truss rod adjustment issue on the geddy lee

varunkapahi · #1 03-05-2010, 07:37 AM

i just got a geddy lee bass and i wanted to lower its action a bit. i took off the pickguard but i couldnt really turn the truss rod bolt so i took off the neck to adjust it. but the bolt wont tighten at all

why is this so? if i loosen it up then it just starts coming out all the way out of the neck and its really really loose when you loosen it if you know what i mean
can anyone tell me whats going on and how do i fix it? is something wrong or am acting dumb? this is my first bass which has a body side truss access so i dont know
please help

Gord_oh · #2 03-05-2010, 07:39 AM

ive heard the geddy lee has some issues with the trust rod.
if it were me, id dish out the dough to take it to a luithier and do a proper set up.

varunkapahi · #3 03-05-2010, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gord_oh

ive heard the geddy lee has some issues with the trust rod.
if it were me, id dish out the dough to take it to a luithier and do a proper set up.

theres no luthier or pro set up guy around here who can be really trusted so i gotta do it myself

JTE · #4 03-05-2010, 07:54 AM

I have to ask this, because it's a common problem I see on TB. Are you sure it needed a truss rod adjustment? The truss rod is NOT how one lowers the action, although lowering the action is a side effect of decreasing the relief. I apologize if you already know that, but your note says "...i wanted to lower its action a bit. i took off the pickguard but i couldnt really turn the truss rod bolt..." (sic). That sounds like you started with the truss rod to lower the action.

The right way is to check the relief and see if the neck even needs any adjustment. An easy way is to hold the bass in playing position, fret the E string at the first and last frets, and check to see how far the bottom of the E string is from the top of the 7th fret. You want just a little room there, but not too much. I haven't measured anything in years 'cause I know what I like by looks. But it should be no more than about 1/32".

IF and only if there's more than that, then you adjust the truss rod. After you get the relief correct, then you use the bridge saddles to set the action where you want it.

Now, you say the bolt (I'm taking that to mean the truss rod nut because there aren't any bolts on there) won't tigthen at all. That generally means it's been tightened as far as it will go. MOST of the time that means people have tightened the rod incorrectly. A truss rod nut is not really supposed to MOVE the neck into position, it's to HOLD it there. The right way to tighten a truss rod is to flex the neck by hand, and while it's pulled into position, then you tighten the nut. That prevents the nut from compacting the wood because it's not pushing the wood into position.

Because it's already immobile, I suggest you take Gord oh's advice and take it to a GOOD repair/set-up person. Early Geddl Lee's have a reputation on the 'net of having some issues with the truss rod due to the neck being so skinny. But any skinny neck with truss rod that's been tightened indiscriminately can have this problem. It's got nothing to do with where the nut is located, it's the nature of long skinny chunks of wood, temperature and humidity changes, and sloppy adjustment technique.

John

varunkapahi · #5 03-05-2010, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

I have to ask this, because it's a common problem I see on TB. Are you sure it needed a truss rod adjustment? The truss rod is NOT how one lowers the action, although lowering the action is a side effect of decreasing the relief. I apologize if you already know that, but your note says "...i wanted to lower its action a bit. i took off the pickguard but i couldnt really turn the truss rod bolt..." (sic). That sounds like you started with the truss rod to lower the action.

The right way is to check the relief and see if the neck even needs any adjustment. An easy way is to hold the bass in playing position, fret the E string at the first and last frets, and check to see how far the bottom of the E string is from the top of the 7th fret. You want just a little room there, but not too much. I haven't measured anything in years 'cause I know what I like by looks. But it should be no more than about 1/32".

IF and only if there's more than that, then you adjust the truss rod. After you get the relief correct, then you use the bridge saddles to set the action where you want it.

Now, you say the bolt (I'm taking that to mean the truss rod nut because there aren't any bolts on there) won't tigthen at all. That generally means it's been tightened as far as it will go. MOST of the time that means people have tightened the rod incorrectly. A truss rod nut is not really supposed to MOVE the neck into position, it's to HOLD it there. The right way to tighten a truss rod is to flex the neck by hand, and while it's pulled into position, then you tighten the nut. That prevents the nut from compacting the wood because it's not pushing the wood into position.

Because it's already immobile, I suggest you take Gord oh's advice and take it to a GOOD repair/set-up person. Early Geddl Lee's have a reputation on the 'net of having some issues with the truss rod due to the neck being so skinny. But any skinny neck with truss rod that's been tightened indiscriminately can have this problem. It's got nothing to do with where the nut is located, it's the nature of long skinny chunks of wood, temperature and humidity changes, and sloppy adjustment technique.

John

yep i understand that i dont have to adjust the truss rod to lower the action but i just wanted to straighten the neck a bit actually. sorry i didnt phrase myself very correctly.
i will try pushing the neck into the position and then tightening the rod while its in position. thanks for that tip