2019 Fender Player Jazz Bass: How-To Setup "Properly" According to the Fender Knowledge Base Guide

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I've not had a bass on the bench yet, except for a teardown, and this is not a teardown. This time, I try to setup a Fender Player Jazz bass according to an article that can be found on Fender's Knowledgebase, support.fender.... I'll show the process and give you some thoughts on what I think the guide gets right and where it may be lacking.
Who am I? I'm just a hobbyist, not a luthier. I've picked up a few skills along the way, and I continue to learn. If you're into DIY projects and musical instruments or gear, you may enjoy my channel. If you do, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment.

[@godsinbox]

you lost me at 'change your strings'

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks for watching.

[@davejones7475]

Lol

[@flouisbailey]

There was a time when I wouldn’t change strings. I discovered working on the truss rod and sanding fret ends. Before long I was brave enough change strings. I hope I get brave enough to tune my guitars.

[@twodogswalking840]

Use your 9.5" radius tool to set the height of the two middle strings after the E and G string are done.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

It’s a good tip. I tend to measure every string anyway, just a habit.

[@michaelcrenshaw4387]

When setting string height, I set the 2 outers then put radius gauge on top of strings as a guide to set others.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

That's a good thought.

[@mastercraft5798]

Great informative video. Thanks for taking the time to help us. Any idea what the string height should be at the first fret? I need to cut a new nut and don't know the clearances. Thanks!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

.020” is where I usually leave them, but you can go a couple thousandths lower if you don’t like the feel.

[@Yomommahouse6801]

It’s funny that they call it “factory” specs but most of the MIM fenders show up from the factory with specs all over the place.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

It’s true, but also true that all guitars move around with age and weather, so it’s pretty likely that even the best setups will change. Not saying Fender Mexico does the best setups. :)

[@donnix1192]

@@hacksguitarhobbyGood point, custom shop guitars show up with “incorrect” specs due to a variety of factors.

[@bassyey]

US factory specs are also trash. They make everything so high so they could hide their trash fret levelling.

[@msspi764]

I was given a Jazz Bass, and had the same problem with the neck pickup. The pickups have foam behind them and that compresses and needed replaced. But also the neck pickups catch on the scratch plate which is why it was fighting you. I replaced the foam, but the pickup still resisted easy adjustment. It took a while to get right.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks, I didn’t consider it at the time. P basses have that foam also, and I have even seen it on a few guitars.

[@flouisbailey]

I wish people would give me guitars. I’m much better at tweaking guitars than playing. I was trained to be a jeweler by my father might have helped a lot.

[@markcorgey6360]

That's a beautiful sunburst jazz.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thank you

[@markcorgey6360]

I have one like it on layaway, can't wait to get it.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Congratulations!

[@jonkennedyfederation]

6/64ths LOL... can we all just use CM / MM please! No idea what you are talking about!!!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks for watching

[@phunkybasstard]

Then get an engineer's ruler like everybody else, with 32ths and 64ths scales. Where im from, they too use the Metric System. But learn to adapt to Imperial measurements since Fender instruments are made to be measured that way.

[@flukyreview9128]

If you play with locking nut like a Floyd rose, it makes sense to tune down slightly about a few cents because when you lock the nut, the strings will automatically go sharp. You then will fine tune each strings with the fine tuner on the bridge to pitch.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Sure, gives you some room to move with the fine tuners

[@67NewEngland]

- I find the metal rulers hard to use for adjusting pickup height because the pickup makes the ruler magnetic which then pulls the string . A quality plastic set up rulers are best.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I have a good aluminum one as well.

[@scottfeldstein7264]

There is so much bad or incomplete information out there on how to do this stuff. Thanks for getting it right!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Glad it was helpful!

[@calesfer]

Nice video!! At first I found it a but too long, but it was useful all the way through, so in the end was still great. Thanks for sharing, I used is as guide to setup my Jazz Bass and now it plays waaaay better! Love it! Cheers!!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks and cheers to you!

[@flouisbailey]

Too long, no way you were through and didn’t rush. I watched a 5 minute string change mostly a wasted 5 minutes of jibber jabber.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

@@flouisbailey Very helpful, thank you.

[@Дмитро_Л]

Can you tell please why my bass rattle at open stirngs but when I touch strings (even behind the nut) or unplug second pickup - rattling disappears? Is it some electricity problem of cheap guitar?

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I think the most common reasons for rattle are probably the action being too low, not enough neck relief, or the nut being cut too low (not enough first fret clearance). This assumes normal playing and not really aggressive picking. You might check pickup height as well since you mentioned it. Other commenters may have other ideas.

[@Дмитро_Л]

@@hacksguitarhobby thank you

[@stormbringer67]

Does the pickups height change if you have other pickups? I have Bartolini pickups...........

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Definitely can. I recommend starting at the spec and then raising/lowering according to your ear/preference.

