'78 P string height problems

[Freuds_Cat]

a kind of cardboard

[dadagoboi]

a kind of cardboard

...which is made from wood

[Freuds_Cat]

...which is made from wood

[Dave W]

My former 67 Coronado Bass II had fiber or cardboard factory shims at both ends of the neck pocket to raise the whole thing up. They weren't there as an afterthought, they were shaped to fit the pocket.

[FlatEric]

Hi. Just read this while having toast and marmalade - how English!!

To set yoiur mind at rest, I have a LOT of instruments (not as many as Uwe - Bows gracefully!!)
and every now and then I take necks off for overhauling.
Trust me - I have found more than 50% of them with factory shims - usually a thin strip
of Nylon or in some cases sandpaper, with a heavy grit, stapled to the neck FROM THE FACTORY.
I am certain they are factory, as they all look the same.

This is off an early 80's Ibanez Blazer - cracking bass - stripped for a full overhaul and
stuck to the neck. . . . . Standard issue Ibanez shim!

I could show you loads of examples, from all sorts of makers.
From my experience, Fender have no problems with shimming necks - for them, along with other
maufacturers, it is standard proceedure.

I have also seen shims front and back, as mentioned by Dave W.

How high is your action at the 12th, with just a rear shim?

Cheers.

[Iome]

You guys are convincing me  

FlatEric; the action at the 12th fret is 5 mm with the saddles at their lowest.

[FlatEric]

You guys are convincing me 

FlatEric; the action at the 12th fret is .05 mm with the saddles at their lowest.

Just Choked on my sandwich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I am an engineer, I have all the gear to measure things accurately, so hear goes. . . . .

A hair from my head measures .05mm, one from my beard, .08mm, standard pinter paper, .09mm

Almost all my basses are set to 2.3mm t 2.5mm, I am SO impressed!!! 

Are you sure about that?

I really look forward to your reply.

All the very best.
Eric.

I will dig out a pic of my '78P

[FlatEric]

My '78.

Not played this for YONKS!





Booftiful!!!!

[Iome]

Still eating? Questi americani....

Well, you know, i've lived for many years here in Italy now, and beside determinating the dimensions of the actual railroads, space ships and other advanced tecnology like plumming, the romans has given us the capacity to measure invisible distances...  

Sorry mate i mixed up our own unquestionably superior metric system, may i suffer in hell resting on burning shims and bowed Fender necks for the eternity... I fixed that, the shim is 0.5 mm thick and the action is 5.0 mm at the 12th fret.

[Iome]

WOW, that bass is still new, very nice. But isn't it a '79 with the S9 initials?

[FlatEric]

Errrm, yes, I think you are right! 1979!


5mm action at the 12th, is WAY too high!
Didn't realise it was that extreme.
I asume that the neck is straight - ish?

[Iome]

The neck is straight, just not high enough. I'll go down and try the new wood shim, maybe a double layer, that'll be 1 mm.

[Iome]

Ok, that worked, but i've got a buzz in two places on the G string. Two frets are a little raised at the end, damn gotta take it to a luthier...or press it down some way

[Dave W]

If the frets have sprung up, it's sometimes possible to wick some superglue beneath when you clamp them down. If not, you may have to have a luthier put little falloff at the end of the board.

[Pilgrim]

If the frets are loose, a tiny dab of super glue and pressure may secure them.  If they're not loose, it should be pretty cheap to have a luthier level the frets.