Neck Relief

[patman]

How much?

I usually get it as close to zero as I can, but I re-strung with a set of medium flats last night, and the relief was a litlle more than I'm used to.  The bass sounds good, has no buzzes, and plays pretty good...I'm inclined to leave it, just because the sound seems to have opened up and really sing. Sometimes when a rod is really tight, it seems to me to choke off the tone.

So, how much relief do you keep in a neck?

[Pilgrim]

No set rule for me - if it plays well, I don't sweat the details.  It's not unusual for a string swap to change the setup, though.  You should at least check intonation.

[patman]

Had to pull everything back a hair, as neck came forward a hair. it's a little more physical to play, but boy it sounds good

[gearHed289]

Flat fingerboard doesn't work for me. I always have a little relief. Never actually measured it or anything, I just go by feel. Hold the string down at the first and last frets, and if there's a little gap in the middle, I'm good! I tend to keep things maybe a hair lower than "medium" action, if that makes any sense. But then, my "medium" might be someone else's "high"

[dadagoboi]

If you like the way it plays, fine.  But I'd bet most of the difference in sound is due to the new strings.  I'm assuming they are different from the ones that were on (as well as being OLD).  I'm guessing the old ones are lighter gauges because of the increased relief you're seeing with the new ones.  For me heavier strings sound better, especially when new.  I set relief close to zero.

Put the old strings back on and see what it sounds like with more relief if you want to get objective about it.  Better yet put a set of NEW whatever the old ones were on and check against the new ones with equal relief.  Eliminate as many variables as possible for a true test.

What are 'medium' flats?  One brand's mediums are another's light.  Or heavy.

[patman]

GHS BEAD from a flatwound 5 string set.  Huge solid B string.

I always used the lightest slinkies, but the bass sounded so good last night, I might revise that policy. Extra slinkies crap out when I dig in. But they're effortless to slap.

It's close right now, relief on the high side, but still probably within pro-specs...I may give it a quarter turn tonight. Been a while since I played "old school" strings. It felt pretty good.

[lowend1]

I tend to go by feel first. I will check it just for laughs occasionally, with the time-honored first/last/business card formula. Sometimes I get surprised one way or the other.

[jumbodbassman]

i hate fret noise so i tend to have medium /high action.  I tend to have neck relief set at fair amount versus raising bridge to highest settings.

[nofi]

higher action than most for me. i hate the sound of a bass player warming up at low or no volume and hearing that that constant click clacking against the frets/pickups.

[westen44]

I've also come to like higher action.  This is a preference I seem to share with Paul McCartney.  Not that I'm comparing myself to him, although, evidently, we do both like shiny strings, too. 

[Highlander]

Should I keep the fretless humour to my self...?

(heading for the shed sanctuary...)

[patman]

lowered the strings a hair, filed down the b-string nut slot a hair, and tightened the rod about 1/8 turn.  All is good.

It was about one business card. Now it's a little less.

[Dave W]

I use the first/last/business card (normally .011" stock) only as a rough guide. Gotta have some clearance. It's a balance between action and relief and depends on the bass.

[godofthunder]

 I like my neck as flat as I can get it, the tolerance is different from bass to bass. When I get buzz or fretting out at the first and second fret I know I have gone to far. I check the tolerance with being able to see a bit of light between the strings and the frets by fretting the first and twelfth fret.

[Lightyear]

I like my neck as flat as I can get it, the tolerance is different from bass to bass. When I get buzz or fretting out at the first and second fret I know I have gone to far. I check the tolerance with being able to see a bit of light between the strings and the frets by fretting the first and twelfth fret.

I go start at dead flat and then add just enough relief to get it playing to my taste.  Fender had a setup article on their site years ago that pretty much described Scott's method - which is what I've used since reading it.