Waiting for the neck to settle, after truss adjustment

[D-gar gets gnar]

After a truss-rod adjustment, how long should I let the neck get "settled" for before tightning my strings again? It was a minor adjustment, about 1/8th of a turn. Thanks for any help in advance.

D-gar.

[Poop-Loops]

I've never waited before. I assume you mean "tuning them back up", right? I just don't adjust intonation or action because it might change by the next day. But I've never heard of waiting before tuning up the strings.

Especially since the strings counter the truss rod, so you're probably safer with them being tight.

[Magneto]

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

I've never waited before. I assume you mean "tuning them back up", right? I just don't adjust intonation or action because it might change by the next day. But I've never heard of waiting before tuning up the strings.

Especially since the strings counter the truss rod, so you're probably safer with them being tight.

I agree. In fact, you really want to get the string tension back on the neck as quickly as possible so that the neck doesn't start settling in the opposite direction.
Usually when you hear bassists mention "neck settling in" , they're referring to the fact that you sometimes have to go back and make another truss adjustment after the first one. I usually find this is the case when you loosen the truss, not so much when you tighten.
So .. go ahead and tune those strings and start playin'...
Mag...

[lonote]

I don't loosen the strings when I do truss rod adjustments on basses that adjust at the headstock and I've never had a problem. On basses where the adjustment is at the heel, I detune a half-step, capo the strings at the first fret, adjust the truss rod, screw the neck back on and re-tune.

[D-gar gets gnar]

Thanks alot for the info. Unfortunately after I wrote that post, I went to bed with the strings untightened, assuming that this was the safer thing to do. I just tightened the strings up now to play. It sounds/plays fine, and I got the action I was hoping for, so no harm done I guess.

Once again thanks alot for the info! I didn't expect to get replies so quick, being that it was so early in the morning. Had I known that replies were so quick here, I woulda stayed up for the info.

Godbless,
D-GGN

[Poop-Loops]

You're not going to break the thing by doing either. My SX bass came without strings. The truss rod was loosened, but it was still in a box for a few days before it got to me. Don't worry about it.

[The Craw]

I never detune when I adjust the truss rod. With most basses, however much the neck moves when you adjust, that's it right there. Occasionally you'll find a bass where the neck may move a little more a few hours later, but it's really not a problem. Just readjust if it's necessary. No waiting period needed.

[Magneto]

Originally Posted by The Craw

I never detune when I adjust the truss rod. With most basses, however much the neck moves when you adjust, that's it right there. Occasionally you'll find a bass where the neck may move a little more a few hours later, but it's really not a problem. Just readjust if it's necessary. No waiting period needed.

I would NEVER tighten a truss rod with tuned string tension on it. Period. I know that some of you have done this, and some have heard that it's safe and harmless, but think about the forces at work here. You're trying to pull the hardwood neck with all that string tension with a truss rod's threaded nut??
It only takes a few moments to loosen tension, tighten the truss, then retune. The neck doesn't do anything weird or need to settle.. For the most part, you still have immediate results.
I don't consider it necessary to loosen string tension when LOOSENING the truss..

Mag...

[Poop-Loops]

Originally Posted by Magneto

I would NEVER tighten a truss rod with tuned string tension on it. Period. I know that some of you have done this, and some have heard that it's safe and harmless, but think about the forces at work here. You're trying to pull the hardwood neck with all that string tension with a truss rod's threaded nut??
It only takes a few moments to loosen tension, tighten the truss, then retune. The neck doesn't do anything weird or need to settle.. For the most part, you still have immediate results.
I don't consider it necessary to loosen string tension when LOOSENING the truss..

Mag...

Hold on, let me think of all the forces:

Truss rod wants to bend the neck backwards.
Strings want to bend it forwards.

If you want to loosen the rod, the strings might pull too much, but since you're essentially reducing the distance from the nut to the bride (by bending the bass more), I don't see any harm.

If you want to tighten the rod, then having something to counter-balance the rod trying to bend the neck back would be useful.

Your fears are unfounded.

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by Magneto

I would NEVER tighten a truss rod with tuned string tension on it. Period. I know that some of you have done this, and some have heard that it's safe and harmless, but think about the forces at work here. You're trying to pull the hardwood neck with all that string tension with a truss rod's threaded nut??
It only takes a few moments to loosen tension, tighten the truss, then retune. The neck doesn't do anything weird or need to settle.. For the most part, you still have immediate results.
I don't consider it necessary to loosen string tension when LOOSENING the truss..

Mag...

That's funny. My Dingwall is designed in such a way as to allow truss rod adjustment with the bass up to pitch and ready to play. Its a feature that allows you to do on the fly micro adjustment from the side of the stage if necessary.

If that weren't enough, I have over the past 20 years only ever de-tuned to change the trussrod adjustment on my old fenders, where you have to take the neck off to get to the adjustment.

My personal experience is that it has never caused a problem, and actually allows for more precise adjustment and quicker adjustment.

