Question about Humidity and Truss Rod Adjustments

[CinneaghBass]

I need a second (or third...) opinion. I took my Fender Jazz Bass Special fretless into the local repair guy to look at the neck. I noticed the neck did not move when I adjusted the truss rod. I'm still new at this and was following the directions in Dan Erlewine's book so I am sure I did not turn it too far, etc.

Anyway, the repair guy said that the truss rod could not be adjusted because the neck was too dry. The bass has an unfinished rosewood fingerboard and a maple neck. He suggested that I buy a humidifier and place the bass in front of it for 3 weeks and bring it back for adjustment.

I live in central Maryland and it does get cold and dry in the winter. The neck has always needed seasonal adjustments, but I have never heard of this.

[Busker]

Doesn't make sense to me, too dry to adjust. If you tighten or loosen the truss rod nut, the neck should adjust. But, if your neck wood were too dry, it could be in danger of cracking. Occasionally humidifying the room where you keep your basses makes sense. But for three weeks? Sounds like going from one extreme to the other, which can't be good.

Are you trying to loosen the rod or tighten it? Perhaps you did not turn the nut enough to get any noticeable movement. I've always been told you should never tighten a truss rod nut more than 1/4 turn at a time, so don't over do it.

If you're trying to tighten the truss rod nut and get no movement, you may have run out of thread on the rod (or bottomed-out the nut), and need some washers under the nut to gain turns. I usually use 2 or 3 washers.

[CinneaghBass]

Thanks, Busker.

I turned it a 1/4 turn. I will check to see what the neck is like today and go from there.

[dmusic148]

It can be a problem. My '08 Precision gets very unhappy if it gets real dry. Doesn't wanna straighten out. Some basses do this, some don't.