A Hofner bass came in with an output jack spinning free and a setup on the ticket. The floating bridge had drifted out of position, taking the intonation with it. Jack tightened, bridge moved back where it belongs, truss rod, bridge height, intonation and pickups set. Fifty minutes.
- Instrument
- Hofner bass
- Tech
- Dave Eastwood
- Customer complaint
- Setup and loose output jack
- Diagnosis
- Jack loose and spinning; intonation off; movable bridge in the wrong position; truss rod, bridge height and pickups needed setting
- Work performed
- Jack tightened and checked; restrung; bridge relocated front-to-back and side-to-side; truss rod and bridge height set; intonation confirmed; pickup height set to the new bridge height
- Parts
- None
- Bench time
- 50 minutes
- Outcome
- Jack solid, bridge in position, intonation confirmed
What Came In
A Hofner bass. The output jack was loose and the owner wanted the bass set up.
What We Found
The jack was loose and spinning freely. The intonation was off and the movable bridge was sitting in the wrong position, so the bridge location and height, the truss rod and the intonation all needed setting, along with the pickups.
What We Did
Tightened the jack and confirmed it worked. Restrung the bass and moved the bridge back to the correct position, front to back and side to side. Set the truss rod and bridge height, confirmed the intonation, and set the pickup height to the new bridge height. About 50 minutes on the bench.
Result
The jack is solid, the bridge is where it should be, and the intonation checked out.
Why does a Hofner's bridge move?
Because it is not fixed to the top. The bridge floats, held in place by string pressure, so it can creep out of position, and when it does the intonation goes with it. Getting it back to the right spot comes before any other adjustment.
Related
- The Repair Vault
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- Gretsch Tim Armstrong: Output Jack About to Fall Inside
Bring It In
Floating-bridge bass that will not play in tune up the neck? The bridge may just have wandered. Setups at the Hideout.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com