[pkr2]

If you are certain that you know what kind of TR is in the bass, you can make an easy choice. If its a plain old garden variety Fender type compression rod, I would release the string tension IF the TR nut resisted turning, with the neck being forced into position as if stringing a bow.

If it has a double action rod, or any other bending type rod it probably would be safe to adjust it with the strings tuned up.

If I had never wrung off a truss rod, and actually had felt how much torque it will stand, I would loosen the strings, period. I can't see loosening the strings adding that much time to adjusting the TR. To me, the best way is the safest way.

IMO/YMMV

[Magneto]

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

Hold on, let me think of all the forces:

Truss rod wants to bend the neck backwards.
Strings want to bend it forwards.

If you want to loosen the rod, the strings might pull too much, but since you're essentially reducing the distance from the nut to the bride (by bending the bass more), I don't see any harm.

If you want to tighten the rod, then having something to counter-balance the rod trying to bend the neck back would be useful.

Your fears are unfounded.

I did expect some argument. This topic has been discussed alot at this forum, with varying points of view. Some manufacturers say it's ok to tighten the truss with string tension, others (Spector, for instance) strongly caution against doing this with string tension.
You're right, the truss will eventually start to pull a slight backbow in the neck if left for a period of time without string tension on the neck, but this doesn't happen immediately, even with tighter neck adjustments. It's been my understanding (excuse this if I'm mistaken) that the truss actually tries to keep the neck straight and counteract the bending that would quickly happen if string tension were on the neck without it.
I'm mostly concerned with the force being exerted on the truss's threaded nut.
If you haven't had problems doing it another way, that's good.

Mag...

[Turock]

Fender recommends loosening strings before truss rod adjustment. I'll go with them.

[joeyl]

Originally Posted by Turock

Fender recommends loosening strings before truss rod adjustment. I'll go with them.

+1, why fight the string tension while turning the nut?

[bazzanderson]

Originally Posted by Magneto

I would NEVER tighten a truss rod with tuned string tension on it. Period. I know that some of you have done this, and some have heard that it's safe and harmless, but think about the forces at work here. You're trying to pull the hardwood neck with all that string tension with a truss rod's threaded nut??
It only takes a few moments to loosen tension, tighten the truss, then retune. The neck doesn't do anything weird or need to settle.. For the most part, you still have immediate results.
I don't consider it necessary to loosen string tension when LOOSENING the truss..

Mag...

+1000000!
Always detune your strings before an adjustment...tightening or loosening! Believe me...it's a recipe for disaster if you don't detune your strings.

[WillPlay4Food]

Originally Posted by Turock

Fender recommends loosening strings before truss rod adjustment. I'll go with them.

MusicMan recommends keeping strings tensioned while adjusting a truss rod (10th Q&A up from the bottom). Who to trust?

[bazzanderson]

Originally Posted by WillPlay4Food

MusicMan recommends keeping strings tensioned while adjusting a truss rod (10th Q&A up from the bottom). Who to trust?

I tightened the truss rod on my old SUB5 while the strings were in tune. It was hard as hell and while I was doing it (albeit....just a 1/4 turn) I heard wood fibers that sounded like they were shredding...ever so slightly. Needless to say I don't know exactly what it was that was making that sound but I immediately stopped, de-tuned the strings and proceeded tightening without any problems or hearing anything that sounded "funny".

[vindy500]

Originally Posted by WillPlay4Food

MusicMan recommends keeping strings tensioned while adjusting a truss rod (10th Q&A up from the bottom). Who to trust?

depends, are you adjusting a musicman or a fender

[The Craw]

Originally Posted by bazzanderson

+1000000!
Always detune your strings before an adjustment...tightening or loosening! Believe me...it's a recipe for disaster if you don't detune your strings.

I've been adjusting bass and guitar necks at full tension since before you were born. I've never had an issue. Never. How long do you think it will be before diaster happens?

I checked with two full time repairmen I know. One of them has been in the business over 40 years. Both said they never detune first except (obviously) for vintage Fender necks you have to remove first.

It's not just MusicMan. Rickenbacker CEO John Hall has made a point several times over the years at the Rick Resource forum that a bass or guitar should always be adjusted at normal tension. The Rick manual (page 5) makes a point of saying the adjustment should be made at full tension.

Dan Erlewine and Frank Ford both describe the process in detail and never mention detuning as a step between checking relief (at full tension) and adjusting the rod. Likewise with other manufacturers' manuals I've seen. Even Fender's own manual doesn't mention it, just the online guide.

[Turnaround]

I suppose if 50% of the people say it's important to detune before adjusting the truss rod, and the other 50% claim it isn't necessary, then chances are it doesn't matter.

I tend to loosen the trus rod without removing tension from the strings. But when tightening the rod, I usually loosen the strings. Why? Because it's easier to tighten the truss rod nut when there's no tension on the strings. And it's really easy to retune - not so easy to fix a broken truss rod.