Most bassists prefer having their pickups close to the strings in order to more effectively recognize fundamental notes and balance tone; however, few realize that shortening this distance could actually double their output!
To fine-tune your pickup height, depress each string at the last fret and use a machinist’s ruler to measure the distance from where the bottom strings end up to where they attach to the pickup pole piece.
Strings
Your first order of business should be to inspect the action of your bass guitar strings. This measures the distance from string to frets and has a significant bearing on how much pressure is necessary to play notes (more pressure for more notes, less for few), tone quality and feel of each string.
The height of your string will depend on both the type of bass and your playing style. Most bassists tend to favor lower action levels so that their strings have enough room to vibrate without hitting frets when plucked with fingers, thumbs or picks; this also increases dynamic range — the difference between maximum output and where buzzing starts.
For optimal string action settings, detune your bass, remove its truss rod cover, and use a screwdriver or wrench to loosen its truss rod. Turning its screw counter-clockwise (to loosen and add bow), or clockwise (tightening and straightening), can achieve desired results and get your action just where it needs to be.
Once you are happy with your neck relief and string height adjustments, it’s time to fine-tune individual saddle height adjustments. Most bass guitars feature two screws dedicated to this feature. By raising or lowering individual string saddles individually you can create more even distribution across the fretboard, creating a balanced sounding bass guitar.
To adjust, press down on the last string, using a MusicNomad string action gauge’s pickup height ruler, to measure distance from bottom of string to screw (on covered humbuckers place it over exposed pole piece). Simply raise or lower each screw until your guitar reverts back to manufacturer specs. Now repeat for each string on your bass; remembering each adjustment may change tone and you may require multiple small tweaks before finding an ideal setting for all strings.
Pickups
Pickups are where all the magic takes place in guitar and bass sound production, uniting tone, power, and sustain. Finding an ideal pickup height is important; also important are tuning each string individually until they reach its proper length – even just a few turns of a screwdriver can mean the difference between one that sounds thin and quiet and one with full, warm tones that resonate clearly with listeners.
Many pickup designs achieve optimal sound when the magnetic fields created by each string are adjusted close but not touching them, however if your bass has light-gauge strings or you strike down instead of across (common among bassists), closer adjustments could cause collision between strings and magnets that reduce vibrancy and clarity significantly.
Adjusting bass pickups involves loosening and turning a hex-head screw until the pickups can be raised or lowered accordingly. For single coil pickups, use the screw closest to the neck as your highest setting while using one further away as your lowest one; many guitars feature markings on their mounting screws that indicate where this setting should lie, but always consult your manufacturer’s recommendations for optimal settings.
Over time, foam used as padding under body-mount pickups may compress and lose its ability to press against them, allowing screws to continue rising without the pickups moving upward. To combat this situation, keep some spare foam handy (never the stuff found in household sponges!); you will need something sturdy enough for heavy pressure! To be on the safe side and ensure success!
Some bassists struggle with adjusting their pickups due to difficulty accessing their screws that hold them. This is typically true of Fender Jazzmaster-style pickups; however there are options that may help such as spacers that sit between the pickup and body and allow you to fine-tune each string’s pole piece height by fine tuning each screw separately.
Bridge
Adjusting a bass guitar may seem complex, but in reality the process is actually very straightforward. The hardest part about setting your instrument up for optimal output, warmth and balance. Finding these settings might not always be straightforward since different instruments and pickups produce different tones; but with practice you should find what suits you.
Your bass may feature individual height adjustments for each string and in some cases even intonation adjustments. To access these features, loosen any screws holding down strings before carefully moving saddles up or down as necessary. Next, play a natural harmonic at the twelfth fret on one string to check its intonation; it should match with your tuner perfectly but if it goes higher or lower you will need to make necessary changes.
Saddle height can also play an integral part in combatting string buzzing. Once you find the string that’s buzzing the most, raise its saddle just a fraction of a turn and play/retune it until the buzzing stops; if not, repeat until no trace remains of buzzing sound.
Some basses feature an additional screw that regulates string height for both bass and treble strings, making them easier to access than individual string saddles, which requires using a hex key to change. When tightening this screw, however, be wary as tightening may alter both overall string height as well as damage the nut itself.
Finally, make sure the strings do not touch or strike the pickup surface directly; doing so could damage its finish as well as create feedback loops within your amp.
Amp
Bass guitar amplifiers contain various controls that can be adjusted to change their tone, such as gain controls that affect distortion, an equalization (EQ or tone control) control and treble controls that can increase or decrease high frequency clarity. Depending on what genre of music you play, your bass amp EQ settings could have an enormous effect on its sound – so to find the optimal settings you must understand what each control does and how they can be altered.
When editing amp EQ settings, the best practice is to first ensure that bass, mids, and treble levels are set roughly at equal levels before adjusting gains and master volume controls for optimal frequency balance. This ensures that the bass doesn’t overshadow other instruments during recording sessions as well as avoid creating any muffled or dull sounds that result in unwanted overtones.
An increase in gain will add more distortion, which may be useful in some musical genres; however, this could cause your bass sound harsh and shrill if this becomes an issue; to alleviate this situation try decreasing gain or increasing treble control to lessen high frequency intensity.
Many bassists tend to overdo it with the treble control, leading to high-frequency feedback that interferes with other musicians hearing their parts clearly. If this occurs when playing with a band, lower or turn down your treble control while simultaneously increasing bass volume to compensate for lost high-frequency detail.
Be mindful that EQ controls on your bass amp are as integral to its sound as pickups and bridge. Take time to experiment with each control to understand their function and how you can modify them to achieve your ideal tone. Attempt one EQ adjustment at a time while always reviewing results before moving onto another control.