General Music Chat

I need a truss rod adjustment? I just got my replacement acoustic bass today and I can't get it to hold standard tuning, I'm really thinkin that I'm gonna bring it to the shop but this would be the second time I've had trouble with this kind of bass, might be the strings, D'adario flatwound, they work fine on my electric fretless, but not the acoustic?! It came with corewound strings of fretboard doom on it. its a longer scale, so that might be part of the difficulties. Figured I'd pick at yer brains.

I didn't think most acoustics even had truss rods, although I'm pretty green on acoustic instruments.

With the problem you described, I wouldn't think of the truss rod, unless you are experiencing fret buzz or action too high.

Sounds like maybe the tuning pegs aren't holding the strings tight, so they are maybe slipping a little, causing the bass to go out of tune? Or is it more of an intonation issue where you tune it perfectly, but the strings sound sharp or flat as you go up the fretboard?

Acoustics have truss rods, but that ain't your problem. Recheck your tuners like Kramer said, 1st. The flatwounds might be slipping in them at 1st, too. You can make little marks with a dry erase to watch for these problems. Are you giving the new strings enough time to settle in? Some of them can be pretty stretchy on a bass, esp when the neck is so much longer than you're used to, cuz there's more string to stretch.

Sounds like maybe the tuning pegs aren't holding the strings tight, so they are maybe slipping a little, causing the bass to go out of tune?

If it's the tuners, sometimes you can take them apart and tighten the screw that goes through the little cog wheel in there. The back may have those little "fingers" that hold it onto the main part and you can carefully straighten them out to get the back of and then bend them back in place to reassemble it.

flatwounds in an acoustic? oh my.
Yeah i would start with the strings, then the tuners, then check your pegs and make sure their tight in the bridge.

If all else fails, it MIGHT (like a 20-30% chance) be the truss rod.
I ahve to get mine adjusted recently because I moved from floirda to alaska and the humidity bent the neck so far that anything over 10th fret was the same note.

But she's better now.

well its a fretless bass so its supposed to have flatwound strings on it, doesn't really feel like fret buzz, all the notes don't come out clean and that's after I really try to find the right spot I'm pretty sure the notes are a lil different then the 20 fret neck that I'm used, but its not the same buzz I had on the last one, last time I had a set of these strings they didn't need to stretch out, when I try to to tune to standard the plugs at the bottom want to pop out and have a couple times, for right now I'm just gonna live with 2 steps down even though I'm sure it'll sound every bit as resonant and deep 2 steps up, its got a good sound I know that much, I'll try to get ahold of someone I know who knows more about stuff then I do. thanks for the input guys, THIS is why this site is worth being on

yah you guys were totally right, the strings just needed a lil more time, not up to standard yet, but one step down is ok to me, and it'll work its way up, can't bend strings though I'll have to get used to it and deal, no imitation blues lines, some of the effects I have have a lot more dynamic to them, and the rest of them suck at life, but a nice detune adds in this chime that makes somethin simple sound awesome I'll try not to blow up my MP3 player in a few days after the massive b-day party I'm helping set up...yah baby's 1st b-day party

Nice!

I never liked flatwounds, myself, & yeah, they're nearly impossible to bend, for me, cuz my fingers keep slipping off of them. But why would you NEED to bend a string on a fretless, anyway? Seems counterproductive. Use the lack of frets for that effect. Slide, or rock your finger to get that vibrato/chorusy effect.

If string buzz is the problem it may due to you being tuned a step down. Also try taking a lead pencil and running it along the string grooves on the nut. That works on 6's too.

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