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Post subject: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 3:41 pm
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Heard both . What do t'all think?


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:55 pm
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If I'm understanding correctly....you want to check the amount of neck relief at standard tuning, then release tension from the neck when you adjust the trussrod. I've seen luthiers bend the neck back a little and turn the trussrod just a slight turn ( for small adjustments) without lossening the strings. But the point is not to have full tension on the neck, especially when you are going to tighten the rod nut. afer the adjustment, tune to pitch. refer to the fender manual for more info.


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 8:51 am
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If you detune- How do you know how far to turn the rod?

Now it may be necessary to detune and even to remove the neck on some basses, but it almost impossible to guess how far to turn the rod without having the bass tuned to pitch.
It is a a pure guess with the neck off of the bass or with it detuned.

I always apply pressure on the neck to move it in the direction that I want the rod to move it, so the rod is no taking all of the stress of the adjustment through the rod nut.

Leave this to a professional if you are not sure of what you are doing.

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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:47 pm
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BCbassman wrote:
If you detune- How do you know how far to turn the rod?

You back it off until you hear or feel it break loose. That's all you're trying to do, get the mating surfaces unstuck so you're not fighting that as well as the actual tension in the trussrod.

I believe in loosening the strings and/or backloading the neck as necessary to relieve pressure when adjusting stiff trussrods.

If adjusting a trussrod is a battle, you're doing it wrong, and the odds of the self-ordained "guitar tech" at the shop doing it correctly aren't that good either.


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:26 am
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When i say take it to a"professional".I mean someone with a reputation as a professional guitar technician.

If you ask around, you can find out who is good in your region of the world.

I don't recommend taking a good instrument to any "self ordained" guitar tech.

I do recommend learning to do truss rod adjustments yourself. Start out on cheaper instruments and learn how to do it. You will save a lot of money throughout your playing career.

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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:52 pm
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If you do not slacken the strings on a guitar or especially a bass when tightening the truss rod, you run a good risk of compressing the wood with the truss rod nut, and either not adjusting the neck, or not getting the amount of adjustment you need. If you have to turn the nut several times, STOP! You would be compressing the wood. If you do not slacken the strings, at least pull the neck into the relief you want, then tighten out the slack in the truss rod nut, and let loose of the neck, then it should stay in this adjustment. If you loosen the truss rod under standard tuning, that is perfectly fine and safe.


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:54 pm
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I'm my experience it all depends on the guitar in question, with my basses I'm constantly making slight adjustments but with saying that the function of the truss rod in a bass is different to that of a guitar.

The main function of the truss rod in a guitar is just to counteract the string tension so once set providing you stick to the same gage of strings shouldn't need adjusting that often if ever.

Its a pain to adjust the rod on my 57 due to the fact that you have to pop the neck to gain access to the cross head an thankfully have only had to do it once in nearly 20yrs.
less is more, make very slight adjustments no more than a quarter turn or less while applying slight pressure to the neck in the direction that you want it adjusted to.

Its not that hard of a thing to do just difficult to approach the first time you attempt it after you have heard countless horror story's of people causing irreversible damage by not knowing what there doing an just attacking it an turning it till it wont turn any more.

A bit like turning a water tap off, just turn it till the water stops running, don't keep turning it till you cant turn it no more cause if you do you will wear the washers out an it will end up dripping etc etc ......
LESS IS MORE !!!
Hope this was some help.

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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:09 pm
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And i just put that in the wrong forum (thought i was in the Stratocaster forum oops me bad, new to this board) :(

Anyways........
With my basses (only Stingrays at the present time but same applies) with the 34 scale the neck does move more often just by the nature of it being a 34 scale bass, slight adjustments are all i ever have to make an when i do it I apply pressure in the direction that i want to move it in then turn it just enough to take the slack up on the rod, same again never usualy any more than a quarter turn, less even.

In simple, no I never slacken the strings off when making adjustments, I just apply pressure to the neck in the direction i want to move it to (less or more relief) to take the pressure off the truss rod so that your not forcing it and fighting against the string pressure.

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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:26 pm
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Steve-oh-no wrote:
If you do not slacken the strings on a guitar or especially a bass when tightening the truss rod, you run a good risk of compressing the wood with the truss rod nut, and either not adjusting the neck, or not getting the amount of adjustment you need. If you have to turn the nut several times, STOP! You would be compressing the wood. If you do not slacken the strings, at least pull the neck into the relief you want, then tighten out the slack in the truss rod nut, and let loose of the neck, then it should stay in this adjustment. If you loosen the truss rod under standard tuning, that is perfectly fine and safe.

You put the guitar into upright playing position and tuned to pitch then make you adjustments with the straight edge. Not loosened that ridiculous.

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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:19 pm
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I don't think you understand what I was saying. Like stated above, I always "pull" or push the neck in the direction I want it to go, I just slacken the strings when tightening the rod.


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:08 pm
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Steve-oh-no wrote:
I don't think you understand what I was saying. Like stated above, I always "pull" or push the neck in the direction I want it to go, I just slacken the strings when tightening the rod.


MISTAKE.


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:52 am
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To clarify, slacking up on string tension is what I'm calling a mistake. Applying pressure is not the mistake. Slacking the string tension makes it almost impossible to set the truss rod correctly. I think it is best to keep tension on the neck, even during string changes so I only change one string at a time as a general rule.

Here is a good online setup manual: http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/trussrod3.html

Pay special attention to this page which shows a good way to apply the pressure and it works without loosening the strings at all: http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/trussrod3.html


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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:22 am
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brotherdave wrote:
To clarify, slacking up on string tension is what I'm calling a mistake. Applying pressure is not the mistake. Slacking the string tension makes it almost impossible to set the truss rod correctly. I think it is best to keep tension on the neck, even during string changes so I only change one string at a time as a general rule.


That !
Like when changing strings, if you do feel the need to take them all off at once (maybe to do some maintenance that you couldn't do with the strings on) de-tune them first, have seen people in the past cutting them off the back of the nut, twang,twang,twang, (makes me cringe) the sudden shock can have a nasty effect on the neck!

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Post subject: Re: Adusting trussrod - detune or tune to pitch first?
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:27 pm
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If you don't slacken your strings, you will likely overtighten them when tightening a truss rod. This could very easily damage your strings. Furthermore, with overtight strings, your adjustment will be no more accurate than it would be with slackened strings. Simply put, you cannot rely on string tension when adjusting the truss rod.

The truss rod adjustment is a trial and error procedure. You need to:
1) Tune your guitar/bass. Then check the relief. The relief measurement is only meaningful when the guitar/bass is tuned. If truss rod needs to be tightened or loosened, go to step 2. Otherwise, you are done.
2) Loosen strings. Make small truss rod adjustment (typically 1/8 to 1/4 turn). Go to step 1.


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