Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I own 15 basses and they all get adjusted twice a year ... also string changes and bridge adjustments
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Truss Rod Adjustments Suck
- Thread starter Jack Deth
- Start date
I own 15 basses and they all get adjusted twice a year ... also string changes and bridge adjustments
I'm sure this has already been covered, but I just move the pickguard and contents out of the way and use an offset screwdriver on my p-bass.
wont buy a bass unless it adjusts at the headstock...but never had trouble with clearance. just use a better tool for the job.
I have no problems adjusting the truss rods on basses and guitars, but it appears that some other people do. The last used bass I bought, a 1970 EB3, had had the nut on the end of the truss rod stripped by someone who used the wrong sized wrench; the previous one, an early 90s Fender Jazz Bass Plus V, had had the hex nut stripped by someone who had used the wrong sized Allen key. 
I am a confirmed truss rod access without having to remove the neck enthusiast. Only my Squier Classic Vibe P-Bass is adjusted at the headstock via allen wrench ... the rest adjust at the heel via screw driver or allen wrench. Most of my basses came to me with truss rod access slots and I routed one myself on the few that didn't as I find it WWWAAAYYY too tedious to de-install/re-install the neck every time I want to tweak the relief.
All truss rod designs are bad; due to the nature of the task of a truss rod, there can be no good design.
If the adjustment is at the headstock end, it's easier to get to, but the manufacturer/designer has to remove all that wood in that area to allow for the TR nut and access to it. This makes thinner nut necks a lot more fragile at the headstock end or you have to fatten the neck in uncomfortable ways up there, a-la the Rickenbacker 4003 in the extreme case.
If the adjustment is at the heel end, that solves the problem of the weak headstock area, but now you have the familiar struggle of getting to the TR nut at the base of the neck.
We're screwed either way, and short of going to some non-adjustable neck like a fully composite one, etc., we're stuck with this perennial PITA of crappy TR access and adjustment.
I have found that I have no real preference, since both options are bad. My Fenders have the adjustment at the heel end, but they have extremely stable necks that require very little adjustments over time. My L2000 has the headstock end adjustment, which is easy to get to, but it also has the huge hole in that end. The neck is kind of flexy and that huge hole may be a contributing factor.
So I've just accepted that all the options are bad and am learning to get past the general PITA. I grit my teeth, keep the tools handy, and just adjust the damn things when they need it. Then I just move on and play....
L
If the adjustment is at the headstock end, it's easier to get to, but the manufacturer/designer has to remove all that wood in that area to allow for the TR nut and access to it. This makes thinner nut necks a lot more fragile at the headstock end or you have to fatten the neck in uncomfortable ways up there, a-la the Rickenbacker 4003 in the extreme case.
If the adjustment is at the heel end, that solves the problem of the weak headstock area, but now you have the familiar struggle of getting to the TR nut at the base of the neck.
We're screwed either way, and short of going to some non-adjustable neck like a fully composite one, etc., we're stuck with this perennial PITA of crappy TR access and adjustment.
I have found that I have no real preference, since both options are bad. My Fenders have the adjustment at the heel end, but they have extremely stable necks that require very little adjustments over time. My L2000 has the headstock end adjustment, which is easy to get to, but it also has the huge hole in that end. The neck is kind of flexy and that huge hole may be a contributing factor.
So I've just accepted that all the options are bad and am learning to get past the general PITA. I grit my teeth, keep the tools handy, and just adjust the damn things when they need it. Then I just move on and play....
L
My 6 string graphite neck has dual truss rods with adjustments at the heel. I designed the body to have access without removing the neck. As another TBer posted, I always move the neck by hand before tightening the truss rod. I've replaced a few rods that the previous owner tried adjusting with just the nut and either stripped or snapped the rod in the process.
I’m grabbing a set of the ball end T handle wrenches from a popular Freight company that sells tools as mentioned by multiple people. For the bass in question that really gave me s**t, I strongly suspect the angle will still be too steep because of the depth of the rod versus the clearance that barely allows the short end of a regular hex wrench to fit down into it. I completed the setup already (with much cussing) but will check viability when the wrenches arrive.
