can't get my fender bass to quite get in tune with my trracks-its new and was pro set up. However its never quite there. I find it hard to tune it perfect. do i have pitch paranoia, is this something other producers have trouble with?

Josh

just because a "pro" set up your bass, doesn't make it perfect. 1) there are plenty of guitar techs that couldn't get the intonation on their own pubic hair right, let alone your bass. 2) certain neck/ bridge combos are a pain in the ass to set up and have to be f'ed with. did your bass sit over night before giving it back to you? if not, that might be the issue... could just need a slight adjustment from the strings stretching. if you're in NY by any chance, i can recommend a guy who's great.
(btw, invest in a peterson strobe tuner if you havn't yet... makes life wonderful)

1) does the peterson strobe tuner work on bass aswell as guitar

2)I'm in London-anyone recommend a good set-up guy for my mexican bass?

its only the bottom 2 strings that are a pain to tune, especially the bottom E.

Are you certain your other tracks match the tuning of your bass?

Recently I had to "temper" the tuning of an acoustic guitar I was recording. Even though the tuner said it was tuned - it sounded a bit off. I adjusted the tuning to match the rest of the recorded tracks...

Also - I had a problem with an electric guitar's intonation. Again - the tuner said the open strings were tuned - but as I moved along the frets - the tuning would drift...

Just a couple of things to keep in mind...

SparkyCanada

just to rule out the basics: you aren't using the strings that came with the bass, are you?

yeah i am using the strings that came with it. What would you suggest?

well, if a setup was done, the strings that cam with your bass from the factory were changed. i'm suprised he didn't ask what strings/ guage you wanted to use

I hate that!!! When that happens, the guitar in question is banished for good. A bad neck will ruin your tracks and uninspire you.

well, not true... the truss rod is there for a reason, doesn't mean it's a bad neck. i find WAY too many people tend to setup their guitartoo infrequently. if you live in an area where the climate changes a few times a year, your neck's going to warp slightly... it's only woord. if the neck IS fukked, it is what it is... necks can be changed. if it's a $300 mexican strat, it's probably not worth the headache, but if it's a $3000 custom shop, it certainly is

well yeah, the guitar in question was a cheapie. Nothing could fix it. Not even my guitar tech.

If I payed 3k for a guitar and it wouldnt hold a tune, a truss rod adjustment would be the first thing I did.

that's probably NOT a bad neck, more than likely its the intonation. Regardless of who set up you're instrument check the intonation with a tuner, when the seasons change its not uncommon to have to loosen the truss rod. It's also possible that even with your instrument set up right that you fret out of tune, pay close attention to your technique, one of the joys of recording is that it will point out any weakness in your fundamentals pretty quick.

if the factory strings are still on the instrument, this thread is moot.
have to be certain about that first- without assuming the pro is a pro.

I have been playing guitar for 15 years. I agree with everything you are saying, but I can assure you that it WAS intonation in my case. I got a new tele, had it setup by the same guy (a highly respected pro who does setups for about everyone from the Allmans to the locals) and he agreed that my last guitar was a POS.

My tele plays perfectly, and my intonation is dead on now. It's not a technique thing, but let me tell you..I thought it was for a while until I got my new guitar!!!

While I believe it might be possible that the neck of your guitar was twisted or the fret scale was off, that's very very very rare. Intonation can be adjusted and is part of the setup of the guitar. If someone set up your guitar and didnt tell you when they gave it to you that the neck was ****ed and that they couldn't intonate your guitar
properly I'd find a different guitar tech. I believe you could have had that problem and believe you but that is NOT usual.
BTW everyone who plays guitar for real should be able to set up their own guitar, guitar necks move around with the seasons and temperature changes, so no setup lasts

The guitar in question was an el cheapo. It was just not a good neck. I haven't seen anyone make it stay in tune past fret 12, 3 people have tried.

Sorry, but I disagree with you partially on this one. Some guitars just suck ass and have bad necks, and there is nothing you can do except replace the neck or trash the guitar. This applies way more to the cheapies though..anything made halfway well should be able to be adjusted to stay in tune.

And yeah, I can setup my guitar fairly well, but I spend way too much time on other **** to get it perfect, so I take it to a pro..its a studio guitar so it doesn't tour.

on tour I had a killer tech..of course I played bass, and my basses were much nicer then my guitar collection.