Bass VI MIJ 2013 setup advice and guide?

[R.Robertson]

I am a proud new owner. I know nothing about how to setup a bass let alone one like this. The low E is very floppy. It will barely register as a note on my TU-2. The action is not comfy.

What are generally appropriate measurements for the string above the fingerboard. Mine came out of the box with action at least 1/2" high. How much truss rod tension should I use? Is there any way to adjust the stock bridge without taking off the strings?

Any advice is appreciated thanks

[MrFingers]

The sloppy E is because the stock strings on the VI (all versions: Fender Japan, Mexico, Squier, Custom-shop) are a tad too thin, and that effect is especially noticable on the E-string. Changing the strings to a heavier gauge is what most people (including me) are doing, or just change the E. Problem is that VI-strings aren't that widely available, and the ones that are (D'Addario XL156) are also kinda thin. Since it's a bass, I keep my action fairly high. I'm at 4mm at the 12th fret, and that's the lowest I can & want to go.

As for set-up. It's peculiar, as with most offsets (jaguar, jazzmaster). The bridge-intonation can be done by reversing the bridge (so the screwheads are pointing towards the heastock), that will allow you to bend aside the string, and wedge your screwdriver into the head.

[R.Robertson]

Thank you for the reply williamsanders127, how far in is your truss-rod? I'm hoping i can get this thing in tune and playable using the stock strings.... for now. I may end up sending it back.

[MrFingers]

I have a squier, which has the trussrod at the headstock, not at the heel, so that can't be compared. I do have some vintage basses (jazz & precision), with the heel-adjustment, and the nut sits completely flush with the wood, and should remain so, even when turning. A trussrod is a curved piece of steel inside the wood, and the screw/nut/bolt pushes against the wood, when tightening it, it forces the rod to straighten, thus bowing the neck. IT SHOULD NOT PUSH ITSELF INTO THE WOOD (if it does do that, you have a wonky neck, and have it replaced under warranty)

I ordered the LaBella 767-6F flatwound set, but for now I'm using the stock, thin roundwounds. I don't have the 1" wide bridge that you have, and even I could get my instrument intonated, so you should be able to do so without too much hassle. The bridge-design is just not the most user-friendly for adjustments, we "offsetters" aren't really noticing that anymore, because we're used to it, but for a novice, it's about as annoying as a Floyd Rose. Getting & keeping it in tune can be a challenge, especially with fresh strings like you have with your new instrument, but we can talk you through it. Maybe there's someone handy with offsets in your area who can help you, or a musicstore, or...

Getting it playable: it's a Bass VI, it doesn't feel like regular bass, nor like a regular guitar, it's a thing of it's own, with it's own feel, and you have to approach it like that. I'm known for my very brutal right hand (I use heavy gauge flatwounds on guitar and bass, with a high action, and hit the strings HARD!), yet on the VI, that instrument forces me to play more delicate and subtle, because otherwise it will wank itself out of tune. You really have to grow accustomed to it, like you have to with every guitar/bass you buy, but especially with peculiar instruments like the VI. Don't send it back directly because it doesn't force itself so easily into submission. Be persistent, and keep trying, you'll get there in the end.

The 767-6F strings compared to the standard E-string (roundwound)... Big difference!

[andy_tchp]

Thank you for the reply williamsanders127, how far in is your truss-rod?

This is not how truss rods are adjusted, nor how neck relief is measured.

Fender's setup guides are actually pretty good, and cover neck relief and truss rod adjustments (about half way down):

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/ ... tup-guide/

[zip73]

I have the same MIJ VI as you and it also came with somewhat high action. Out of the box, I noticed just from eyeballing it that the neck was a bit too bowed. Here is what worked for me: I removed the neck screws in a star pattern and carefully took off the neck so I could access the truss rod at the heel. I gave it about a quarter turn clockwise to lessen the bow but not make it absolutely straight and additionally put a shim in the neck pocket made from some thin card stock (thinner than a typical business card) and to a pattern of the factory shim from a 66 Jazzmaster I used to have which is basically rounded on one side to fit the curvature of the neck pocket and straight on the other and long enough to just almost reach the first two neck screws). I put it back together and it was just perfect with much lower action and no fret buzz. After a few weeks of playing it, I got a set of La Bella flatwounds which really gave it the vibe I was looking for. Been enjoying it ever since. I'd say don't lose heart as it is kind of a trial and error thing to get it to your liking. I won't go into using the manual, feeler gauges, capos, etc as some others here have already covered that ground.

[R.Robertson]

Thank you for the helpful advice. I don't know why i thought the truss-rod worked like that, wow really embarrassing lol. I have set up allot of guitars and i always assumed the nut was moving into the wood so slightly i couldn't notice.... Thanks for the encouragement I have been having allot of fun.

I took the neck off and gave it a half turn and lowered the bridge by allot. It sounds and plays great except for that 6th E which is not really working. I don't know how fender lets that happen? I mean its pretty obvious. Besides this the neck pocket and build quality looks great.

