoughts on this ??? Thanks and Great Video. Terry
I have been told when this takes place and you know for sure the string is NOT leaving marks where it hits,in this case does not hit the finger board.The culprit is in the bridge ! A spring perhaps is rattling and that gets picked up as that nasty unwanted noise.
I know this comment is 2 years old. But if you've had the bass for 3 years how often have you had the setup checked. Wood moves with temperature/humidity changes. The strings could be buzzing because it simply needs adjusted due to temperature/humidity changes. Where I live I have hot humid summers and cold dry winters some Instruments need slight adjustments when the season changes. Even ones that don't need tweaked as often I still check at least once a year when cleaning/maintencing the instrument.
This is what I mean with fitting gauge nut files: ruclips.net/video/Z-uxEydowio/видео.html In this episode I'm showing it on a guitar, but it's literally the exact same thing for basses too. You just need a .045 gauge file for the G string, a .065 file for the D string, etc. And you can see it in this video too, this time on a bass (from 13:11) ruclips.net/video/BxuHZwoZ6S8/видео.html Cheers //Kris
Surely the nut slots should be level with the fret board? Any neck relief will then provide the required gap. For saddle height I always hold the string on the second from highest fret and press the string onto the highest fret (should be barely any movement).
Hi Paul, definitely not. If the nut slots are only as tall as the fretboard you'll only have buzz when playing the lower register, especially the open strings. As told in the video, I check the nut height the same way as you described it: push down the second "fret" and check if there's a little play above the first "fret". Cheers //Kris
Hi, yes indeed. I mentioned that I have to loosen the truss rod, because the neck is almost dead straight. 1:21 "if the string sits on the fretboard, you have to loosen that truss rod a little bit. That's exactly what I'll have to do on this bass". You're not crazy, don't worry. Haha! //Kris
Not really. Just play the harmonic, then fret the note in the same position. Honestly, it's not that important outside of getting the strings intonated relative to one another. The notes are still there, they're just slightly closer or further away from one another depending on how far the saddle is from the nut
mate, this is hell of terrible sound of fretless. and actually, third MarcMul. i've heard witch sounds like this. so sad. But adjusting tips realy great, good work. take care!
where is the growl, the singing, the „Mwah“? Why you play on that fretless like you would play on a fretted? You forgot the „special features“ of a fretless in comparison to a fretted.
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Neck setup -0:50
An ideal neck relief for low action is a slight bow where the middle of the neck is slightly lower.
Hold the bass in playing position.
E string - “fret” the string at the 1st and 17th fret markings. In the middle, approximately at the 7th fret marking, the space between the string and the neck should be a fraction of a mm.
Adjust the truss rod as necessary.
Repeat for each string.
Nut setup:
Fret at the 2nd fret line.
0.5mm is on the higher side
Bridge saddles:
Outer strings first.
Base adjustment on its sound (absence of buzz, adequate sustain)
Middle strings next.
Use a radius gauge or your eye.
Intonation:
Play the 1st harmonic (12th fret) and then “fret” the string with your nail at the 12th fret line.
Adjust string length at the saddle.
Pickup height:
Push down E string at the highest fret marking. Aim for 2-3mm distance between bottom of string and each pickup.
Bought a JB-40FL about a year ago and love it! Swapped out the strings for flats and a few quick tweaks to dial in the intonation on the D string was all it needed and it has been amazing!
Yeah man, those are fun basses! And now... it's Jaco time! 💪 😅 //Kris
This is so timely! I just de-fretted a cheap kit bass last weekend because the fret work was horrible. I've filled the slots with plastic and re-radiused the fretboard. Now I can give it a proper setup. Thanks!!
Go Jaco!
Few things, the guitar needs to be tuned to pitch and adjustment checked before and after, every time, even from the beginning when tweaking neck relief at the outset of the setup procedure. Also keep in mind your setup will only be relative to a specific tuning pitch/tension with the strings/gauges you use, so make sure you’re doing what is appropriate for your taste and tactile sense. After nut and bridge height adjustments, string length comes next, but even though pickup height is last, make sure pickups are low enough not to affect tone adversely to successfully make it to the last step!
Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and skills! I enjoy playing my 1968 Hagstrom F400 fretless bass again for the first time in a long time 🙂
The first thing I ever bought from Thomann was an acoustic fretless bass!
It had a very brutal flaw, but I was to inexperienced to call support.
The scale/intonation at the (acoustic) bridge was nowhere near what the side markers would suggest.
What followed was a learning trip for me learning all about scale lengths, printing out a fret template according to my best measurements, and drawing fret markers on the fretboard binding.
Hell, for 150 I learned a lot, the bass still plays fine to this day 😍
This is exactly why fret markers on fretless instruments do more harm than good.
