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Truss Rod Adjustment from Neck Heel- Which Way?

Count Bassie

Count Bassie

Supporting Member
Jun 10, 2006
16,785
64,487
Smithfield, RI
#1
I've got a P-type bass with the truss rod adjustment at the neck heel, and am scratching my head about clockwise or counter-clockwise to lessen the relief (forward bow). It's clockwise to lessen the forward bow when access is at the nut, correct?... seems to me that from the opposite end (neck heel) it would be counter-clockwise... I get a little dyslexic with threads and the like, and I'm a carpenter, lol.
I kinda hate that it's at the heel because I have to loosen the neck bolts and un-anchor the neck. So *another* question is, can a wheel be installed on a bass like mine, at the heel when there's already a Phillips-type nut in that location?

Thanks for your time, much appreciated.
 
#2
Note: A MM Stingray has an adjustment wheel at the neck heel, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about here...

Count Bassie said:
I kinda hate that it's at the heel because I have to loosen the neck bolts and un-anchor the neck. So *another* question is, can an adjustment wheel be installed on a bass like mine, at the heel when there's already a Phillips-type nut in that location?
Thanks for your time, much appreciated.
Click to expand...
 
#4
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#5
Like they said, tighten the truss rod nut, right, clockwise, to reduce relief . If it a single acting single rod and the nut unscrews all the way off the nut could possibly be replaced with a spoke wheel. The body and pickguard, if there is one, will need to be cut / routed out for clearance and you’ll need to figure out what thread the truss rod has and find the matching nut. Having said all that, if it’s a recent imported bass and has a hex key adjustment it’s probably a double acting rod and the nut doesn’t come off.
 
#6
Count Bassie said:
I have to loosen the neck bolts and un-anchor the neck.
Click to expand...
This is largely a misconception, and usually unnecessary - with the occasional rare exception (early 50s Fenders with the squared off neck pocket.)

Thick of the adjustment rod similar to the more modern "spoke wheel".
On the vintage-style Fender truss rod nut - you have 4 separate slots in which to insert the "proper" tool. (which is NOT a standard slotted screwdriver)
At least one of those slots should be accessible at any given time.
The Right Tool for the job is a 3/16" cabinet style screwdriver. about $10 at Ace.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/nb...-bass-journeyman.1664280/page-2#post-28816085
 
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#7
Yup, its still a "tighty-righty lefty-loosey" situation. Stewmac has a tool for the vintage fender style nut and I use hex wrenches in the spokes. No more than 1/4 at a time though, but you were loosening so start with that and see how it settles in a few hours or overnight. Good luck!
 
#14
somewhere i did see a wheel you can replace the slotted nut with. youd have to route out a little area for it, and it looks pretty conspicuous, but if neither of those things bug you, and you feel like you need adjustments often, it could be cool.
 
#18
Gilmourisgod said:
Is Fender still using old-school single-action rods? I'm going to be making a Jazz neck for an old MIM P with Terminal ski-jump, trying to decide if I want to go with heel or head adjust.
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I work at a music store and I'm constantly surprised at how many cheap guitars and basses have dual action truss rods these days.
My guess is that it allows them to be less concerned about set up during the building phase as a back bow can be offset by the truss rod action. If you have any back bow with a single action truss rod the only real fix is heavier or higher tension strings.
 
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#19
Basvarken said:
It's always righty-tighty lefty-loosey. No matter if the adjustment is at the nut or heel
Click to expand...
That may be the case 98% of the time, but unfortunately I discovered it's the reverse with Maruszczyk basses. I thought I was loosening (turning counterclockwise) and broke the rod by overtightening. I bought it new and was very pissed that there was no indication whatsoever that it's an outlier. This was pre-covid....not sure what they're doing now.
 
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#20
It's clockwise/counter-clockwise based on your vantage point, at the point where you insert your driver. So, headstock and neck-heel adjustment rods physically turn the opposite way from each other for the same operation. You don't need to adjust your thinking based on which end you are looking at if that is your question.

I remember it this way:
What if there were no truss rod? The neck would be severely bowed by the string tension. So, with a bowed neck, you need to tighten the rod to add a force to counter that tendency. Thus clockwise, just like tightening a screw. In the opposite, a back bowed neck would never occur without an over-tightened truss rod, so the rod needs to be loosened. If you try to memorize the directions you may forget them, but if you remember why you are doing it (tightening/loosening), then you don't have to remember anything and you can just figure it out from scratch every time.
 
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