On a strat with the adjustment made at neck & body joint am I right assuming you have to remove the neck
Thanks

Yep, and take the strings off first. Or at least slacken them right off and then capo the first fret (as a shortcut).

Some say you can get in with a screwdriver without removing the neck, I've never been able to. The only time I tried, I nearly damaged the screw head.

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No no and no

Thanks Saw a you tube vid guy slackened the strings and put a capo as you said that is how I will do it. Wonder why they make them this way.
Thanks

Ah if you ask me, it's better this way.
The billet on headstock adjustment trussrods gets scratched up.
Having the adjustment at the heel doesn't encourage people to mess around with the truss rod too much.

In all honesty, people go on about set ups every six months. I used to be the same way. And most of it is hogswash. I can't remember the last time I had to set up my strats. Let alone mess with the neck relief. I don't do any more than go over the intonation and clean em when I change the strings these days.

Though I do have to do my black strat, cos I've just glued the neck in as it's swimming about in the pocket wildly.

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No no and no

[quote="nikininja"]
In all honesty, people go on about set ups every six months. I used to be the same way. And most of it is hogswash. I can't remember the last time I had to set up my strats. Let alone mess with the neck relief. I don't do any more than go over the intonation and clean em when I change the strings these days.


+1...Unless you change string gauges there is almost no need to do a set up...and the biggest problem is people make too big of changes, baby steps is what you need to think when you make ANY adjustment to a Stratocaster!

FWIW

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

The guitar plays nice no buzzes or anything but from what I am use to it seems the releif is a little excessive. Maybe .012 or .014. Does say on the fender sight releif for my radious is .012 On my PRS SE Semi-Hollow it is almost straigt with no releif.
Like I say plays and sounds great. Was just nervous maybe alittle to much releif.
Thanks

If it's good, then why mess with it.
These measurements that you see from manufacturers are guidelines, not set in stone. The difference between .012 and .014" is a fifth the thickness of most high E strings. Nothing.

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. I set my guitars up with a bit more relief than that. It depends more on how you hit the strings than what some bloke writing a pamphlet says.

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No no and no

It does play nice so i'll leave it alone. i am heavy handed when playing.
Thanks

If you live in a climate that has very humid summers and dry, cold winters, you may find a slight bit of neck adjustment is needed as the weather shifts over. At least, most of my guitars do. The neck heel adjustment is a little bit of a pain but it only takes me a couple minutes to throw the capo on, undo the neck and adjust it. Plus for Fender guitars I think the 60s-style super-clean headstock looks so much better; the walnut plug on the newer designs just clutter it up.

Thanks for all they advice. I think I would like a little less releif but I have a good tech I'll have him look at it.
Again thanks

I went ahead and adjusted a little over a 1/8th of a turn and relielf is where I like. No buzzes or rattles still sonds and plays nice.
Thanks

My Mustang has been my most consistent guitar.
The only set up I've ever needed was a slight intonation adjustment when I used some different strings.
But no truss rod adjustments needed

But that could be due to living in a consistent climate.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

I think sometimes it is also them hanging on the wall at GC and dry heat on cool days when they got heat on to having it off because 2 days later 80 degrees. I have noticed the ones on the wall higher towards the ceiling that have been there awhile rosewood on neck dries out and the fret edges are fairly sharp.
Usually when I get it set where I want it it doesn't change much. Mostly the main thing I do is have the nut changed to bone and a set up done where they check the fret height and smooth fret edges if there sharp. Have it done at Lays Guitar in Akron. Dan is great with guitars. Does work for alot of pro's
Thanks