Incredibly Bowed Neck

[TheSeagoats]

Recently I bought a cheap bass off a guy I knew because I wanted a bass I could just leave at the church I play at. It's a five string Rogue and loosening the truss rod doesn't seem to actually do anything. I have a set of D'Addario 45-130 halfrounds on it. I have to have the bass tuned a full step down in order to make it playable but I'm tired of having to transpose for a tuning I don't play on any other instrument. Would using the lightest strings I can find (by any brand, I've been looking over Kalium) make the neck more playable in any real way, and would the thinner strings alter the bassy side of the tone at all? I don't have to keep halfrounds, I just want to be able to play in standard again. The fifth string isn't necessary either since I rarely use it.

 

[Gorn]

Sounds like you need to tighten, not loosen the truss rod.

 

[TheSeagoats]

Sounds like you need to tighten, not loosen the truss rod.

The neck is bending forward (towards the strings) pretty far, wouldn't that need to be loosened?

 

[Gorn]

The neck is bending forward (towards the strings) pretty far, wouldn't that need to be loosened?

A front bow so the strings are touching the frets? Lighter strings would make that worse. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the problem.

 

[TheSeagoats]

A front bow so the strings are touching the frets? Lighter strings would make that worse. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the problem.

 

[TheSeagoats]

Did my picture not come though?

 

[TheSeagoats]

 

[Gorn]

Yeah you need to tighten the truss rod.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I see nothing incredible about that bow. You just need to TIGHTEN the trussrod.

 

[TheSeagoats]

Okay cool, thanks you two!

 

[DavC]

a ' Single Action ' truss rod , counters the pull of the strings when tightened ...

most cheaper necks have a Single Action truss , more expensive necks have ' Dual Action ' , which will move the neck in either direction ...

 

[Stewie]

If you have loosened it a lot, go a half turn once you can feel the friction. maybe bend the neck back and forth gently, tune and wait 10 minutes, If it needs more, tighten more. A small amount of tension can make a big difference. Be patient with it

 

[tjh]

Is this a heel or headstock adjust truss rod? .. don't be afraid to 'help' the neck into the position you want as you tighten ...

 

[Freightshaker]

In addition to the truss rod adjustment, I'll add that I've tried the half rounds a few times and found that they are a high tension string. For my instruments, they always needed at least a half right hand truss turn compared to regular guage rounds from Daddario or DR (hex core).

 

[Kukulkan61]

Get that neck as flat as possible, lower the string saddles as low as you can go without fret buzz and your good to go.

 

[micguy]

Seconding the go slow comment. No more than a half turn once the nut is snug to start, let it sit a day, then a quarter turn and a day of rest at a time until it's pretty (not completely) straight.

Going faster goves you a good chance of making a disaster.

 

[JW56789]

Seagoats, think of it this way: Loosening the truss rod will raise the strings, tightening the truss rod will lower them. There's more involved to action than this, but that's the way to think of it.

Here's a good basic adjustment method from the terrific fretless player Gary Willis, maybe this will help (these steps apply to fretted bass as well):

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And as others above have said, and GW stresses in this tutorial: Once you feel the truss rod nut begin to snug up, adjust it only a 1/4 of a turn or less at a time and give the wood time to 'settle in' to the new tension.

 

[James Collins]

This will be very helpful. It is an entire series on how to setup your bass. Pay attention when he says, "Don't be afraid, you can't hurt your guitar adjusting the truss rod."

 

[Steve-Mo]

Seconding the go slow comment. No more than a half turn once the nut is snug to start, let it sit a day, then a quarter turn and a day of rest at a time until it's pretty (not completely) straight.

Going faster goves you a good chance of making a disaster.

Curious about these disasters if you could elaborate on the ones you've seen.

 

[James Collins]

Curious about these disasters if you could elaborate on the ones you've seen.

I have never had a disaster myself. My understanding is if you tighten it too far it would cause back bow and lead to fret buzz that would require loosening the truss rod.