Hmmmm. I'll guess that it takes a skilled tech far less time to achieve the same results than it takes me. (?)
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Hmmmm. I'll guess that it takes a skilled tech far less time to achieve the same results than it takes me. (?)
Thanks for the help!! I appreciate it! I change strings on my MIA basses all of the time; low tension to high tension and back, and I have never experienced such a radical shift. I really can't believe how much this neck moved in such a short amount of time. I tightened the truss last night and lowered the saddles. I checked it this morning and it is much better. I need to tighten the truss rod a little more and raise the saddles a little, but I think I am good. Thanks.
Yes, apparently!! Now I know that I need to keep strings that are sort of close tension on or wait at least overnight for the neck to settle. I really didn't loosen the tension that much...maybe a little over a quarter turn. Crazy.
By the way, I threw the DRs on my MIA P and mannnnnnn do they sound great! I'm really liking that combination. Also, the Pro Steels sound great on the 50's. It's crazy that my P basses can take almost any strings, but my Jazzes are pretty finicky.
Yeah, 1/4 turn isn't that much for a fender style rod truss rod, i would done 1/2 turns with that much movement, then 1/8 - 1/4 turns to fine tune when it gets close.
Glad everything worked out though
Glad everything worked out though
You're very welcome!
My neck made some radical shifts too. It's normally a lot more predictable. I guess the latest set of strings I put on, GHS Pressurewounds, have much higher tension than the 2 sets I previously had on it, but same here, it's finally acclimated, and it's feeling tons better to play now.
I've thought a bit more about your question, hopefully I'm getting your meaning, but here's my reasons for doing my own setups:
1. Compared to Local Techs, who earn their money via piece-work, I'm a lot more careful. This leads to less blemishes on my instruments, which I worked very hard to buy, and I like to take care of my instruments.
2. I can do my setups for free, and setup my bass precisely how I like it, compared to the setups I'd pay to have done, which are more of a "Ballpark Setup". Sure, it takes me longer, but I get the satisfaction of a job done right when I'm finally finished.
3. It's made me a lot more familiar and comfortable to make necessary adjustments to my bass' action. The power Murphy's Law is immense; And a Tech will never be there, or even close by when I'm really in a pinch.
I'm with you. If I ever need something beyond a setup, I would go to a tech. In fact, I just bought my 4003 to a local guy this week as I just didn't want to deal with it!
I completely understand! I have an old 4001, and I've never been able to figure out the dual trussrods.
Same goes for the Alembic I own. Doggone dual trussrods, what a PITA!!
Jeff, I know you're one of TB's Top Rickenbacker guys. If there are any articles you could pass along to help me figure out how to make neck relief adjustments on my Rick, I'd greatly appreciate it.
It's been quite some time since I've played my Rick, but as I recall, both of the adjustment nuts on it are almost completely loosened, yet the neck is very straight. I have a set of light gauge nickel rounds, I think they're D'Addario XLs on it, but I have a new set of Half Rounds stashed here somewhere to restring it with. I've always gotten great results tone-wise and feel-wise with the Half Rounds. I think they're a higher tension string, that adds the necessary relief to the neck.
I'd really appreciate any knowledge on Rick's dual trussrod system that you can pass along.
Take Care!!!
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Since the neck on your 4001 is straight (I assume you mean it is where you want it to be) then just barely snug up the nuts so prevent any potential rattling of them and/or the rods. I am not sure about their use in adding relief on their own if the neck is too straight (only double acting trussrod designs can do that) and you want added relief for the strings currently on the bass. Try the Half Rounds and see if they provide the relief you want (assuming you are looking for more relief - doctor prescribed). The hairpin rods are designed to hold the neck in the desired position, they do not, in and of themselves, create the relief, trying to do so is what causes the fingerboards to pop or put cracks in the neck.
The way to adjust them properly is to put the desired strings on the bass, and let it sit for a while to see how the relief ends up, naturally. If there is too much relief, loosen the TR nuts fully and gently bend the neck back to where you have the relief you want (there are various ways to hold the instrument to do so). Then snug up the TR nuts but don't force them or over tighten them, they just need to hold the rods in place. The hairpin rods work by expanding/spreading apart near the middle of the neck as you snug up the TR nuts to hold the neck in place after it has been manually "flexed" to the desired position. If you try to tighten the nuts any more it just adds tension and stress to the area near the headstock/nut, because the rods are already fully expanded once the nuts are snug against the spacer bar. They don't work like traditional compression type rods and too many "techs" never learned how this type of truss rod works so they crank on the nuts just like they would on a compression style rod and break things! Actually, even with compression type rods it is better to manually bend the neck to minimize the force acting on the rods and surrounding wood of the neck. The wood structure the ends of compression type rods are "attached" to can be crushed/compacted by the force of tightening the truss rod(s). Don't let the rods do all the work of bending the neck.
Hope this helps.
Hairpin truss rod:
Double acting trussrod:
The way to adjust them properly is to put the desired strings on the bass, and let it sit for a while to see how the relief ends up, naturally. If there is too much relief, loosen the TR nuts fully and gently bend the neck back to where you have the relief you want (there are various ways to hold the instrument to do so). Then snug up the TR nuts but don't force them or over tighten them, they just need to hold the rods in place. The hairpin rods work by expanding/spreading apart near the middle of the neck as you snug up the TR nuts to hold the neck in place after it has been manually "flexed" to the desired position. If you try to tighten the nuts any more it just adds tension and stress to the area near the headstock/nut, because the rods are already fully expanded once the nuts are snug against the spacer bar. They don't work like traditional compression type rods and too many "techs" never learned how this type of truss rod works so they crank on the nuts just like they would on a compression style rod and break things! Actually, even with compression type rods it is better to manually bend the neck to minimize the force acting on the rods and surrounding wood of the neck. The wood structure the ends of compression type rods are "attached" to can be crushed/compacted by the force of tightening the truss rod(s). Don't let the rods do all the work of bending the neck.
Hope this helps.
Hairpin truss rod:
Double acting trussrod:
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Stop removing the neck for heel adjusted truss rod access. BTW...that cross slotted truss rod nut is not a Phillips head. It's meant for a common screwdriver tip, and has four positions. It's easily adjusted using a long shank, common tip screwdriver. I've a Fender 50's Precision that I adjust the truss rod seasonally without removing the neck.
Had the neck off once, just to check dates'n stuff.
Had the neck off once, just to check dates'n stuff.
