i'm getting fret noise on my new fender active jazz bass (5-string). when i play notes near the bottom of the neck (frets 1-5ish) on the B string, its very difficult to finger the notes without hearing the string vibrate against the fret as i'm pushing it down. i'm not getting a buzz once i've pushed it down, only as i'm pushing it down or lifting up.
do i raise the action a little to correct this problem? what should i do.
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Depending where you bought it, the strings may have been slack f
Depending where you bought it, the strings may have been slack for a long time before you bought it (they are stored that way). As Tommy said, go ahead and raise the action a bit for now. If, AFTER A WEEK, with the strings having been in tune, you still cannot adjust the action to be the way you want it, then a SLIGHT truss rod adjustment may be in order (shouldn't be more than a quarter turn). This is not a bad thing, and it is not unusual. If you do not trust yourself to do it, take it to a professional for a full adjustment and setup.
Tommy was dead-on (of course) about Fenders coming somewhat "unfinished", especially if it was not on display in a music store (in which case they usually give guitars a setup). Most Pro players don't care though, because they will almost always do slight modifications and set it up the way they want it.
By all means raise the action yourself and remember to adjust th
By all means raise the action yourself and remember to adjust the intonation with a good strobe tuner.
Or, you should have the instrument adjusted by a bonafied pro. This is especially a Fender thing. The most popular unadjusted, mass produced half-finished guitar known the world over. And they sound pretty damn good once setup right.
Or, better yet if you are a professional desiring the top sound and playability, have it PLEK'd. http://www.plek.com