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Fender Jazz Vintera 70 truss rod: are they all so hard to regulate?

andreagrandi

andreagrandi

Feb 18, 2023
7
2
Italy
#1
Hi everyone, I purchased a Fender Jazz bass Vintera 70 less than a couple of years ago. The bass is nice, I had the first setup made by a professional luthier too.

A few professional bass players tried this bass, they all agree it’s a nice bass but everyone recently started telling me “…just the neck relief…is a bit too high”.

That was possible. I don’t know other countries but at least here in Italy we can go from 35C during summer, to 0C during winter, plus all the heating in house etc.. so I understand the neck can adjust a little bit.

So I picked my tools (I did learn a while ago from a YouTube video published by Fodera guys) and measured: 0.20’’

Ouch! That’s effectively too much. So I started tuning the truss rod a little bit. I’d like to bring it back to 0.12’’ as I asked the first time to the luthier, but the truss rod is so hard to adjust that I’m afraid of breaking it or the tools. So I could only regulate it to 0.15’’, which is definitely better than 0.20’’ but it’s not what I want.

I now remember that the luthier mentioned this thing when I collected it back.

Now I’m wondering if other people with the same bass model had the same issue and if/how it’s possible to solve it.

I love this bass (the sound, the frets, the build quality etc..) but it’s hard to really appreciate an instrument which you can’t “tune” to your needs.

Thanks for your help.
 
#3
LetItGrowTone said:
Lay the bass down on its back on a suitable surface to protect the finish.
Hold down the butt of the body for example with a knee.
Press down on the headstock just enough to relieve the tension on the truss rod, then it should turn very easily.
Click to expand...

Variation on the theme: I clamp the stupid things between my knees, grab the neck (~1st fret) with left hand and forearm pressing against back of neck, and flex backwards while tightening the rod. It sometimes helps to slacken the strings. Doesn't matter if we "overshoot" the target....once tuned-to-pitch, I just back-off the rod a bit until the desired relief falls into place.

Riis
 
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#4
I did it exactly my way with a Vintera P, on the floor on my knees with one knee on the bass, so I could keep a very close eye on where the tool was engaging the X slot in the rod at the heel, in order to not scratch the pickguard (subject of so many immortal threads), and I didn't.
 
Last edited:
#5
Hello folks and thanks for your replies. I admit that I don’t understand how I have to put the bass down and where to apply my knee strength. Would anyone of you be able to post a picture (you don’t have to use real strength, just show me how you keep it down and where do you apply the knee strength) while you do it?

p.s: I’m also not sure how I could bend the neck and turn the truss rod, because the hole is on the top, not at the end of the frets
 
#6
IMG_1194.jpeg
 
#7
Oh, @andreagrandi, I'm sorry. Your method will be more like @Zooberwerx's, not like mine.
Sit down and stand the bass on its end strap button (on something soft), with it facing to your right. Clamp the body between your legs, pull the headstock to your left just enough to relieve tension on the truss rod, then turn it.
 
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#8
LetItGrowTone said:
Oh, @andreagrandi, I'm sorry. Your method will be more like @Zooberwerx's, not like mine.
Sit down and stand the bass on its end strap button (on something soft), with it facing to your right. Clamp the body between your legs, pull the headstock to your left just enough to relieve tension on the truss rod, then turn it.
Click to expand...

Oh, shoot...headstock access! Here ya go:

TrussRod.jpg
 
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#11
You want to bend the neck away from the strings, which is what the truss rod does when you tighten it. So bass on the floor, strings up. Hold down the body of the bass.
Slacken the strings. Push the headstock down towards the floor so the neck curves away from the strings. Not too much but firmly. Hold it there and turn the truss rod clockwise 1/4 turn. Clockwise while looking at the truss rod nut. Doesn't matter if it's at the headstock or heel. Turn up, check relief.
Rinse and repeat until you have the desired relief.
You can do it. In bocca al lupo!

Andrea
 
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