|  | 
06-01-2010, 01:27 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA | | | Truss rod adjustment: all at once? Or gradual?
Sign in to disble this ad
Hey guys
I have been repairing and 'reincarnating' an OLP 5 string that I had in my basement, and have strung it up with chromes. The neck has some serious bow, but the truss has room to go.
My question is, can I go for it and just straighten it all out at once? Or should I take it slow and adjust it in increments over the next few days? It's hot and humid in Philly right now, if that makes a difference
Thanks,
Brendan
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by DZ6292358  16 years playing bass and i have never lubed my nuts. I never knew you could/should.. | |
06-01-2010, 01:29 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | | No more than 1/4 turn at a time. I suspect you could try to get it all at once, but personally, I would stop at 1/4 turn and check it again tomorrow.
__________________
Free Jimmy M
|
06-01-2010, 01:32 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA | | | Thanks, I think I'm gonna follow that for now.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by DZ6292358 16 years playing bass and i have never lubed my nuts. I never knew you could/should.. | |
06-01-2010, 01:34 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | Better safe than sorry bro. 
__________________
Free Jimmy M
|
06-01-2010, 01:39 PM
| | Registered User
Brownchicken Browncow | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ | | | to piggy back on this-
how may 1/4 turns can you get out of an un adjusted truss rod?
how can you tell if a truss rod has been turned before?
__________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
|
06-01-2010, 01:46 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | Quote:
Originally Posted by standupright to piggy back on this-
how may 1/4 turns can you get out of an un adjusted truss rod?
how can you tell if a truss rod has been turned before? | It is very possible you can't tell if it's been turned before. I guess the only way you could tell is if there are some scratches or marks on the nut. As for how many 1/4 turns, I would guess it depends on the instrument. I know a little goes a long way and it usually is desirable to let the neck settle in from a small adjustment before evaluating the need for further adjustments.
__________________
Free Jimmy M
|
06-02-2010, 06:23 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Virginia Beach, VA | | | If you've got some serious bow, you may want to consider removing the strings before proceeding. I've seen techs apply back-force on the neck while tightening the truss rod nut.
Riis
__________________
"20% of the money will buy you 90% of the sound..another 30% of the money will buy you another 5% of the sound..you can't buy the remaining 5% of the sound because nobody can agree about what it is." |
06-02-2010, 06:53 PM
| | | | All at once.
The 1/4 turn idea is a myth. Nothing bad will happen to the neck or the truss rod as long as the person making the adjustment understands basic mechanics. If they do not know what "too hard to turn" feels like, then it is probably safer to do it a little bit at a time.
If the nut squeaks, stop.
__________________
Primum non nocere.
|
06-02-2010, 06:56 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado | | | If you're going to apply back force on the neck, keep it ON the neck. If you brace against the body, and then push on the neck, it's possible to crack the back out of the neck pocket on the body.
Don't ask how I know this. Just trust me.
__________________
"...awesome as a monkey wearing a tuxedo made of bacon, riding on a unicorn!'"
|
06-02-2010, 09:03 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA | | | Got it settled, it's not a real player but at least it's a serviceable first 5-string!
Thanks guys
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by DZ6292358 16 years playing bass and i have never lubed my nuts. I never knew you could/should.. | |
06-02-2010, 10:37 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by 202dy All at once.
The 1/4 turn idea is a myth. Nothing bad will happen to the neck or the truss rod as long as the person making the adjustment understands basic mechanics. If they do not know what "too hard to turn" feels like, then it is probably safer to do it a little bit at a time.
If the nut squeaks, stop. | right. crank it until it straightens out, get on with your day.
if it starts to get too hard to turn, feels like it's twisting instead of turning, or in fact squeaks (i haven't run into that one yet), then it's time to employ "measures", like pre-bowing the neck backward and/or taking the truss rod nut all the way off and lubing it.
__________________
Walter Wright
Guitar Repair Gnome
Alpha Music, VA Beach
|
06-02-2010, 10:43 PM
|  | Real Basses Have 5 Strings! | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Colorado | | | I build parts basses. I buy new necks that have the rods backed off all the way. I build the bass and bolt on the neck and adjust them to playing specs right away. That is quite a few 1/4 turns. Nothing goes wrong on any of the basses. I have replaced truss rods on necks and again tighten them up and no problems. |
06-03-2010, 08:12 AM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by walterw right. crank it until it straightens out, get on with your day.
if it starts to get too hard to turn, feels like it's twisting instead of turning, or in fact squeaks (i haven't run into that one yet), then it's time to employ "measures", like pre-bowing the neck backward and/or taking the truss rod nut all the way off and lubing it. | If you've ever tightened the lug nuts on your car's wheels with a four way and made sure they were good 'n' tight you've heard that sound. That is the metal's way of telling you the nut has bottomed out or is being forced back on the threads by an immovable (or incredibly resistant) object. Carpenters who build a lot of decks are also familiar with this sound.
Those who continue after the warning do so at their own risk.
__________________
Primum non nocere.
|
06-03-2010, 08:19 AM
| | | | yikes! I have heard that sound, and it has no business coming out of a guitar!
__________________
Walter Wright
Guitar Repair Gnome
Alpha Music, VA Beach
|
06-03-2010, 07:17 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by walterw yikes! I have heard that sound, and it has no business coming out of a guitar! | Precisely.
__________________
Primum non nocere.
| | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is On | | | |
