SETUP your bass like a PRO with NO SPECIAL TOOLS!!!

[@PicksPaints]

Great video Dan. Something I noticed that you did but didn't point out was this. When you set intonation, relief, etc.. you checked it in the playing position which is ABSOLUTELY the correct way. I would like to add a couple of things. You should drop tension on your strings when you're adjusting the saddles for height and intonation. I know it's a pain, but it is hard on the screws and tools when done under full tension. One other thing of note, when you pop the nut out, the nut slot should be cleaned of glue, and checked to make sure it's flat and clean. 2 more tips... A credit card makes a great gauge when setting nut slot depth, and neck relief they run around 0.8mm thick. And using a capo on 1st fret makes setting neck relief a breeze because it frees up a hand. On a side note, I do all of my setup in playing position minus setting nut height.

[@der_Schreiner]

DaveR you're right, he should have mentioned loosening the strings. When I adjusted my diy telly I scratched big part of the bridge as I kind of let that one go. I should have known, as I work as a carpenter. Do that's on me. But a lot of people have no experience at all and they should be warned. You other tips are quite useful too. Gonna use that capo next time.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Excellent points! I agree with everything you said. I’ll go ahead and pin this comment to the top for everyone to see.

[@Ryandgeorgi]

great advice

[@DIYivan04]

thanks for the tips

[@Tuliomurillo]

Excellent video as always. This is my favorite DIY channel

[@saltrocklamp199]

Sections for quick reference: Nut: 3:11 Neck relief (truss rod): 6:46 Saddle height: 9:17 Pickup height: 13:00 Intonation: 20:06

[@rizkymahardika9159]

1 days ago?

[@saltrocklamp199]

@@rizkymahardika9159 sure, why not?

[@Chris-xf5og]

Thanks!

[@russelladams2709]

E hf St size is nut. Need 4x2mm

[@jugs60]

Alright wait so I literally have never played bass before yk but I play guitar and the thing is my strings are so loose that I physically can’t tune it to E A D G cause when I tune one string to a normal sound it’ll already be out of tune like my E will be an A 😂 like someone I need help

[@ared18t]

you're pretty much the only dude on youtube that gives a decent explanation

[@frank-the-tank75]

Thanks for not trying to be funny or entertaining. Can't stand all these guitar videos where people just act like fools with all this new age editing and bad jokes etc. I just want a guy who talks straight and gives the info, like you. You earned my sub.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks for the sub, and for the helpful feedback! Glad you liked the video

[@janneboman8573]

5:17 some nut slots are not flat, they follow the radius of the fretboard. For that, you need to put sandpaper tight on the fretboard and sand the nut there. That way you keep the radius on the bottom of the nut.

[@toportime]

This should be pinned to the top as relevant and useful info to the OP video.

[@richardpalladino9169]

I have been playing bass for over 30 years , you know what you are doing . Great video!

[@31416]

Wow I can't thank you enough for the easy to follow instructions. Just got my first bass two days ago. I couldn't for the life of me imagine playing it would be so hard. Couldn't get any good tones out of it either. And yet it's a short scale. Granted out of the box for a Gretsch 2220 made in China it was to be expected. Just finished all the steps. Took me a long time but oh so worth it. It's like I've just received a new bass! Night and day!!! Bless you mate!

[@per-magnusmansnerus3953]

Followed the easy steps. This in mind.... I'm a complete noob and had a hard time to play and get the sound most gets on the basses. Now the bass is 100% easier to play on! 🙏❤ Great!!!

[@GeminisArising888]

you are a brave lad

[@shyguy6185]

That bass needs more pickups

[@lukekern7444]

What would Phil X think!?!?!?!?!!?!?

