truss rod adjustment for flatwounds

[PrimusPanda]

Ok, so I know there are probably other threads about this, but I couldn't find any So my question is around how much should I loosen my truss rod when putting on light flatwounds? I tried them on a friend's Yamaha 5 string and I loved the deep sound and the smooth feeling they had. But I have never used them on my own basses before, and from what I have read, flatwounds have higher tension and the truss rod normally needs to be adjusted. I just want to know around how much it should be adjusted, whether it will be a little or a lot.

[christle]

Originally Posted by PrimusPanda

I just want to know around how much it should be adjusted, whether it will be a little or a lot.

It depends on the particular set or brand and the gauge of flats you putting on your bass. Most of the time I have had to do an 1/8 to 1/4 turn, very occasionally I have had to do a bit more.

[WoollyMammoth]

No way to know... Depends on the difference in tension from what you have now to the new ones as well as the angle of how much you need to raise/lower the strings and intonate. All of this changes the perpendicular projection to the neck of the resulting force vector produced by the strings. You will just have to put em on and set the whole thing up.

[BillyIVbass]

Wasting a day on 1/8 turns beats ruining a neck with one quick crank...I've done both!

[PrimusPanda]

From what I have heard from a guy from a local guitar store, the neck can pretty much always be fixed, even if it's turned too much or too little as long as it doesn't stay like that for a few days/weeks. It's possible to notice and fix it if I turn too much or not enough, right?

[dwm74]

Don't know if you meant tighten or loosen, but on my Precision I started off by turning the rod (tightening) until the neck was perfectly straight (while I still had the old rounds on it).

Then after installing the light Chromes (45-100), it automatically stressed the neck just the right amount to match the higher tension of the Chromes. Since the higher tension flats don't need as much room to vibrate, I can set the action very low.

But each neck will react a little differently. Just like WoolyMammoth said, install them, tune them up, and do a new setup with those strings in place.

[PrimusPanda]

So the rod should be tightened, that's my mistake. I was thinking higher tension = loose truss rod.

[carlos840]

Can i advise you to do a bit more reading before you attempt anything! You dont really look like you understand the way the truss rod works and the way it should be adjusted!

[PrimusPanda]

I don't plan on doing anything until then, that is why I am asking before hand. I don't want to make any mistakes.

[lmfreeman9]

Change strings then see what you have. Then ask questions. Often I have changed to flats with no need for adjustment.

[JustDavid]

Some Searching & reading in the Hardware, Setup, Repair forum should give you LOTS of information on setups, & how to do them yourself.

[madmatt]

If tightening the truss you should loosen the strings a lot to make it easier to tighten the truss.

[fretlessguy]

http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup...ck_relief.html
If still in doubt, take it to a trusted guitar tech in your area. Best of luck.