55-02 Truss Rod Adjustment

[Ancient Mariner]

Yesterday I replaced the OEM strings by putting new D'Addario Chromes (flatwounds) on my 55-02. That replacement lowered the action big time! So much, in fact, that the "B" string was sitting on the first fretwire.

So, I first tried to get the "B" string off the fretwire by raising the saddle on the bridge. It worked, but it required so much raising that the "B" saddle sat WAY high above the other saddles - really looked goofy. So I lowered the saddle and am attempting to eliminate the problem by decreasing the tension on the truss rod - I turned it somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 of a turn (45 to 90 degrees) counterclockwise.

Was this the right move? I'm leaving it alone for about 24 hours to let the wood adjust. What am I likely to find? Will I need to turn it counterclockwise again? Any observations, comments or suggestions? This is my first-ever attempt at truss rod adjustments.

[Groundloop]

"Any observations, comments or suggestions?"

Observation: Given that D'Addario Chromes are known for having pretty high tension (certainly higher than most rounds) I would have expected, if anything, an upbow (higher action) rather than what happened to your bass. I used Chromes on my 55-02 for a while, and when I installed them I lowered the saddles slightly and left the truss rod alone.

Comment: Keep in mind that truss rod adjustments are for setting the amount of relief (bow) in the neck, not for adjusting string height, though obviously the 2 are related. You're absolutely doing the right thing by waiting for the neck to do it's thing.

Suggestion: Don't touch anything else on your bass until you've read the stickies at the top of the board, if you haven't already.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Ancient Mariner]

Well, after fiddling around with the truss rod and the bridge saddles, I think I've discovered why the "B" string was sitting on the first fret after the string change - should have noticed this earlier.

Seems the depth of the cut in the nut for the "B" string is substantially deeper than the cuts for the other strings. With the OEM strings, the fat part of the string rested in this area and there was no problem. With the new strings, however, the thin (leader) part of the string is in the nut, and the rest of the string therefore sits much "flatter" than the OEM string. Interestingly, the cut depths are all over the place in this nut - no uniformity whatsoever.

Suggestions? I have essentially fixed the problem by tweaking the truss rod and the saddles, but now I'm living with the action higher than I like it to be. I purchased this bass new just 14 weeks ago - think I should contact Lakland and ask for a new nut? Maybe ship it to them and have them do it? Or is there something simple I can do to mitigate the nut depth problem?

[ghindman]

The leader should be above the nut - are the chromes you purchased long-scale?

[Ancient Mariner]

Originally Posted by ghindman

The leader should be above the nut - are the chromes you purchased long-scale?

Yes, they are, and I strung them through the body as were the OEM strings. I think I see where you're coming from...re-string through the bridge rather than through the body?

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Ancient Mariner

Yes, they are, and I strung them through the body as were the OEM strings. I think I see where you're coming from...re-string through the bridge rather than through the body?

Yes - I think you need "Super Longs" to string through the body!

[Groundloop]

You're right Bruce, the only D'Addarios that can be strung thru body on Lakland 5ers are the Superlongs, the winding on Regular Long 'B' strings peters out just before the nut.

[Bruce Lindfield]

I have a Skyline 55-02 Deluxe and D'Addario Super Longs.

[Ancient Mariner]

OK, so it's pretty much decided I messed up and installed these strings through the body when they (long scale) should have gone through the bridge instead. Do you think they'll work with a restring? In other words, is it too late to save these strings since they now have the bend in them where they come through the body and angle over the saddles? (BTW..they have been on under tension now for 2 days).

[anonymous278347457]

if you put them through the bridge, it will probably stretch out the bend anyway

[ghindman]

they won't be messed up, although they might eventually break in that area.