Truss Rod Adjustments...Questions Questions!

[~NoblameNoshame~]

Might be playing around with it soooon so got some questions if anyone can help?

 

I've got a fender tele deluxe with jumbo frets & i currently use standard ernie's 10-46. But im gonna change them for Hybrids 9-46 cos the neck scales so long i struggle a wee bit controlling bends. Question being... Will i need to tweek the rod for this minor change in gauge?

 

Alsooooo. I hear people say the neck should have a slight bow. I know the little trick test where you hold down the first fret, then highest fret. Then see how much of a gap is under he 12th. But with jumbo frets should there really be a gap? You'd need a big bow to manage it with jumbo frets surely? But then you can also argue that straights good enough for the guitar neck let alone bowed. Opinions anyone?

 

Cheers for you timez peoplez!

 

P.s. Dont worry i know how careful you need to be with truss rods etc etc etc. dont panic

[Don'tPostThePear]

i went from 9-42s to 10-46s (ernie balls) without truss rod adjustment, but i had to install an extra trem spring. guitar was a cort g260 with probably a strat like neck.

 

i actually adjusted the neck later to have a bit of bow, so it was straight with the 9s and stayed straight with the 10s before adjustment. i suck at playing ever since then but i play unplugged 95% of the time nowadays and i started to hate string rattling noise and stuff, now probably mine is the biggest string height on the forum.

[Flump]

That small of a change in strings won't matter too much, but it will change it some. I couldn't tell you exactly how much, but there will be something. It may end up better for you without any changes.

 

When measuring for neck bow I usually measure under the 7th or 8th fret as that tends to be where it's the highest for me. The size of the frets doesn't matter because they are supposed to all be at equal heights when the neck is flat (not under tension). When you are adjusting the rod though go in small increments and make sure the strings aren't at full tension.

[james90]

Really? I always thought you should adjust with the strings at full tension (when possible - since some guitars have the truss rod at the heel)

 

to the OP - you might or might not, since it's just the top strings and is one gauge lighter. if it starts buzzing on the lower frets, then you might need to loosen it.

 

generally what I do is put a business card between the frets and the strings around the 8th fret - that's roughly how big the gap should be.

[Impulse 101]

If you don't know what you're doing, don't touch the truss rod. Cranking it too far will damage your neck beyond repair. Read up on truss rod adjustments, then you'll have an idea what to do. Your neck needs to have some relief in it to account for the movement of the strings as they vibrate. The frets should be uniform in height and shape in relation to then neck and if they're not then you've got bigger problems.

 

JT

[Flump]

Really? I always thought you should adjust with the strings at full tension (when possible - since some guitars have the truss rod at the heel)

 

Well the first place I saw it was in the Warmoth instruction manual. For their pro modern necks which is what i've used for all my builds they suggest to always detune the strings first. Always done it that way on their suggestion/warning. A lot of places seem to suggest it. Probably just has to do with having less tension on the rod/threads when adjusting.

[Phill]

yeah you should take the tension off the strings before any adjustments and should not adjust more than a quarter turn at a time.

[james90]

yeah you should take the tension off the strings before any adjustments and should not adjust more than a quarter turn at a time.

 

Yeah, though as I found out with the fender style necks, if you don't get it right the first time, you have to loosen the strings, take the neck off, readjust, put the neck back on, tune up.

 

usually repeat again.

 

it's interesting though - the guitar i adjusted yesterday (that was giving me issues) now has the truss rod loosened a bit compared to how it was, but is now straight. only thing i did different was that trick with the clamp (!) in Dan Erlewine's book. (definitely worth checking out)

 

But I'm wondering since I did that with the strings off, if that was the reason.

[Impulse 101]

I do my fine adjustments with the strings on and I use a metal straight edge to check the relief. It's usually about .5 to .7 mm at the 11th fret.

[james90]

I do my fine adjustments with the strings on and I use a metal straight edge to check the relief. It's usually about .5 to .7 mm at the 11th fret.

 

11th fret? I've always heard you should do it around the 7th or 8th, where the gap is the biggest.

 

Do you have the strings at full tension?

 

Also, Impulse, maybe you can help me with this.

 

Do any of your necks have more relief on one side than the other? Right now this neck is PERFECTLY straight on the bass side, but has a little relief on the treble side. don't know whether or not to loosen it, since I'm getting some buzz on the bass side...but that would result in having too much relief on the treble side.

 

 

To the thread starter...what's the story with your guitar? Keep in mind that you might have to tighten it a little anyway during the winter.

 

 

Oh, and pear, lets see your string height then!

[Don'tPostThePear]

Oh, and pear, lets see your string height then!

 

i gonna shoot pictures the weekend, i am interested in this cos i don't know how fucked up my set up is.

 

but i took measurements:

 

Low E string: there is something between 3mm between the top of the fret (17th fret) and the bottom of the string. That is around 1/8 inch.

The other strings are sitting around 1mm higher at the saddles.

[hooglebug]

nothing should be measured from the 17th fret. action (string height) should be measured at the 12th, relief should be measured by holding down the string at the 1st and 14th frets and measuring from the 8th

[Don'tPostThePear]

nothing should be measured from the 17th fret. action (string height) should be measured at the 12th, relief should be measured by holding down the string at the 1st and 14th frets and measuring from the 8th

 

the height is lower by around 10% at the 12th fret which is around 2,8mm or 0,9x1/8 inch.

[~NoblameNoshame~]

Well..... i just took it to the local shop. It had a slightly off neck, the action was off & the nut was high on the G. He did measurements at the 14th fret top string then worked down the strings whilst working down the fret board ending up at the 9th low E. Great watching someone in the know just tinkering with it.

 

Basically its worth letting the pro loose on it. Its magic to play now, bendings so much more powerful & no buzz anywhere.