i heard a snap while adjusting the truss rod

[KEVINTHES]

does this mean its broken? i can still raise and lower the action using the truss rod, could it have been just the dry wood moving?

 

[king_biscuit]

does this mean its broken? i can still raise and lower the action using the truss rod, could it have been just the dry wood moving?

If truss rod adjustment is still having an effect on neck relief, then it is probably not broken. You shouldn't be using the truss rod to raise and lower the action, though. Adjust the neck for proper relief, and then adjust the bridge for string height (action).

 

[KEVINTHES]

oh thank god! thanks so much! so its definitely not broken? i mean the truss adjustment still raises and lowers it fine and dandy.

 

[4001]

Adjusting the truss rod pretty much affects the first six or seven frets worth of the fingerboard (from the nut). Don't think you will straighten the entire neck or adjust string height by tightening the rod, you'll only ruin the neck.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

The one in my Warwick pops all the time... It neither raises or lowers the relief, however....

 

[lbwdog]

oh thank god! thanks so much! so its definitely not broken? i mean the truss adjustment still raises and lowers it fine and dandy.

Did you see this?????

You shouldn't be using the truss rod to raise and lower the action, though. Adjust the neck for proper relief, and then adjust the bridge for string height (action).

 

[king_biscuit]

Adjusting the truss rod pretty much affects the first six or seven frets worth of the fingerboard (from the nut). Don't think you will straighten the entire neck or adjust string height by tightening the rod, you'll only ruin the neck.

I wonder if the OP read that technique over at the Ernie Ball FAQ? Again, OP, do not use the truss rod to adjust the action on your bass!

 

[4001]

SNAP!

 

[KEVINTHES]

ok so i adjusted the truss rod again, this time i made sure i held down the 2nd fret and the 12th fret and made sure there was a business card's worth of space between the 7th fret and the e string.


i also adjusted the bridge to a decent setting and now there is no buzzing or anything wrong of the sort going on right now

am i in the clear? was the snapping noise just the wood moving or something? wouldnt the thing be unadjustable if it was broken?

 

[4001]

ok so i adjusted the truss rod again, this time i made sure i held down the 2nd fret and the 12th fret and made sure there was a business card's worth of space between the 7th fret and the e string.


i also adjusted the bridge to a decent setting and now there is no buzzing or anything wrong of the sort going on right now

am i in the clear? was the snapping noise just the wood moving or something? wouldnt the thing be unadjustable if it was broken?

Check the neck again tomorrow.
If it was broken it wouldn't work and sometimes the rod goes right through the neck woods.
You'll know if you break it.

Oh, and adjust just a little at a time. A slight turn changes a lot.

 

[KEVINTHES]

thank you very much mr. 4001, everything seems fine right now, i must also add the neck is incredibly dry as it is now, i havent had the chance to lemon oil the unfinished maple neck in a while. the frets are jutting out like mad right now and i was terrified i killed the darn thing. ill check on it tommarow.

as for the earlier question...YES i did hear that on the EB FAQ. and it was a musicman stingray so the stakes were quite high on this one.

 

[4001]

thank you very much mr. 4001.

Aww, just call me 4001, Mr. makes me feel so old.

 

[KEVINTHES]

ill settle with dr. that way you'll sound young AND distinguished!


so unless i got a truss rod flying through a fretboard or a truss rod that doesnt adjust im cool?

 

[Tusec]

Setting the action with the truss rod doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. In fact it seems like a pretty good idea, especially if you're doing relatively minor tweaks. The advantage is that you don't have to fiddle with setting your saddles individually. Rather than twiddling 8 or 10 screws you just make one adjustment to the rod. I would guess that Ernie Ball does it this way because....it works!

 

[ehque]

Setting the action with the truss rod doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. In fact it seems like a pretty good idea, especially if you're doing relatively minor tweaks. The advantage is that you don't have to fiddle with setting your saddles individually. Rather than twiddling 8 or 10 screws you just make one adjustment to the rod. I would guess that Ernie Ball does it this way because....it works!

Well, it's your bass. Doesn't mean its not a terrible idea.

 

[Twocan]

Link Removed

 

[Turnaround]

Setting the action with the truss rod doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. In fact it seems like a pretty good idea, especially if you're doing relatively minor tweaks. The advantage is that you don't have to fiddle with setting your saddles individually. Rather than twiddling 8 or 10 screws you just make one adjustment to the rod. I would guess that Ernie Ball does it this way because....it works!

It may not SEEM like a bad idea, but it is. The trussrod is designed to compensate for the pull of the strings, controlling how much bow is introduced into the neck from the string tension. The bridge saddles are designed to control the height of the strings. You should use each according to what they were designed to do. To do otherwise is to invite problems.

 

[ddnidd1]

Setting the action with the truss rod doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. In fact it seems like a pretty good idea, especially if you're doing relatively minor tweaks. The advantage is that you don't have to fiddle with setting your saddles individually. Rather than twiddling 8 or 10 screws you just make one adjustment to the rod. I would guess that Ernie Ball does it this way because....it works!

Clueless is good too.

 

[4001]

It may not SEEM like a bad idea, but it is. The trussrod is designed to compensate for the pull of the strings, controlling how much bow is introduced into the neck from the string tension. The bridge saddles are designed to control the height of the strings. You should use each according to what they were designed to do. To do otherwise is to invite problems.

What he said^^^^

 

[Chasarms]

There is no harm at all in altering the action with a truss rod adjustment. It presents no more risk to the bass than adjusting the rod for any other reason.

That said, it is not a very good idea. Action is, in fact, a combination of neck relief and saddle height. You have to have them both right. So, using only relief would be akin to using only the saddles. You can tweak the saddles all you want but if the relief is wrong, you are going to get limited results. Same goes for tweaking the rod and leaving the saddles alone.