How to Adjust the Action on a Dean Acoustic Electric Bass
Adjusting the action, the distance between the strings and the fretboard, on acoustic guitars and basses may seem complicated, but the style of bridges used on basses like Dean's electro-acoustic models generally is the same used on acoustic guitars in that there are no saddles or screws that can be tinkered with to change the action. The action on Dean electro-acoustics easily can be altered to produced a desired sound.
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Instructions
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Use a ruler to measure the action of the strings at the 12th fret. Write down the distance between the top of the fret marker and the bottom of the string. Use the rule to estimate how much to lower the strings if action is to high. Action set too high on the bass makes the strings more difficult to play. Fret buzz results from having the action set too low.
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Remove the strings from the bass. Pull the pins out of the bridge to remove the strings from the relevant part of the bass. The pins are the four circular spots on the bridge of the electro-acoustic, where the strings go into the bass's body. Use pliers to remove them, if necessary since they can be stiff. Move the strings out of the way of the bridge, keeping hold of the pins.
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Use a radius gauge on the saddle to the needed angle. The angle is expressed as a "radius," as if the curve of the bridge continued to form a circle, which is then measured. The saddle usually is the light-colored strip of hard plastic, wood or bone that the strings sit on at the bridge. The saddle is responsible for much of the electro-acoustic's action. The nut, where the neck meets the headstock, also can cause high action, but nut adjustments ideally should be done by a professional guitar technician.
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Mark the desired alteration onto the saddle, maintaining the radius of the curve. For example, if the action is 1/64 of an inch too high, mark a parallel curve on the saddle, 1/64 of an inch below the current lip of the saddle. Mark the line with a pencil to clearly see where the desired placement of the bridge will end.
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Cover a sanding block with the sandpaper, and sand down the saddle. Sand down only to the line. Annoying fret buzz occurs when sanding too far. Re-attach the string and measure the action at the 12th fret again after the saddle is sanded down to the desired level. Make adjustments as necessary.
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- Photo Credit Manche de Basse image by Gregor Novovitch from Fotolia.com
