Dumb question?

[MYLOWFREQ]

If we're talking about minor adjustments it should not matter imo. I mean, would tuning your bass temporally to a half step up or down mess up your neck? I don't think so. So if you need to tighten the truss rod while the bass is in tune, unless it is a drastic adjustment, it should not matter as your bass will be tuned probably less then a half step up at the end of the adjustment. You should never do drastic turns anyway and since you have to tune your bass every time you make an adjustment, you're safe.

 

[fhm555]

Not singling anyone out here.

"Not a pro so I..."

...do my Fender jazz bass setup and intonation adjustment exactly like Fender recommends it be done in one of their helpful and informative product/service bulletins, which BTW says to loosen string tension prior to making any adjustments.

I like shrimp and grits so one day i went to the WWW to find the recipe for this dish so i could make my own. Imagine my surprise when i found thousands of different recipes for shrimp and grits. Endless ways to arrive at a bowl of grits with shrimp in it. Some simple some not so simple, and some downright silly, but in the end each and every one delivered a bowl of grits with shrimp in it.

I suspect that there are so many variations on bass setup because it is a basic procedure that can be done in so many different ways and still arrive at a good playing/sounding bass and over the years this simple series of adjustments has been personalized by as many people as have done it long enough to arrive at a good sounding/playing bass.

 

[gln1955]

Hopefully it not the three professional luthiers.....

Nope

 

[guy n. cognito]

...do my Fender jazz bass setup and intonation adjustment exactly like Fender recommends it be done in one of their helpful and informative product/service bulletins, which BTW says to loosen string tension prior to making any adjustments.

Fender does not recommend loosening string tension to do intonation or adjust saddles....only truss rod.

 

[Michael B]

The fact of the matter is, string tension is not putting much strain on the threads at all by adjusting relief at string tension. The only time you have to worry about shearing a thread is if the rod is seized or bottomed out. Secondly, properly fitting tools used correctly will not strip out the nut, the rod will break before the nut will strip, and you should never be applying enough force to break a truss rod anyway. Adjusting relief at string tension lets you make a real time adjustment and negates the possibility of the neck moving after adjustment because of a change in string tension. Like I said before, the only reason to loosen a string, is if you cannot get at the nut with the string in place, like on a 5 string instrument where the A string is directly on top of the nut.

202dy and JLS, along with myself are professional techs, we would not give anyone information that would result in them breaking their bass if they follow said information correctly

So you think the advice in the Fender manual to users is bad advice enough for 3 pages of argument on a forum from an admitted novice who advocated the same as Fender did?

I think perhaps the Luthiers protest too much. They are knowledgeable and their methods work form them. But nothing wrong with an average user going by the advice of other Luthiers and Fender either. 3 pages of push back. I think they may have overstated their objections just a bit. Just a bit.

 

[guy n. cognito]

So you think the advice in the Fender manual to users is bad advice enough for 3 pages of argument on a forum from an admitted novice who advocated the same as Fender did?

I think perhaps the Luthiers protest too much. They are knowledgeable and their methods work form them. But nothing wrong with an average user going by the advice of other Luthiers and Fender either. 3 pages of push back. I think they may have overstated their objections just a bit. Just a bit.

Hopkins explained above why that method is incorrect and inefficient.

 

[Michael B]

Hopkins explained above why that method is incorrect and inefficient.

Not really. He said unnecessary and insufficient not incorrect.

 

[sxaxsx]

I'm paranoid about breaking truss rods, or even stripping truss rods, and its pretty hard to tell how tight a truss rod is when there is string tension on the neck. For this reason I tend to loosen strings before tightening the rod. If I am loosening, well that is different. Its also not to say that I haven't made adjustments without loosening strings, I just prefer to these days.
Also I assume we are talking about truss rod adjustments at the headstock because there are basses that never mind loosening the strings you have to take off the whole neck.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Adjusting relief at string tension lets you make a real time adjustment and negates the possibility of the neck moving after adjustment because of a change in string tension. Like I said before, the only reason to loosen a string, is if you cannot get at the nut with the string in place, like on a 5 string instrument where the A string is directly on top of the nut.

