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Post subject: Truss Rod question on new 2012 Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:54 am
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Hey guys,

New to the forums as I just bought my first Fender Stratocaster It's a 2012 American Standard. I've wanted a genuine strat forever and finally got it. It's a 3 tone sunburst with maple neck. I also picked up a DRRI to go with it.

My question is this: When I went to set it up following the directions from Fender online, I was checking neck relief. I got out my .010 feeler gauge and it was a little loose (Capo on top of first fret, Low E pressed at 17th fret, measured between top of 8th fret, bottom of string). So I read up on how to adjust the truss rod. I found that when looking towards the body of the guitar turning it to the right (Clockwise) would help flatten it out, or I guess take some of the relief out?

So I read that loosening first then tightening is the best way, just to move it both directions to get a feel for how much stress or force is normal when adjusting. When I turned a quarter turn to the left (counter clockwise) and measured, it increased the relief noticeably when checking with the feeler gauge, apparently a little goes a long way when adjusting the truss rod. So then I went back to the right a quarter turn. When I got back to about where it was originally, it snugged up very tight. Almost like it "bottomed out" or something. I didn't put a lot of force behind it because I didn't want to break anything on a brand new guitar, but it really feels like that's about it's max for tightening or reducing relief.

I retuned and rechecked at 8th fret, still slightly loose with the .010". But a little better than originally.

I guess I'm okay with it where it is, it's a loose .010 for sure, but it's not a great amount either. I'd say it's probably in the .011-.013 range. Is this acceptable? Is it normal for the truss rod to bottom out like that and not be able to provide any more flattening of the neck even though Fenders spec isn't quite reached?

Thanks for the help guys! I've been lurking around these forums for years but never had a strat so I didn't join. Glad I can finally be a part of it! I just want to learn to set my own equipment up so I don't have to pay someone else to do it.

BTW, I did this with the strings on and tuned up. I read that sometimes you do the truss rod with the strings off?? How do you check gaps at the 8th fret then? Are you constanstly taking strings on and off?

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Truss Rod question on new 2012 Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:35 am
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Hi 98Redbird, welcome to the Forum and congrats on the new Strat.

By the sound of it you did most of it right. Many people would think it a nice idea to loosen off the strings a good deal before adjusting the trussrod, so that it can move the wood of the neck without fighting the string tension. After your adjustment you retune and see where you've got to once the neck is under playing tension again. You might have to do this two or three times to get where you're going, though once you have a little experience you'll likely get a feel for it and only need to adjust the rod once.

You'll also want to check the measurement again the next day, because sometimes the wood can shift and settle a little bit overnight under its new rod tension - or sometimes not.

By the way. A nice tip that can make your measurements a little easier and more accurate is instead of the capo'd string method lay a two foot steel ruler edge on along the frets and measure from the top of the eighth fret to the underside of that rule edge instead. It's not essential, but sometimes you're just not quite sure if the tip of the feeler gauge is touching the underside of the string or not, and eyeballing a gap between the two is a bit easier with the solid ruler.

Anyhow. The difference between 0.010" and 0.011 or even 0.013 is pretty small to most people's fingertips, as far as relief is concerned. So I wouldn't sweat it, if it feels all right - which is the only thing that matters.

But I must admit, I don't like the sound of that "bottoming out" thing. It's a bit hard to diagnose whether that is or is not an issue over the internet. If I were you I'd just pop back to the shop you bought it from and see if they have a good tech who can take a look at it for you and reassure you it's OK. Much better to do that soon after purchase rather than leaving it. It reduces tiresome discussions about customer's rights, warranties and such.

Let us know how you get on, huh?

And most of all; enjoy that Strat! :D

Cheers - C

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Post subject: Re: Truss Rod question on new 2012 Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:30 pm
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Ceri,

Thank you for the detailed response.

I bought it at guitar center and I've heard that their tech's can really be hit or miss. I like doing most of this stuff myself mainly because that way I know exactly how it was done and that it was done right.

I've also ordered the string action gauge from stewmac, should be here in a few days. Will be easier to see the distance probably with that.

Yeah, the bottoming out thing made me nervous too. I think I'll loosen up the strings tonight and see how it gets along that way. Maybe tonight when I get home it will have "relaxed" a little too.

Best way I can describe the "bottoming out thing" is to say that when I turn it to the left, it moves nice and easy, smoothly. There is tension on it that I can feel but it's not difficult to move. However, when I turn it back to the right (clockwise), it moves freely, just like it did rotating it counter clockwise, but then it all the sudden starts to tighten up, like it's just out of adjustment room, like it reached the end of it's adjustability or something. It just snugs up like any bolt/screw would. So I stopped there... Didn't want to crank down on it.


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Post subject: Re: Truss Rod question on new 2012 Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:33 pm
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I would give it just a bit more of a turn say 1/8 rotation. If it's bad, now is the time to find out so you can return it, not 6 or 7 months from now.


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Post subject: Re: Truss Rod question on new 2012 Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:36 pm
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So... Just got off the phone with Fender. They said that if the truss rod bottoms out before I can get the relief to zero, that it's a problem and it falls under the neck warranty. I've only had it a few days, they just said take it back to guitar center and order another one up.

Now, I'm thinking that I might want the Sienna Sunburst model, man, it's great looking!!

So, what are the sonic differences between the ash body and the alder?


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Post subject: Re: Truss Rod question on new 2012 Stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:48 pm
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Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:08 pm
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98Redbird wrote:
So... Just got off the phone with Fender. They said that if the truss rod bottoms out before I can get the relief to zero, that it's a problem and it falls under the neck warranty. I've only had it a few days, they just said take it back to guitar center and order another one up.

Now, I'm thinking that I might want the Sienna Sunburst model, man, it's great looking!!

So, what are the sonic differences between the ash body and the alder?


Ha. Nice question. None. :lol:

That Sienna Sunburst is the most beautiful to me. Good luck. :D


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