How do you properly adjust the action on a electric bass guitar?

I have an american fender jazz bass (with a standard truss rod)and can't seem to get the action low enough without the strings buzzing. I had it adjusted at the local music store a while ago and don't think they knew what they were doing because it took them a month to adjust it and the strings were at all different heights and it didn't sound too good when i got it back.How do you properly adjust the action on a electric bass guitar?What?????????????????????? One month to adjust a truss rod which would normally take 10 min. at the most, and this includes 2 coffee and 5 cigarettes.



As a professional Fender, Gibson , Rickenbacker and what note, repair man.

First and foremost, put your eye at the headstock and look down towards the middle of the neck.

Now , press your index finger on the first fret, and with the other hand, press the 12th fret. Now you have a perfect straight line . Agreed?



There should be a 1/16%26quot; inch gap between the biggest string and the fingerboard around the 7 fret (middle of the neck)



While you are pressing the 1st and 12th fret, is the string touching at the 7th fret? Or is the neck bowed , as we say?



If YES, loosen the 2 middle strings slightly. Use the allen key and turn truss rod 1/2 turn counter-clockwise. Dont worry, nothing is going to break. Now retune the bass.



Look towards the middle of the neck to see if the bowed decreased. You need a free space between string and fingerboard. If , it is still touching, loosen another 1/4 turn counter-clockwise.

Repeat this until you get proper clearance as I stated. Not tune and the buzz should have disappeared.



P.S. If you loosened it too much, then loosen the middle string and turn 1/4 turn clockwise. Retune, and it should be ok.



These guys screwed up the bass and wouldnt be surprise that the harmonics are off.

Don't worry, if you have problems, email me. I can fix it via email.

Now, if the gap is perfect and their is space at the 7th fret between strings and fingerboard, and it still buzzes. Raise the specific buzzing string via the mini allen key at the bridge.



If the action of some string is too high or too low, raise or lower each one until it doesn't buzz anymore. Once you achieve this, the playability should have improved immensely.How do you properly adjust the action on a electric bass guitar?http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/



hope this helps