[@354Dell]

LOL

[@lukekern7444]

@@354Dell why are you commenting on a video this old ?? LOL

[@rydoggsc2]

@@lukekern7444 why are you commenting on a video this old ?? LOL

[@2Timone7]

@Ryan Why are you commenting on a video this old?? LOL

[@TKDFORCEART]

"The bridge pickup it's obviously closer to the bridge" -Dan,guns and guitars, 2018

[@GunsandGuitars]

I can always count on you to document my best lines 😂

[@sweatycrabthailand4262]

not totally accurate as it depends on whos bridge youre talking about

[@souldustpro]

I've watched a lot of setup tutorials, and I love how much you emphasize that all of this is subjective. My Warwick has a very high string action, and it works for me. My ESP just came from a pro shop setup, and the action is too low for my playing style so I need to raise it... "You're not looking for something pretty, you're looking for something in tune..." Awesome...!!! 🤙🤘

[@onemanband3579]

Dude, thank you so much! After five and a half decades of playing guitar, I finally bought my first bass. I set it up after watching your video and I'm really happy with it. I like your style, no waffle about how fantastic you are, just helpful facts. Voted and subbed. Thanks once again.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks bill!

[@calyodelphi124]

I REALLY love how thorough this video is as a complete bass setup guide.

[@samuelobregon5521]

I'm not going to complain or give any points, I love you video and all the info you released. I did help a lot of us that are not pros and don't trust a lot of techs that do this job, simply because they might adjust it to their likes not the customer's. God bless you bro keep on doing this kind of videos. The video is s keeper😄😄👍

[@bertrandmajorik6589]

Got myself a Groove tech multitool, it ROCKS!!!!!

[@allenquartermane6134]

This is the best vid on YT for dealing simply with a bass. I was a session drummer in the 70's and now as an old guy still playing find myself doing a lot of bass work also and have an inexpensive Peavey bass that I like but needs work and can't afford to send it out and like to do the work myself. I wish I had never gotten rid of my P bass back in 69, but had to get a drum kit and pay bills.......uhg! Thanx for this video you do a great job at teaching and I hope others check you out too.

[@PhillipBlanton]

Only buy guitars. Never sell them. It's a good rule to aspire to, but unfortunately sometimes we need to pay bills. That said, I've never regretted skipping a bill to keep an instrument. The bills will sort themselves out eventually. Once an instrument is gone, it's gone forever. :-( I've also sold or traded guitars for other guitars and usually didn't regret that, but occasionally I did.

[@evanpeters87]

Thank you for this video, I’ve played guitar for quite a few years, bought my first bass today and this had me setup and going on no time!

[@Starkripper]

Man, I swear that I've been trying to get that sweet low action for the last hour and then this video pops up. Thank you.

[@radmapatis7852]

This really was the video to watch for an at home set up. Just got my brand new p bass and was intimidated by all the videos with very specific tools. Thanks for the help!

[@MrRafabro]

By far the best and most useful video for bass setup I've seen so far. Thank you so much man

[@chrispatterson4685]

Guns and Guitars! My two favorite things all in one place!!!

[@michaelb.42112]

Hey Dan !! That is the COOLEST t-Shirt I've ever seen. Also, I've never seen a bass with that pup configuration. I love your imagination. Just another reason why your channel is the BEST KZbin has to offer. - Mike

[@nic1329]

Guns and guitars? This is the best youtube channel I've seen in a while haha

[@jaibruce777]

This confirms my way of setting up action and intonation. You're right all the way. Nice and informative video dude. Cheers!

[@gutika113]

This is the most beautiful guitar I have EVER seen. Major axe envy 😲😲😲

[@exactly7788]

your logo is very creative, props to whoever made it

[@ElkronAiken]

Thanks a lot mate. This is whitout a doubt the best "how to" i've ever found in youtube.

[@LYST2024]

Thanks! Great, simplified and detailed presentation. This has surely gave me a clearer idea that will be added up to my armour to improve the process of my setting up guitars and basses. 🤘🏽

[@jepatawaran]

Hey Dan, just want to let you know i appreciate all of your videos i've watched. You get straight to the point, this is guns and guitars, and no small/non-sense talk in the beginning. I'm learning a lot from you. Thanks!

[@chrislackie186]

This is the video I have been needing since forever. This got my 6 string playing so superb. Can't thank you enough!