If it didn't have lines on it you could have just played it and it would be fine, but because the manufacturer put lines onto the fingerboard that didn't match the scale of the instrument then you had the issue
I would use the radius gauge under the strings at the bridge. Have the two middles strings set up high and adjust them down until they touch the gauge. You want the bottoms of the strings to match the neck radius (but it probably doesn't really make much of a difference!)
when doing intonation adjustments on fretless basses, I find it useful to use the blade of a butter knife to accurately fret the note at the twelfth fret position. use caution to not damage the surface of the fret board or the string windings.
Good trick! Many turn their fingers so that the nail is acting as that butter knife. There are many ways of doing it and as long as you can be as accurate as possible, it's all good. :) Cheers //Kris
You can use a credit card.
My fretless bass is arriving tomorrow, and I’m searching for some tech tips, your tips are very useful for my case, I play fretted bass and you mentioned some small differences between them, very helpful. Thanks!
On a fretless the nut is usually cut lower and the necks a set more strait then a fretted bass.
Always adjust bridge first, which affect buzz above 12 fret, as the angle between strings and fingerboard affect the neck curvature. But vice versa, neck curvature doesn't affect buzz above 12 fret, so it should go last.
Love your tech tips, Kris. Can you do a Highwood Saddles upgrade video in the future?
Setting the intonation by using your finger creates uneven intonation and intonation problems all across the neck. Each finger has different "intonation point" due to bone/flesh and press ratio, and point of pressure varies in certain positions. Not to mention, that luthier's fingertip can be much different than bassist's. To properly set the intonation you should use consistent tool, such as an edge of credit card that is put directly on 12th "fret" marker. It creates a consistent system you can rely on.
I usually go for lowest fret and highest fret as a measurement. If it buzzes then it's too low. Especially when the neck is adjusted, then I go for pickup height. But overall this is extremely important for a good sound, thank you ❤️
Godsend! exactly when going to setup fretless on weekend
That's awesome man! Have fun! //Kris
Lowering the strings closer to the board gives more mwah sound. Just fyi
Yes, adjust mwah to taste👉😉 I personally prefer a little bit lower action on fretless, than I do on the fretted basses.. fretless jazz bass is the one!
I just bought a project 5 string fretless that was returned for string buzz. I believe with a truss and height adjustment it will be fine.....P.S. I also am going to have to replace the jack because it looses signal when you move the plug.
So both sides of the pickups the same hight ? Thanks Chris
I really liked this video.Your playing was great too :>)
Thank you! //Kris
Awesome as always. What would be the best way to line a fretless? Also, could you do a vs between hollow body bass and simi-hollow body bass?
Thanks! What do you mean by "line a fretless"? Do you mean the fret lines? //Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses My fretless doesnt have the markers (lines) and i would like to add them to make playing it a little easier.
@@charlescdt6509 you're really gonna want a luthier for that. If the lines areoff even a little bit and you're using them and not your ear intonation will be impossible. As far as filling the slots there are four main options that I've encountered: 1. Plastic strips (common in factory made instruments like my Fender jazz); 2. Thin wood veneer, often maple; 3. Wood glue/filler (aka the Jaco route); and 4. Glue mixed with wood dust. 2 and 4 impact playing the least from my limited experience.
@@jamcam9 cool thank you.
@@charlescdt6509 Also, make sure you get lines on the side of the neck at the same time. My fretless doesn't have that (though I'm planning on having a luthier add them) and it can make checking my hand position difficult in dim illumination unless I angle the bass slightly so I can see the front of the neck. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out!
Intonation: a luthier gave me a very good tip for intonating a fretless. Take an Allen key/wrench and press it down on the string above the 12th fret line or marker on the side of the neck. Then check the tuning against the open string or harmonic. It is failsafe, acurate and has worked well for me.
I use my nail for that purpose, works well!
One of the best investments I made was a set of radius gauges.
What gauge and type of strings did you use?
Question regarding intonation, since the 12th position marker is made of two dots, and I should 'fret' it exactly on the marker, where is the exact point then?
No, you should fret it in the position where the fret would be.
To be honest, doing the intonation on a fretless instrument is never going to be accurate, but it's a fretless instrument so it doesn't actually matter, so long as it's in about the right place.
Violinists and double bass players don't have nearly the level of adjustment that we do and they get along fine.
Intonation adjustment is more important for fretted instruments because the frets can't move, whereas your fingers can.
Theoretically, a fretless instrument would work perfectly fine with no adjustability at all, so long as the initial setup is done well.
Lap steel guitars have bridges that have no compensation and they sound fine.
A fretless instrument is only as well intonated as the player, because even a dramatically different bridge position can be played in tune across all the strings, so long as the strings themselves are reasonably intonated relative to one another. It would just be a different scale length with the distances between notes stretching and shrinking.
