Adjusting Bass Guitar String Height

 

 

Once you’ve adjusted your neck relief, you can raise or lower each string’s height with their saddles.

Depending on your playing style, you may want the strings higher or lower. Experiment.

Adjust the height of your lowest string so you don’t get any string buzz. Check the open string and all the frets up and down the neck for buzz.

A little string buzz is normal.

Use a radius gauge (radius gauge PDF) to identify the radius of your fretboard. If you don’t want to remove your strings, cut notches out of the radius gauge where your strings fall. Then you can set it on the fretboard without removing the strings.

Once you know your fretboard radius, set the radius gauge on top of your saddles and adjust the heights of the other strings to match the fretboard radius.

You can also attempt to just eyeball the radius. Make it feel right and balanced.

Next: Setting Bass Intonation

Back to the Bass Setup Guide