[@migueliglesias4890]

Great video. Even though I don't play bass, guitar or other stringed instruments, I've always found them to be really beautiful and interesting. Always enjoy videos explaining how the many details involved in the set-up and tunning affect the overall configuration needed to obtain a specific sound and feel to satisfy the player's preferences. I had an older brother who played guitar since childhood and I never got to learn to play during all the time we spent together. I picked up on drums and started playing easily without any lessons but just for a while. I inherited my brother's 1957 Telecaster and a Peavey tube amp when he passed away and now I think that I should have tried to learn guitar from him when he was around. I still hope to get a chance to learn some basic chords and progressions. Music is something that has given me pleasure no other thing has.

[@RubenLopez-oy7lj]

Dude. I was literally looking into a bass guitar set up video especially since I ordered the cheapest bass on amazon and it shows up tomorrow O.o cant wait!

[@musicfreak3536]

Thanks for this video, Dan! These techniques are so helpful for guitar as well as for bass! Hopefully, after my guitars, I can start modifying my cheap bass and incorporate your suggestions for pickups and other modifications!

[@guilherme832]

Thank you a lot, it seemed to be a nightmare, adjusting the thrustrod, you made it clear and easy

[@vydeva]

I found The pickup part very enlightening , thx for the great content!

[@allanbalmer6689]

Dan, I feel I need to thank you for dedication to this channel and hobby. Without your useful tips and videos I would never have been able to set up my acoustic bass well enough to be complimented on it by a former guitar manufacturer. Thank you so much and please keep doing what you're doing, you are awesome and I tell everyone to check out your channel when they talk about wanting to mod/upgrade their gear.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks so much for the encouragement man!

[@TheHackersboss]

Guns and Guitars sounds like every wet dream every guy has ever had! Great tutorial btw.

[@machete8614]

Man, I've been considering paying someone to set my bass up for a while, guess I've just been scared of the bridge adjustment thing. You made it really easy, thanks dude!

[@jasonbent97]

How’d it go? Work up the courage to do it and succeed or did someone else do it? I’m you from the original comment so just curious.

[@JLeppert]

Just installed the Ray Ross bridge. Now it's this. I love this P bass.

[@paulstuartwilson485]

Man, I've only been messing around with electric guitars and basses since the mid 80's but I just learned more about bass tuning (and Thank God it was in plain English!!) than I ever knew existed. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!! Much appreciated!!! 🤟🤟🇺🇸

[@denniswalsh8476]

Step number 1 for removable necks. Make sure the neck screws are tight, (they usually get a bit loose over time). Check relief in the playing position vs. on its back with no neck support. It usually increases about 5 plus thousands inches for a bass. Guitars usually increase 3-5 thousandths inches. Also a full millimeter (40 thousandths inches) is a LOT of relief. Fender recommends 10 or 12 thousandths inches. For basses I use about 12 on its back, increasing to high teens in the playing position. Good enough. And... if you chose to use a string as "straight" between the first and last fret, capo behind the first fret, freeing up a hand to measure the mid neck relief.

[@IggyYTube]

Dude ... this is great !! You helped me doing the correct little adjustments to my basses i needed to do so badly to get my sound right. I was getting frustrated and aggravated about this little out of tune notes here and there and 1 string being louder than the other. So Many thanks. You rock !

[@brianbergmusic5288]

DUde, this is exactly what I was looking for! I'm actually looking to lower the action of my 5-string bass for tone. You see, fret-buzz growl is sought after in hard rock and metal... more "daengle daengle".

[@plinkbottle]

When I do intonation I like to start with the saddles too far forward and move them back till the intonation is right. This way the saddle and the screw is always in tension and there is no slack to cause slippage later.

[@jimqode]

Thank you sir. I bought a second hand cort as a starter bass. I had trouble getting the tone to where i want it. This really helped me a lot. Especially balancing neck and bridge pickups in terms of volume really brought out the clarity I wanted.

[@randywhittington6622]

Can't thank you enough for this Dan! Love how you cover all the nuances and how you break it down to getting the sound and feel you want. Excellent video!