Quoted again for reference.

 

[fhm555]

Fender does not recommend loosening string tension to do intonation or adjust saddles....only truss rod.

Maybe we have different versions of the bulletin, and granted it's been a while since i looked at it for more than the numbers, but i'd swear my copy says to tune to pitch to check intonation, then loosen the string(s) to adjust, then tune back up, check, and repeat as required.

 

[Michael B]

It does too:

"Note: You may need to de-tune slightly and manually push
the saddle forward to complete the adjustment, as the downward pressure from the string
may not allow the saddle to move forward freely."

 

[Hopkins]

Sorry folks I'm going with the manufacturer's recommendations:

"If you find your truss rod needs adjustment, detune the strings first, to relieve
neck tension before making the adjustment, and remember to retune to pitch
before measuring again."

I'll take apologies in the form of Likes. .

If you feel safer removing string tension before making a truss rod adjustment, the worst that will happen is you will take you longer to get a decent setup, but don't act as though that Fender manual is some kind of golden rule as far as bass setup goes, and please don't act as though the advice that the pro techs on this forum can damage an instrument. I take that as an insult. I have literally made thousands of truss rod adjustments, I have never stripped a truss rod nut, nor have I broken a properly functioning truss rod. You keep talking about how there are 10 pro ways to do the same job, but every professional tech in this thread has advocated doing the job the exact same way.

 

[Hopkins]

How about that.

My car manual says I should inspect all 4 tires before each time I drive.

Manuals like that are written for the most inexperienced of players that don't and won't learn how to do it right. It probably also says to make a 1/8th turn then wait 24 hours......

Yes it does, the Fender manual reinforces one of the biggest myths in the guitar industry. Yes, the manual promotes extreme over caution.

"Note:
Adjust the truss rod
in small increments of only 1/4 turn at a time and allow time for the
wood to settle before measuring and adjusting again."

 

[guy n. cognito]

It does too:

"Note: You may need to de-tune slightly and manually push
the saddle forward to complete the adjustment, as the downward pressure from the string
may not allow the saddle to move forward freely."

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Hopkins]

I'm paranoid about breaking truss rods, or even stripping truss rods, and its pretty hard to tell how tight a truss rod is when there is string tension on the neck. For this reason I tend to loosen strings before tightening the rod. If I am loosening, well that is different. Its also not to say that I haven't made adjustments without loosening strings, I just prefer to these days.
Also I assume we are talking about truss rod adjustments at the headstock because there are basses that never mind loosening the strings you have to take off the whole neck.

It's not really difficult, there will be resistance, but a well functioning truss rod will turn with consistent resistance. If it makes noise or will not turn, you need to remove the nut and lubricate the rod. I highly recommend a dry graphite lubricant.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Yes it does, the Fender manual reinforces one of the biggest myths in the guitar industry. Yes, the manual promotes extreme over caution.

"Note:
Adjust the truss rod
in small increments of only 1/4 turn at a time and allow time for the
wood to settle before measuring and adjusting again."

Ha.....

A local bass player friend of mine recently put heavy flats on his Precision. I asked him how he liked them, and he said he hadn't played it yet. It had been 4 days...... The strings were much higher tension than his old ones, but he refused to turn the rod more than an 1/8th per every 24 hours.

 

[202dy]

Why is it that the myth is so much easier to believe than the truth?

This is basic engineering, not voodoo.

 

[Hopkins]

Ha.....

A local bass player friend of mine recently put heavy flats on his Precision. I asked him how he liked them, and he said he hadn't played it yet. It had been 4 days...... The strings were much higher tension than his old ones, but he refused to turn the rod more than an 1/8th per every 24 hours.

Hasn't played his bass in 4 days because of a string change? Wow. If that myth were true, there were a few customer basses that would have taken 2 full weeks just to adjust the truss rod.

 

[Hopkins]

Why is it that the myth is so much easier to believe than the truth?

This is basic engineering, not voodoo.

What can you do?

 

[Michael B]

Phew. Much happier with the heat on Fender. Have a good night all.