Last edited:
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,019
- 1
- 31,735
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
hahaha it’s nice to know that my bass neck and I can bond over our existential crises
But note that, in both cases, you still have to remove wood in places where it would be better not to have to. The slice of wood in the headstock that's no longer there to make it stronger. And the big bathtub route at the body so you can get the tool in there. Sure, you can improve the design by overbuilding the headstock, or trying to make the huge hole look nice, etc., even to the point that it's an acceptable compromise whichever way you go. And that's where most basses are today.
But it's still bad. And again, "necessary evils" based on the task a TR has to perform and therefore where it has to be in the neck.
There have been TR free designs out there from time to time, but they tend not to be very popular. You still have to have some way to adjust the relief according to changing conditions. Looks like we're stuck with it for the time being....
L
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,019
- 1
- 31,735
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
You are correct in theory; theoretically any wood removal is "bad".
In practice, both of these designs are plenty strong enough and allow sufficient (but not lavish) access.
In my fantasy world, I'd have all the manufacturers at least AGREE on what size allen socket they were going to use on their truss rods. I've got a box of about 30 different allen wrenches, and I have to just keep trying different ones on some oddball guitars until I find the right one. Standardize!
I suppose this matter is somewhat of a combination of personal prefs and a learning curve, depending on the instrument.
I’ve had most of the variations at one time or another. Wood is hygroscopic, meaning that it readily takes up and releases water as the humidity changes; and that process results in the neck’s no-load length changing, kind of the way a sponge changes dimension as it goes from dry to wet.
Graphite necks generally don’t do this and only require initial setup to satisfy.
Still, most bass necks are wood. I’ve learned to pay attention to the truss design as part of the many aspects involved in an instrument decision. I will tweak my rods 3 or 4 times a year; and that needs to be sufficiently accessible for me that I can do it between sets on a gig, if necessary. So, no removing the neck for me.
My preference is the spoke wheel or extended hex nuts, as used by MusicMan / Sadowsky (spoke wheels) and Alembic / original Tobias (extended hex nuts). But, many makers are using the Allen nuts (including modern Fenders). One has to be careful with those to get the key well engaged and not round out or wear the nut opening. The ball end wrenches do work well, but require a little more care to avoid rounding. I don’t hesitate to remove body wood or pickguard material to make access practical. Carefully.
There are good setup videos on line. Generally, a little adjustment goes a long way and is sufficient; meaning a 1/4 turn or less. More than that signals bigger issues.
I suppose for me it is a bit like knowing how to keep the tires on your car inflated. Not totally complicated, but may require a bit of learning. And, having the right tools helps as always.
I’ve had most of the variations at one time or another. Wood is hygroscopic, meaning that it readily takes up and releases water as the humidity changes; and that process results in the neck’s no-load length changing, kind of the way a sponge changes dimension as it goes from dry to wet.
Graphite necks generally don’t do this and only require initial setup to satisfy.
Still, most bass necks are wood. I’ve learned to pay attention to the truss design as part of the many aspects involved in an instrument decision. I will tweak my rods 3 or 4 times a year; and that needs to be sufficiently accessible for me that I can do it between sets on a gig, if necessary. So, no removing the neck for me.
My preference is the spoke wheel or extended hex nuts, as used by MusicMan / Sadowsky (spoke wheels) and Alembic / original Tobias (extended hex nuts). But, many makers are using the Allen nuts (including modern Fenders). One has to be careful with those to get the key well engaged and not round out or wear the nut opening. The ball end wrenches do work well, but require a little more care to avoid rounding. I don’t hesitate to remove body wood or pickguard material to make access practical. Carefully.
There are good setup videos on line. Generally, a little adjustment goes a long way and is sufficient; meaning a 1/4 turn or less. More than that signals bigger issues.
I suppose for me it is a bit like knowing how to keep the tires on your car inflated. Not totally complicated, but may require a bit of learning. And, having the right tools helps as always.
I have about the same number of basses (all Fender and FrankenFender Ps with a few Js thown in). Most of their necks are pretty darn stable and rarely, if ever, need adjustment. However, I do have a coupla two or three that sometimes gain some fingerboard relief during the dry Winter months and can use some adjustment. However, I've found over the years that they typically return to being perfect on their own by the time Spring rolls around so I've taken to leaving them alone and just playing my other basses while they're "out of sorts" and returning to playing them once they are their old selves again.