[@coyperez3924]

Amazing video. You touched on a lot of things others fail to mention during their tutorials on set up. I love how in depth you go

[@burningkarma]

I love those simple bridges. I have a Schecter with an individual piece for each string that takes a special size hex key, locking saddles...It's overwhelming compared to the simple and proven design on the bridge like you have here.

[@airtow6766]

My two favorite things, guns and guitars! Sounds like freedom, Brother. Count me as a new subscriber.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks for the sub Rex!

[@danielmiller2886]

Guns and guitars? I think i just found my new favorite channel!

[@sidneylutara9786]

Incredible video. Thank you so much. I bought a Fender Squier 70s Vibe Classic yesterday and wanna change the bridge to get more sustain and a better look. So this is exactly the video I needed. 🔥👍🏼🙏🏽

[@Korrrrrrl]

Great video! I love how you put more emphasis on using feel and sound to setup and using specs more as a starting point.

[@MeetLocalSingles]

Had to laugh at your justification regarding 2nd/3rd fret talking about the nut action, gotta protect from the keyboard knights! Also love the look of that bass!

[@accentontheoff]

Hi, I just bought a new entry level Ibanez bass. The first three fret spaces (mostly in the lighter strings) are all sounding dead. Am getting it looked at, but was wondering whether this is a serious and unfixable issue, or unusual in some way.. enough to warrant returning / exchanging the bass. Thanks for the informative tutorial. Will be trying it out bit by bit.

[@DigBipper188]

I've used shop rulers and business cards as gauges for string height, neck relief and pickup height adjustments and I've always been able to get a super low string action on all my gear. it's all how well you can guess how close to the measurement you want to be is. Since string height is usually in either fractions of a millimetre or in 16ths, 32nds or like me, 64ths of an inch, it's all in how closely you can laser-eyeball it.

[@Threlgar]

Great vid!! Quick but clear, nicely to the point without side trips or distracting comments, THANKS A LOT!! Gives me a boost to jump in on my bass!!!

[@rtroiani]

Very good video and well explained. I do use super glue on the nut since I found using it with my CNC, a sideways tap always breaks the glued thing off cleanly. Just personal preference. Well done, and good refresher.

[@pogocityradio77]

Thanx i really need to fix the nut on my short scale and watching this have given me some more confidence

[@LilReaper1010]

I've seen so many people sand the grooves of the nut, I always felt like there was a better way

[@angelsfightingforus942]

That’s a nice Bass there bro! Thanks for the tutorial! 💪🏻🔥

[@pubudu313]

Very Intuitive explanation dan. Thanks a lot. I cleared out doubts that I had and I never found a video like this that explains more quickly. No many tools :)

[@RaFF9_9]

Thanks a lot for the video. Appreciate that’s bro 🙏🏻🙏🏻. In 30 minutes set up by my self is what like i want for my gio gsr200b. It’s really works without tools. Act ears really most important

[@therealjackfisher]

Thanks.. I was wondering why my bass is set up to such sick high action. This helped to fix some issue I had with my bass.

[@josephalaguna]

The heavens opened up when he said 'spec isn't for everyone.' It really sin't. Its a good starting point. But as he says, it's a very personal thing we develop over time.

[@ivlipak]

Your explanation of the process is so simple and great. In 20 minutes you gave me basics for something that Im looking for a few years. thank you.

[@dwest894]

Thank you so much for this video I just bought the “rick style” bass kit from Tye fret wire and now it’s just a waiting game. But I’ve been looking all over the place for the best set up and tools for it and this video gave me all the confidence I need haha. Thanks!!

[@arthurmason4819]

I've been waiting for this video longer than I had been waiting for Infinity War

[@GunsandGuitars]

Haha! I’ll admit, infinity war was probably more worth the wait though

[@SimplyDeano]

Bass looking edgier than a question on a geometry masters degree exam! Sick vid man, been struggling with set-up in general, this clears up a lot of confusion in one place rather than scouring through several different videos!

[@speedsterwinston]

Well done. Very easy to understand.

[@mikeydep89]

i've had success in a different order...first i make sure the truss rod actually works...straighten the neck..level and crown...string up to tension and begin checking string height...nut adjustments if necessary,...bridge adjustments if necessary...then intonation and finally pickup height...