All i need now is 1) a case 2) a new pick guard (so matte?) 3) new pickups 5) maybe a new bridge? 6) strings

so like $700 of stuff to change...

How do i order a spitfire tortoise guard? That and the pickup squeal bother me the most. And the E string.

[MrFingers]

"How did Fender let this pass"... Well, it's not that uncommon, it's part of the character of the VI.
It actually is one of the reasons why the VI wasn't really successful in the sixties, it didn't sound "right" (remember, Fender invented the electric bass guitar 10 years prior to the VI, and instead of just leaving it there, it was still being "developed", despite being right from the first time with the P and later the J. Results where the overengineered VI (a bass that plays like a guitar, and has gizmo's no sane bassplayer back in the days would use), and the V, which allowed sessionplayers to play "in position" (not moving the hand down the fretboard when pitching higher notes), so they could keep their eyes on the score in front of them... Both of them didn't really work out as anticipated). The VI didn't sound "right" (as a bass) because the short 30" scale required a standard of strings they could not produce back then + it sounded too different from the P & J, which were (and are?) the benchmark for bass-sounds.

It takes a very decent, preferable thick string to vibrate nicely at a low frequency (like a low E) especially with a shorter scale, and a thick, consistent string that's well crafted costs time... and money. The LaBella 6F6 set costs 72USD. That's a lot of money for "just a pack of strings", especially when you want to make a profit when selling your guitar/bass. So you slap on the strings that are the cheapest to get in a large quantity. To get your lower E better to work, maybe for now raise the pickups a bit on the bass-side. Pickups should be fine. If you're having too much issues with the howling, and it comes from microphonic feedback, you can always remove the metal "claw" surrounding the pickups, that should help. Or get your pickups waxpotted... or replaced.

My priority would be
- strings (+ new, adequate setup for the new strings)


- case (if your planning on taking it out a lot, and throw it in the back of vans. I personally think a nice padded gigbag is easier, more portable and cheaper, but I don't throw stuff in a van)
- pickups (only if the removal of the claw and/or waxpotting didn't solve the howling. The stock pickups on the CIJ aren't bad, but aren't great either, it will upgrade your tone. While doing so, please replace ALL electronics with CTS pots & orange drop capacitors. Your pots will work as pots, not as "on-off switches", and when rolling down the tone/engaging the choke-switch, it does sound better with the OD-capacitor).
- spitfire tort (because an ugly pickguard doesn't do anything with your sound, but Spitfire makes awesome guards, and they sure are better than the "printed vomit motive" that the CIJ (and squier) has)
- new bridge (ONLY if you're having severe buzz or intonation issues, but since you have the 1" wide bridge, the latter shouldn't be an issue, I have a narrower bridge, and I could get my VI intonated)

[BoringPostcards]

Sorry if this was mentioned, but do LaBella make roundwounds? I really dislike flatwounds. I keep those on my cello.

[MrFingers]

YES, the 767-6S

[R.Robertson]

flatwound vs round.... very hard choice to make..... especially at this price point.

[MrFingers]

Flatwounds give that sixties "tick-tack"-sound, and make the VI more suitable as a bass. Rounds are allround (pun not intended), but make the VI sound more like a guitar (like it is now). I go for flats, because I want the vintage sound, and tend to use it more as a bass instead of a guitar (I'm a bassplayer)

[Atomicunderware]

First post on this forum, been lurking for a while.

I received my MIJ Bass VI a few days ago, and am having some setup problems. First thing I did was change the strings, now with a .96 bottom, pretty much standard for the instrument. The action out of the box was also pretty high on mine, and I noticed a very slight neck bow. I have had the neck off maybe five times since I bought it for minor truss rod adjustments, but I just cannot get rid of the fret buzz - particularly on the D and G strings, but present on all six, and all over the fretboard. Initially it was predominantly in the upper register, so removing a little relief helped. But overall, way too much fret buzz, and an action that is higher than I would ideally be comfortable with. I am a 'normal' bassist primarily, but I did own a Danelectro 6 string about ten years ago...I never bothered much with setup on that as it has no truss rod, and I got it dirt cheap. This wasn't so cheap, and it's frustrating the hell out of me...

[zip73]

But overall, way too much fret buzz, and an action that is higher than I would ideally be comfortable with.

Have you tried putting a shim in the neck pocket? Since my last post above, I put a slightly thicker shim in my VI made from one of the various "membership" cards that bombard my mailbox. So not quite as thick or rigid as a plastic credit card, but still plasticky and more flexible. This got my action a bit lower without causing buzz.

[Atomicunderware]

Thanks for the reply. I've been researching shims this evening, and I can see you tried it and it worked. I've never used one in any of my instruments, and from what I understand the main purpose is to alter the neck angle and thereby lower the action - but only used when the bridge is already as low as it can be. My bridge is as low as I can set it without turning the guitar into a swarm of bees, but it's not bottomed out. Would a shim help even in this case?