Would like to know more about which strings are better for fretless bass: thinner vs thicker, rounds vs flats vs tapes, etc…
I think most people will agree that there is no right or wrong, just personal preferences. I definitely prefer flat wound strings and a normal gauge (45-100), but that's just me. 👍 Just keep in mind, that round wound strings are not fretboard friendly. You will see notches in the wood after a time, which can be really annoying when you play. Cheers //Kris
Depends on a number of factors including personal style and what kind of tone you want. Some players actually like roundwounds. They tend to get quite a bit more growl on a fretless compared to flats. But, they will tear up your fretboard over time unless you have that proper near perfect fretboard hand technique. I love Labella's low tension flexible flats myself but will switch to daddario chrome flats when im playing "heavier" kind of stuff. The chromes are fairly beefy and have quite a bit more bottom end punch. Try a number of different kinds of strings out and you'll find what works for you.
Retouching and maintain fretless fingerboard... Super Glue.. Epoxy especially with those fret filler strips
Bass content on this channel? It's been 84 years...
👴🏼
Hey James, out of the last 4 Guitar Tech Tips episodes 2 were for bass players and Julia has a new bass video out every Friday. That's not too bad, isn't it? ✌️Cheers //Kris
Hello : I have a Jaco Pastorius Fender Jazz Fretless Bass made in the USA. I have had it for 3 years this month ( June ) and have played it pretty much everyday unless something comes up. Meaning I have played it to death. Now my Bass Strings Rattles and sounds like their hitting the neck or pickups but its not. So I put New Strings on it this week but now they sound even worse. What's you thoughts on this ??? Thanks and Great Video. Terry
I have been told when this takes place and you know for sure the string is NOT leaving marks where it hits,in this case does not hit the finger board.The culprit is in the bridge ! A spring perhaps is rattling and that gets picked up as that nasty unwanted noise.
@@humblegeorge Thanks so much for the information. I really appreciate it. :)
I know this comment is 2 years old. But if you've had the bass for 3 years how often have you had the setup checked. Wood moves with temperature/humidity changes. The strings could be buzzing because it simply needs adjusted due to temperature/humidity changes. Where I live I have hot humid summers and cold dry winters some Instruments need slight adjustments when the season changes. Even ones that don't need tweaked as often I still check at least once a year when cleaning/maintencing the instrument.
What if the acoustic bass has a Piezo system , how do you achieve a perfect setup?
I think the Piezo is part of the saddle and fixed in there.. so there is nothing to adjust.
What do u mean @2:25 ? Thanks
This is what I mean with fitting gauge nut files: ruclips.net/video/Z-uxEydowio/видео.html In this episode I'm showing it on a guitar, but it's literally the exact same thing for basses too. You just need a .045 gauge file for the G string, a .065 file for the D string, etc.
And you can see it in this video too, this time on a bass (from 13:11) ruclips.net/video/BxuHZwoZ6S8/видео.html
Cheers //Kris
I have a Godin fretless bass
Surely the nut slots should be level with the fret board? Any neck relief will then provide the required gap. For saddle height I always hold the string on the second from highest fret and press the string onto the highest fret (should be barely any movement).
Hi Paul, definitely not. If the nut slots are only as tall as the fretboard you'll only have buzz when playing the lower register, especially the open strings. As told in the video, I check the nut height the same way as you described it: push down the second "fret" and check if there's a little play above the first "fret". Cheers //Kris
did he mean loosen? the wrench action looked lefty-loosey? am I crazy?
Hi, yes indeed. I mentioned that I have to loosen the truss rod, because the neck is almost dead straight. 1:21 "if the string sits on the fretboard, you have to loosen that truss rod a little bit. That's exactly what I'll have to do on this bass". You're not crazy, don't worry. Haha! //Kris
The description of setting intonation, the reason I came here, is useless if the fretless bass doesn't have fret markers. :(
Not really.
Just play the harmonic, then fret the note in the same position.
Honestly, it's not that important outside of getting the strings intonated relative to one another.
The notes are still there, they're just slightly closer or further away from one another depending on how far the saddle is from the nut
Don’t fret, it’s easy if ya know how!
mate, this is hell of terrible sound of fretless. and actually, third MarcMul. i've heard witch sounds like this. so sad. But adjusting tips realy great, good work. take care!
People should make scalloped fret less basses. 🤣
🤣
That would be something like a reverse washboard!🙃
The intro rules 😅
Haha, thanks dude! //Kris
Is this guy related to Christopher Walken?
😩 Promo-SM.
where is the growl, the singing, the „Mwah“? Why you play on that fretless like you would play on a fretted? You forgot the „special features“ of a fretless in comparison to a fretted.
Not everyone likes that ‘mwah’ when playing fretless. I play mine like a fretted bass, I just like the sound and feel better than fretted.
So when do you cover how to set it up?
Step 1 learn the bass