[@bigbasil1908]

It's alright sanding down your nut, but the nut slots might not be cut correctly. Some might be the right height and some might not, and so if you sand down your nut you may end up having one of two nut slots too low. As we are talking about bass guitars here, the strings are wound and you can use a small piece of bass guitar string to cut your not slots deeper if they need it. Just use it in a sawing action. I would rather make the nut slots deeper than break off the nut from the glue, sand down and then have to glue the thing back on after.

[@NicosLeben]

Very good explanation. Just made my bass a lot better playable thane before. Also now the octaves are tuned perfectly. Thanks!

[@toddflowers8052]

I ignored this video until I bought a bass this week ,now I'm very glad to see this great explanation Dan , thanks !

[@curtis12775]

Best bass setup video i've seen. Thanks heaps my bass is sounding great now

[@johanmagnusson986]

Great video! Tuning, scale lenght and string gauge is also important.

[@HEYTHERERYU]

This answered what I needed! Thank you!

[@Auditium]

Hey Dan. To get your radius right loosen all the strigns down so they touch a little fretboard (1mm - if if not they need to adjust at bridge) and then use ruller to set radius - 1mm above each string on last fret is the right height to go.Then if you tune adjust the string height to your taste. Standard action is 2.4 mm on E string and 2mm for G string. Best regards BTW according to Janek Gwizdala and John Pattituci higher action is better for increasing the strenght in your fingers so rasing action by time you've play is better for your articulation (playing skills in right hand). Best regards - here comes the sub :)

[@jimcamp2423]

I end up intonating at the 5th fret. Tune the strings to E1-A1-D2-G2 (standard E for bass guitars), fretting the E1 at the 5th fret and it should be the same A1 note as the open A1 string. Next, for fretting the A1 string at the 5th fret, it should be the same D2 note as the open D2 string. Fretting the D2 string at the 5th fret should be the same G2 note as the open G2 string. The frets on the fretboard are (should be) mathematically located to be the note you are fretting. If they aren't, there really isn't much you can do about the frets, the slots for the frets are really permanently done at/by the factory when the neck was manufactured. You can always check the 12th or any other fret for intonation just the same, just to be sure/certain. The intonation should be virtually dead on for 5th fret when you fret the next lower string up to the open string. As for audiences, unless the guitar is really out of tune, they won't know cents off, as long as all of the strings are that far flat or sharp even, It's always better to be flat than sharp, Most songs are down tuned unless a Capo is used, how often does anyone Capo a bass for anything more than setting up the bass for neck relief or checking the action height ? There's nothing wrong though with the intonation at the 12th fret, but too often the James Taylor method of tuning and strings may be as much as 10 cents flat as ope, but fretted at the 12th fret an octave higher they fall dead on in tune. For example E1 open might be flat by the 10 cents, but E1 fretted at the 12th fret to be E2 is virtually dead on. The skinnier the string, the more accurate the intonation.

[@jimcamp2423]

The saddles on a bass as properly intonated should be staggered.The G2 should be set to the scale length of the guitar neck (inside of he nut to he saddle bend over contact point of the string. Each saddle should stagger back from the G2 based upon the gauges of the entire set of strings. On a 4 string bass, most common string sets are either 105/85/65/45 (E1-G2) or they are 100/80/65/45 (E1-G2). The saddles can be preset like that for either intonating a bass guitar or a 6 string electric. I have a short scale bass that's 28.6 inches, the 45 (G2) is preset to be 28.6 from the inside of the nut to the saddle contact bend over point. The lower your action the more accurate the intonation too. The nut slots cuts are what is most obvious for the 1st frets string action height, the saddles are most obvious for the pickups & at the 20, 21,22 or 24th frets string action height, depending upon how many frets the neck has. The truss rod adjustment determines relief at the center frets of the neck.

[@RJsCave]

excellent one dan! thorough without being long and/or boring at all and it lfelt only as long as it needed to be. Thanks for doing this one. I like to watch videos to go over the basics here on youtube and this is as good as i've seen for sure. keep 'em coming!

