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Slipping Truss rod?

D

Dano Phillips

Jul 28, 2014
3
0
35
#1
When I bought the guitar the strings were relatively high. I set the guitar up fresh, intonation, neck and saddles set where I like them, give me the lowest action I could get.

Some time later I noticed the strings were a little high again.
The neck had moved. No problem, I just hadn't let the wood adjust to the tension.
Tighten the rod. Perfect.

The strings rose again- not immediately but within the hour.
It's a neck thru (walnut and maple) so the truss rod must be at fault here.

I set it up in standard about three times in all and the strings always rose higher than they were set but when I set the bass up in down 1 step the strings stayed where they were set.

Can truss rods undo themselves with playing vibrations or is my truss rod damaging the inside of my neck?
 
#2
We are talking about a bass, right? Not a guitar?

The rod and/or nut that the rod threads into could be stripped. Or missing. I had a bass come in for repair once that was missing the nut from the factory.
 
#4
You could be seeing compression of the underlying wood. This is a situation where spacing washers added beneath the truss rod nut may add a broader "footprint" of support. Of course, this only works if the nut is removable (single-acting).

Riis
 
#5
i find it takes a few days for the neck to settle. the truss rod moves instantly, but the wood relaxes more slowly. if you keep adjusting it it should stabilize eventually. if it was stripped i do not think you would be able to adjust it at all.
 
#6
I do get tension in the truss rod, I'm thinking if it is unwinding its self maybe I could observe that by leaving the alan key in for a while while I play.

But as it is a fairly new guitar I'll see if adjusting it several times gets it in line- providing the rod is behaving its self.
If it doesn't sort I may order new gauge strings, so it has the current tension of down 1 step but in standard tuning, or just sell it.
 

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