Jazzed Bass!

[SteveB]

So, any of you dedicated 4-stringers (other strummers welcome), got any opinions or advice on this disaster? A 2006 Squier Jazz Bass that has been propped upright behind cardboard boxes and covered with a blanket for approx 5 UK-winter months in a garage-cum-ManCave. Rescued earlier today and realise now that small people could literally bungee-jump from strings to fret board. Er, and it wasn't like that when I put it there. Sorry the photos don't show enough detail, but I'm sure you can tell that this is Robin Hood territory. It wasn't tuned to pitch and so strings weren't overly tight and the UK winter itself has been mild and damp rather than cold and severe. It's been a reliable throbber has this, I'd like to rescue it. Which won't happen until I can get my repair bench set up – prob not this week.

[Ted]

Call me lazy, but I'd take this to a pro for a setup. First I'd bring it inside and let it acclimate for at least 48 hours. Then I'd clean it up so that the pro won't judge me too harshly. And I'd make up a good story to tell the pro: "I was doing some gardening, and I found this buried by the shed. Some people, eh?"

[Zoltan]

Nothing to worry... That's what i'd call a medium action

And I'd make up a good story to tell the pro: "I was doing some gardening, and I found this buried by the shed. Some people, eh?"

Nah, i got a better one. "I've been playing it like this for years, but now i want my 6 years old granddaughter to have a go with it. Could you raise the action a bit?"

[Pete C]

From the photo it looks like the neck has a bow in it - you might need to adjust the truss rod.

https://www.fender.com/articles/maintenance/how-to-measure-neck-relief-on-guitar-or-bass

There's loads of videos on how to do it on Youtube if you've never done it before.

Pete

[SteveB]

Thanks, guys, for your input. Good advice about acclimatisation, it's underway. Yep, Pete, I agree. That's why I mentioned the Robin Hood slant. I could probably time-travel back to the Battle of Agincourt with this thing and wouldn't be out of place among the English archers. I have done some slight 'truss rod' adjustments on my six-stringers over the years but never Bass. So we'll go sloooow...and pray, too. 

[cuthbert]

Make sure to detune the strings to slack, or just remove them - for both the acclimation phase and when tightening the truss rod.

When tightening the truss rod, make a tiny adjustment (righty-tighty, maybe a quarter turn), then tune up the strings and measure the relief again. Repeat as necessary,