[@mrnogot4251]

Great video. Only bass set up video that didn’t tell me to do anything stupid that could hurt my bass lol

[@metemercan1147]

What did I ever do to deserve such an awesome channel like this??? Thanks so much for such an in-depth video, a skilled set-up is absolutely priceless 👌

[@SuperYearn]

Really well explained :) Big thanx from Montreal !

[@alsantangelo]

Great video, a ton of useful information. Explaining the idea behind the adjustments was really helpful.

[@Super_Saiyen_Potato]

Thank you, you have no idea how much this helped me

[@jburtonca]

I use the CruzTOOLS GrooveTech, for Guitar and Bass. it's $16 and has everything you need. Throw it in your gig bag and you're good to go.

[@thyeconomy]

I love this channel home boy is an underground luthier.

[@maam7874]

Hey dude you got ur know how together.thanks for sharing ur knowledge on bass setup .

[@jakefoxx7978]

I'm pretty sure the truss rod nut of my Squier J is unusable now. I've tried one last method, in addition to many others, to try and bend the headstock side of the neck back to its formally straight self. It was the clamping method where I put a block on either end of the neck, a 2 by 4 on top of it, and applied pressure to the center of the neck with a clamp. This is meant to help the truss rod so I could tighten it further while it's being pressured to stay back bowed. What I found out is that the truss rod nut is suddenly free moving. Tightening it or loosening it requires little force and yet the hex wrench still gets stuck in the socket itself when I tighten it. Not sure what any of this would mean. Sadly enough it's one of those truss rod with the nut weld to the rod, so I couldn't replace it without total decapitation of the neck. To compensate for all of this I adjusted the action at the saddles until the strings looked and felt close enough to the fretboard. As of now it's not perfectly leveled or anything, but it's way better than how it was before. I did take it to a shop and they didn't bother to straighten the neck, although they did do something to the nut and managed to intonate life back into the sound of my bass. All in all I'm worried about what the heat of Texas summer will do to the neck after it's suffered the week-long freeze back in Feburary (which I've concluded to be the reason the neck warped in the first place, even though it didn't actually warp until the first day of spring). Will the wood crack? Will the neck form a backbow or an even worse upbow? Hard to say what I might do to make it perfect again.

[@PatrickStaMaria-yw7sc]

Thank you for this video. I got so much information.

[@HeyZeus096]

This is an amazing video. I've been playing for about 8 years now and always like to do my own work. I've gotten pretty decent at doing stuff by eye, but I knew I was missing something to fine-tune my sound. This is an incredible video and I am about to re-setup my bass and hope it gets closer to the tone I am looking for. I haven't loved the sound of the active pickups on my current bass and I'm wondering if it's an issue of having them in the wrong height compared to the strings.

[@lucidtickle8347]

Guns and Guitars? How have I not found this channel until now? That's my two favorite material objects lmao

[@teemoleague907]

Because stupid KZbin shadow banned him in 2016. I think a few of his videos are missing, since then

[@timffoster]

Excellent! Full of information, but not too chatty. Awesome work.

[@zaanmorningstar]

Very informative, clear spoken and organized. Thanks for this video. You are a great teacher! liked and subscribed

[@williambock1821]

As usual,this is a VERY useful video! Thanx

[@heutenicht5002]

As a German it was a little bit strange to see Guitar-clips and especially Gun-clips on a KZbin-Channel :D. BUT Dude i watched about 20 Setup-Guide-Videos until i saw your Tutorial and your's is fairly the best i saw theese days. Many thanks and Kind Regards from Germany

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks Kevin! That means a lot to me!

[@anton005]

great video! Got my sons bass playing WAY better now. Thanks

[@Gregor9043]

This is an excellent tutorial.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks!

[@369someguy]

I've immediately subbed just because of the name alone. I'm a musician firstly and a gun fan adjacent

[@KreyZ8]

Love that bass! Kinda has a Batman look to it. Great video!

[@snoopstp4189]

Really good guide on setting up the deck and bridge, well done, great pro tip on putting a nut in, DO NOT super glue or epoxy it in, just a bit of white glue is all you need! Kudos good job!