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Tips/Tricks for setup on 51P RI

Ben Clarke

Ben Clarke

Jan 6, 2005
1,577
1,074
Buffalo, NY
#1
I recently bought a 1991 MIJ 51P RI. Of course it has the vintage-style truss rod adjustment located at the neck pocket, so the neck must be removed to adjust it.

Any tips or tricks to make this chore a bit easier?

I am comfortable performing basic setups, just trying to ease the PITA factor. I'm thinking about taping or otherwise immobilzing the strings near the nut so I don't have to rewind the strings on the posts...
 
#6
Ben Clarke said:
turn off your trite presumptive advice switch. It's obvious the guard's gotta come off no matter what.
Click to expand...

Actually it is not. Many guitars cross the bench with telltale marks in the pickguard at the truss rod opening. This is true of vintage Fender bass designs as well as Fender six string guitars.And many pro's would never consider removing the pickguard to make a simple truss rod adjustment.

Consider that the design is the same for a Strat. The pickups are mounted in the pickguard. It is obvious that removing the pickguard assembly is not a prescribed method for performing this service.

One last thing: Respect is the hallmark and number one protocol of the H,S,&R forum.

Respectfully submitted.
 
#10
I loosen the strings, remove the neck bolts and with it near the edge of my bench, tilt the neck back and make the adjustment.
Reassemble and tune.
APTA in a way, but after decades of fenders it has become a pretty smooth operation.

I’m a cranky old guy and I knew it was a joke.

MM
 
#11
metalmariachi said:
I loosen the strings, remove the neck bolts and with it near the edge of my bench, tilt the neck back and make the adjustment.
Reassemble and tune.
APTA in a way, but after decades of fenders it has become a pretty smooth operation.

I’m a cranky old guy and I knew it was a joke.

MM
Click to expand...

That's where I ended up - I didn't realize before getting into it that the neck screws would be long enough that they wouldn't need to be completely removed. I was picturing it to be more of a cluster with the neck off completely (not that that would be so traumatic for me either).

Thanks for seeing the humor intended.

I'm currently appreciating the irony that someone takes great pains to edit multiple posts to criticize me but could only muster 3 scant words to help.

enough... thanks for the tip, MM.
 
#12
Ben Clarke said:
I'm currently appreciating the irony that someone takes great pains to edit multiple posts to criticize me but could only muster 3 scant words to help.
Click to expand...

Your initial wiseguy retort set the mood for your thread. You have no one to blame but yourself.

As I already explained, those three words could have been all you needed. What part of that explanation didn't you understand? I'll try to clarify it for you.
 
#13
It wasn't an explanation. I had already had the pg off to see if I could get a tool on the rod nut, but I couldn't. Maybe if you had bothered to complete your thought, I would have realized that there may have been some useful information (not for me due to the construction differences between our instruments, but at least I'd know where you're coming from), but you didn't. I took it to be condescension, so I tried to lighten the tone.

I tend to be a little condescening in real life, so maybe that's why I inferred what I did. You think I'm a wisazz jerk, sooo... hmmmmm.... whatever...
 

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