• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Weird truss rod issue

birminghambass

birminghambass

Sep 18, 2002
7,089
8,697
Birmingham, AL
#1
Hey TB, need some help. Bought a 20 year old Schecter this week. Fantastic bass, looks like it's barely been used. Played nice when I got it home but I wanted the action a bit lower so I went to tighten the truss rod. I've successfully adjusted a neck probably 1000 times on at least 50 instruments over the past 25 years, and today's issue is new to me. As I went to tighten the rod I noticed it gave zero resistance, in either direction. Like the rod itself wasn't doing anything. I decided to give it a half turn to loosen it and it finally started to give some resistance. Strung it up to pitch, too much relief. Ok, so that worked as expected. Detuned the strings, went to tighten the rod. As I got back to the original starting point the rod went completely slack, stopped giving resistance again. Kept tightening. After almost a full turn it started to give resistance again. Strung it up, action is nice and low.
My question, was there zero tension on the truss rod at first? Like, the rod wasn't doing anything. Maybe because the bass hasn't been played or adjusted in so long? Or is something funky about my neck/rod?
Thanks in advance.
 
#2
Hmmm. Interested to hear the experts on this one. I wonder is it a dual action truss rod, set "in between" pushing one way and pushing the other? It seems reasonable that there'd be a bit of "slop" when reversing the action, but not at all sure. I've never actually messed with a dual action rod that way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RSBBass, Steve88, funkinbottom and 2 others
#3
bholder said:
Hmmm. Interested to hear the experts on this one. I wonder is it a dual action truss rod, set "in between" pushing one way and pushing the other? It seems reasonable that there'd be a bit of "slop" when reversing the action, but not at all sure. I've never actually messed with a dual action rod that way.
Click to expand...
I think you might be right. Just never encountered this. Almost all of my neck adjustments have been on FSOs.
 
#4
Sounds like a double rod, double acting truss rod. The common commercial ones will typically have a small neutral area between straightening the neck and adding relief. As long as the rod works, and it sounds like it does, no worries. As far as it being in the neutral position when you got it, it’s entirely possible the bass has never been adjusted or someone tried but didn’t know how to adjust it. I got a killer deal on an Ibanez 6 string bass years ago because someone who shouldn’t have been allowed near daddy’s Craftsman’s had a go at it and then thought it was busted. A good cleaning and setup later and eventually replacing the amazing, breaking Ibanez tuners and it was a great bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reedt2000, funkinbottom, bholder and 3 others
#9
Truss rod spec notes are usually deep in the specs somewhere and often hidden or unknown on a particular model, also dual-acting is still not all that common but more newer instruments seem to be using them. I like them. I can always dial one in just right.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ethix4
#12
JEDI BASS said:
I agree… sounds like a DA rod that was in the neutral area. When I encounter these, I make sure the truss nut is not left in the neutral zone, even if the relief is perfect, I still barely snug it up so there’s no unwanted vibrations from the TR parts.
Click to expand...
This is exactly what the issue was and I did just that. Thank you all for the replies.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JEDI BASS, Ethix4 and Gilmourisgod
#14
birminghambass said:
Hey TB, need some help. Bought a 20 year old Schecter this week. Fantastic bass, looks like it's barely been used. Played nice when I got it home but I wanted the action a bit lower so I went to tighten the truss rod. I've successfully adjusted a neck probably 1000 times on at least 50 instruments over the past 25 years, and today's issue is new to me. As I went to tighten the rod I noticed it gave zero resistance, in either direction. Like the rod itself wasn't doing anything. I decided to give it a half turn to loosen it and it finally started to give some resistance. Strung it up to pitch, too much relief. Ok, so that worked as expected. Detuned the strings, went to tighten the rod. As I got back to the original starting point the rod went completely slack, stopped giving resistance again. Kept tightening. After almost a full turn it started to give resistance again. Strung it up, action is nice and low.
My question, was there zero tension on the truss rod at first? Like, the rod wasn't doing anything. Maybe because the bass hasn't been played or adjusted in so long? Or is something funky about my neck/rod?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I'm no where near an expert , but most of my sandbergs came this way where they had a "neutral" point where I had no resistance. I thought it felt normal on mine atleast , and having a few that did it. But it didn't take me this much of a turn to release it into that neutral position, or go back in tension/relief.
 
#15
As everybody have said already: it is double action TR and you are in "neutral zone" where TR has nothing to do. And I'd say it is normal if TR is not on a big stress, which means the neck is in right shape and TR doesn't need to counter-act the excessive bowing.

By the way: action (string height) is adjusted at the bridge saddles not by TR, even despite "less relief" gives feeling of "lower action"...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back