Truss rod question

[jsp5107]

I know, I know. I should probably search the forum first, but I need answers as soon as possible. How long should it take for my neck to curve into its shape when Ive adjusted the truss rod?

 

[Milothicus]

there's no set time. there will be some movement as soon as you adjust it, but the total movement can take hours. i would doubt anyone's actually measured how long it takes for an adjusted neck to settle.

i would think the type of woods that the neck is made from will affect settling time, too.

 

[Treena Foster]

I know, I know. I should probably search the forum first, but I need answers as soon as possible. How long should it take for my neck to curve into its shape when Ive adjusted the truss rod?

Easy fixes should happen immediately, but if you have a really bad back bow or not enough bow, it can take a week or more.

You should only turn the truss rod 1/4 inch per day, more than that, you risk snapping the neck or rod.

What exactly are you trying to acheive with the truss rod adjustment?

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You should be able to see a difference after a quarter turn. If not, try a little more, but I'd recommend no more than a half a turn per day. Wooden necks require time to "settle in" to truss rod adjustments.

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If neck is too concave, turn Truss-Rod nut clock-wise. Too convex--Counter clockwise

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Treena

 

[jsp5107]

I have problems with buzzing on the first few frets, which people have told me is a sign of the neck bending backward. So I adjusted the truss rod with good results, but some buzzing still remains, especially on the G and D strings, but that can be resolved with saddle adjustments I guess. The thing about the buzzing on the D string is that it only buzzes when I play harmonics on the 12th fret of the G string

 

[Treena Foster]

I have problems with buzzing on the first few frets, which people have told me is a sign of the neck bending backward. So I adjusted the truss rod with good results, but some buzzing still remains, especially on the G and D strings, but that can be resolved with saddle adjustments I guess. The thing about the buzzing on the D string is that it only buzzes when I play harmonics on the 12th fret of the G string

Your neck could have a small twist, so I would suggest adjusting the saddle at an angle on that G string, just bring the bottom side up a little ( if the saddle has two screws for adjusting.)

Do you have a tech who can look at the neck for you?

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Treena

 

[jsp5107]

bah, that tech was the one who messed up my bass's action in the first place. Besides, sam ash is about an hour away so I would have to enlist the help of a local luthier if I needed adjustments.

My neck could have a twist in it? How does this happen, how does it affect my bass, and how can I get it fixed? also, 9th fret harmonic cause buzzing at the bridge, just thought I should tell you.

 

[Treena Foster]

Twist was just me thinking out loud. I believe your problem has to do with relief and maybe neck angle.

You can read more HERE

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Treena

 

[pkr2]

I have problems with buzzing on the first few frets, which people have told me is a sign of the neck bending backward. So I adjusted the truss rod with good results, but some buzzing still remains, especially on the G and D strings, but that can be resolved with saddle adjustments I guess. The thing about the buzzing on the D string is that it only buzzes when I play harmonics on the 12th fret of the G string

Whether you adjusted the truss rod with good results remains to be seen.

A bit of friendly scolding, first.

You took a tremendous chance when you started adjusting your TR without taking the time to do some studying on the subject. You are lucky that you didn't permanently damage your bass. It happens all the time under just the circumstances that you've described.

However, since you have already made some adjustments 'in the dark', I'll tell you where you went wrong.

First adjust the TR to elimenate all fret buzz on the first 5 frets. then adjust the bridge saddle height on each string to elimenate buzzing on the 12th fret. You will have to go backward and forward between both adjustments untill no further improvement occurs. If either adjustment will not produce the desired result, the instrument is in need of repair and you will only harm the instrument if you don't stop and repair the problem before going any further.

There are things that can go wrong that setup adjustments can't correct, such as bad frets, bad strings, twisted neck, ski ramp warping, loose hardware design and construction defects, to name just a few. Trying to correct any of those probs with TR and bridge adjustments can be an exercize in futility.

I can't emphasize strongly enough that you do some studying before you do ANY further adjustments.

Hope this helps. Be very careful. You can EASILY ruin your bass if you don't know what you're doing.

Harrell S.

 

[jsp5107]

I appreciate the friendly scolding rather than a harsh flaming, pkr2. But I assure you that I did 2 or 3 weeks worth of research on adjusting the truss rod of my bass. As a matter of fact, most of the links treena has provided I have read thouroughly before I even posted on this forum, so I also knew before hand what risks I was taking in adjusting it myself. Every day I played my bass and inspected the action on the upper frets. If it looked too low, I adjusted the truss rod in 1/4 inch increments and It made a noticable difference, but not noticable enough to stop the buzzing completely. BTW the buzzing and rattling of the saddles was a problem before I adjusted my action. No hard feelings though