Waiting for the neck to settle, after truss adjustment

[Relic]

Originally Posted by 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.

Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner! very good point

[bazzanderson]

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?

LOL!....I just think you've been incredibly lucky over the last 50 or 60 years.

Craw...just kidding!

-Bazz-

[69nites]

A repair book I was reading the other day says to take string tention off to keep the wood the truss rod nut is pushing against from compressing

[Poop-Loops]

Originally Posted by 69nites

A repair book I was reading the other day says to take string tention off to keep the wood the truss rod nut is pushing against from compressing

If you take it off, the wood will bend.

So, Compression or Bending?

I wouldn't worry about it either way.

[The Craw]

Originally Posted by bazzanderson

LOL!....I just think you've been incredibly lucky over the last 50 or 60 years.

Craw...just kidding!

-Bazz-

LOL! Well, I'll admit to being almost 60, but I wasn't doing setups in infancy. It has been a long time, though.

[TAZ]

Tighening a trust rod under full tention places stress on the rod's archor, the rod threads and nut. Mechanically, if it is a high quality steel rod with deep threads and installed properly, you can probably loosen and tighten under full load. But that is the risk, is it machined to adjust under that tention - right? Take the load off the neck and the adjustment is made with no stress with reduced friction. This reduces the risk of stripped threads or stripped from how the end is anchored.

[fragcon]

detune... there is so much tension built up in the neck. breaking your truss would suck

[Deep]

If you're turning the rod to the right to "straighten" the neck (less relief) you may want to loosen the strings a bit cuz you are fighting the string tension. If you're turning left to loosen the rod then you don't need to loosen strings cuz you are not fighting the string tension.

[The Craw]

Originally Posted by TAZ

Tighening a trust rod under full tention places stress on the rod's archor, the rod threads and nut. Mechanically, if it is a high quality steel rod with deep threads and installed properly, you can probably loosen and tighten under full load. But that is the risk, is it machined to adjust under that tention - right? Take the load off the neck and the adjustment is made with no stress with reduced friction. This reduces the risk of stripped threads or stripped from how the end is anchored.

Most of this thread has been about the effect on the neck, not on the truss rod. But since you bring it up...

Truss rods are made of mild steel. If they were hardened, they'd snap instead of bend. The threads on a mild steel rod, the anchor and the rod itself can handle way more tension than a set of bass strings can put on it. Almost all rod and adjusting nut breakage is due to not adjusting it properly, usually overtorquing it. Occasionally it will be a faulty rod.

Y'all can talk all you want about how dangerous it is to adjust under full tension. But if it were dangerous then well-known manufacturers like Ernie Ball and Rickenbacker wouldn't be making a point of adjusting under full tension, and well-known repairmen like Dan Erlewine would be recommending against it.

[cb56]

I've always loosened the strings first although it may be just fine not too. Just seemed to make sense to me to loosen them. Also to answer the original question about waiting for the neck to settle in. I just did an adjustment to one of my basses a couple days ago and the resulting change was instantanious. I have someone else doing some electronic work an this bass. It may be a few weeks before I get it back. When I do, I'll double check to see if there was any further change (settling in).