[@-______-______-]

I'll be honest. You lost me when you touched upon topics without any explanation of what you mean. A lot of presumed knowledge of certain jargon here.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks for watching. Which terms were not understood?

[@cgonzt5636]

Thanks I tried this unfortunately my bass (Jazz bass Highway one 2011) have buzz sound starting 8th fret sounded like someone slapping 😆 by 15th fret completely unusable. I think I have a weird fretboard. Anybody considered filing the the frets to lower it? Maybe I’ll just bring my bass to a pro guitar tech. Because the buzz only goes away if I raised my action string height 3.5mm-4mm above the 17th fret 😢

[@hacksguitarhobby]

It sounds like you probably have too much neck relief and the saddles are too low. I would definitely suggest taking it to a good tech or a luthier before filing anything!

[@EB-ig4rw]

Thanks, just to add something, when I adjust the trust rod, it takes about a day for the wood to settle completely.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

It definitely can. Thanks!

[@gunthertobias3909]

Good Video! I can not believe how poor the quality control builds are by Fender for 2-3 years. staggering nad and pricing going up.This much worse than a earl 1980 Jazz. Oh yes i am talking P basses and Jazz basses, Bloody terrible.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

The early MIM ones are much less desirable than the Player ones for quality reasons. Appreciate you watching!

[@gunthertobias3909]

@@hacksguitarhobby thank you !

[@timcarter2373]

does your friend have any more fenders he's at a loss on how to set up? send them to me.😃.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I wasn’t quick enough to get the Gibsons.

[@ranman58635]

Thinking I want one but the strings cost! 🤔

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Yeah, every string costs about what a whole pack of guitar strings costs.

[@ranman58635]

@@hacksguitarhobby Homer Simpson, Dooooooo!

[@WQuietHawk]

Double-bass strings cost about $150-800+ (pirastro eudoxa double bass strings), so $42 seems like nothing to me.

[@davejones7475]

To tune down, is just stretching the string just before locking the tuning pegs.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I thought about that too, and there's probably something there. I just couldn't reconcile in my head why that would not be recommended for all pegs, only locking ones.

[@jasonfushti7364]

What do you guys mean by "locking"? Is there a mechanism or a switch somewhere that I can't find? Or is it just the string end in the hole thing? Mine is the AM Jazz elite. FWIW, I've always tuned down before tuning up as well. Has worked fine for years.

[@WQuietHawk]

I wanted to raise my pickups on my Jaguar (MIJ, not the Squire) because they came from the factory way too low (more than 1/4" from the strings). After checking some videos on adjusting them because some of my older basses (Ibanez for example) have different style pickups, I discovered that they do not want to move up or down. Of my 6 electric instruments, this is the only one that's had this issue. Any suggestions on how to free them up or raise them without too much force?

[@hacksguitarhobby]

From the outset, let me say that I've never opened a Jaguar, but I've seen some photos of how the pickups mount, and they are direct. I have seen some with springs under them, but I understand they typically use foam. I would suspect that the foam is worn out. I've had good luck using window weatherstripping foam from home stores, because it's really thick and sticky on only one side. I was looking around earlier and saw that StewMac sells foam squares with an integral spring inside (www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/pickup-parts/pickup-parts-for-jazz-and-p-bass/pickup-height-foam-with-internal-springs/?gclid=CjwKCAiA-dCcBhBQEiwAeWidtcCoSbe6g6NqQv1aY8_i-EqkrXiIv0zh0Z2_2Q_UJGFUKaYZDkhpZxoCtksQAvD_BwE) and I think that might be a solution that provides stability and pliability if the foam eventually wears out again. Best of luck to you, though.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Oh, and to get your stuck ones out, I'm not sure what I would do unless I had it in front of me, but I might try taking the original screws all they way out and seeing if a larger screw would go into the mounting hole of the pickup and grab just the pickup (don't screw it past the pickup into the wood). That might give you something to pull up on so that you're not prying on the guitar body or the pickup edges. You'll have to look at it and see if you think that might work, because I don't have one in front of me.

[@WQuietHawk]

@@hacksguitarhobby , thanks for the input 👍🏼 I think they were immovable from the beginning, I'm guessing that the cavity is too tight on both. I'm going to try to get some feeler gauges and slide one into each side.

[@flouisbailey]

Don’t you hate it when people use big screwdrivers and hammers to make adjustments.

[@s.h.guitarworks3309]

What do you pay for that beauty?

[@hacksguitarhobby]

$400 locally. I can't find them every day for that price, but they're around.

[@allenaviation5746]

Cool video and useful information. I have an old MIM Fender Jazz bass that I haven't really even seen in years but I did recently get it back from being loaned out for years. It was heavily gigged so I'm probably in for unpleasant surprises but I may bust it out of the case today!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I always find it satisfying to setup a guitar that's been out of commission for a while.

[@SDCollectiveBand]

So this is why I took my bass in for a setup, paid $150 and didn't notice anything different.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Why not take it back in?