Truss Rod (Always Forget Direction)

[LoC]

 

Now, start tightening the truss rod by turning it to the right (righty-tighty).

- http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/adjusting_neck_relief.html

 

So I always forget. Turning to the right lowers the action?

[bholder]

Turning clockwise (right) increases tension, so if the neck is bowed (if you fret a string at the end of the fretboard, the action in the middle of the fretboard is high), then yes, that will make the neck straighter and the action lower.

 

If the neck is backbowed (middle higher than the ends), then further tightening will do the exact reverse and make the problem worse.

[LoC]

Thank you good sir.

[Rippin' Robin]

 

Turning to the right lowers the action?

 

 

Stop. Right. There.

 

The action is lowered by lowering your bridge saddles.

 

The neck bow is controlled by the truss rod.

[bholder]

 

Stop. Right. There. The action is lowered by lowering your bridge saddles. The neck bow is controlled by the truss rod.

 

 

Yeah, that's a fair point. Neck bow does affect action for most of the neck, but don't mess with the truss rod unless you've checked and are certain that it's the neck bow and not the bridge saddle height (or neck / neck pocket angle) that's the major concern.

[Kindness]

Relief = neck bow = truss rod.

 

Action = neck angle + nut height + bridge saddle height + fret work.

 

Tightening a truss rod counterbalances the tension of the strings and removes relief from the neck. It's very easy to remember when you understand the truss rod's purpose is to counteract the string tension.

[LoC]

I have lowered my saddles all the way

[Kindness]

Then you have a neck angle issue and need to shim your neck. Do you need any help figuring out how to shim your neck?

[LoC]

I don;t know what shimming is

[Kindness]

First question, do you have a bolt on neck? (If not it is either neck through or glued on.)

[Captain Fathead]

If the neck adjustment is at the heel of the neck, do the same rules still apply (ie Right to increase tension)?

[Kindness]

 

If the neck adjustment is at the heel of the neck, do the same rules still apply (ie Right to increase tension)?

 

 

No matter where the truss rod is located, tightening the nut counteracts the string tension to remove forward bow from the neck. (It is more complicated when you are dealing with an Alembic dual truss rod system or something similar, but that is a rare occasion.)

[JacieFB]

Shimminy shim shim.

 

 

That's all I got.

[LoC]

I have a neck thru design.

[bholder]

 

If the neck adjustment is at the heel of the neck, do the same rules still apply (ie Right to increase tension)?

 

 

Unless you've got some really bizarre foreign reverse threaded monstrosity, yes. (I've read that there were a few like that made by some cheapo import manufacturer back in the 60s or 70s, but it's highly unlikely any of us will ever see one like that.)

[Kindness]

What kind of bass is it? Did it use to set up well? With the srings fretted at the first fret, what is the clearance between the top of the 12th fret and the bottom of the E string? G string? (a good starting place is 0.100" and 0.080", respectively)

[bholder]

I have lowered my saddles all the way

 

What you need to do is the neck bow test I mentioned earlier - it's a really easy thing to check - hold a string down against the very highest fret with your right hand, then check how high the string is off the frets at the midpoint between there and the nut (reverse hands if you play lefty, obviously). If that midpoint string height off the frets is appreciable, say more than 1/4" or so, then tightening the truss rod a bit will help. If not (the strings are close to, or on, the frets all the way down), then tightening the truss rod will only cause more problems.

 

Only ever adjust the truss rod by 1/4 turn or less at a time, then give it a day or so to "settle in" before rechecking.

[Kindness]

What you need to do is the neck bow test I mentioned earlier - it's a really easy thing to check - hold a string down against the very highest fret with your right hand, then check how high the string is off the frets at the midpoint between there and the nut (reverse hands if you play lefty, obviously). If that midpoint string height off the frets is appreciable, say more than 1/4" or so, then tightening the truss rod a bit will help. If not (the strings are close to, or on, the frets all the way down), then tightening the truss rod will only cause more problems. Only ever adjust the truss rod by 1/4 turn or less at a time, then give it a day or so to "settle in" before rechecking.

 

A well functioning bass should never have relief that approached 1/4"!!!! Oh, I see, you are measuring using the nut. A better way is to use a straightedge between the 1st and 12th frets. There should be minimal relief between the 7th fret and the straightedge. If you don't have a reliable straightedge, capo the strings at the first fret, use one free hand to fret a string at the 12th and use your other free hand to measure the relief. a pair of playing cards should be able to slide between the string and the frets at the point with the greatest clearance, but no more than that.

 

Your way is not wrong, just less precise. All of the rest of what you wrote I agree with 100%.

[bholder]

A well functioning bass should never have relief that approached 1/4"!!!! Oh, I see, you are measuring using the nut. A better way is to use a straightedge between the 1st and 12th frets. There should be minimal relief between the 7th fret and the straightedge. If you don't have a reliable straightedge, capo the strings at the first fret, use one free hand to fret a string at the 12th and use your other free hand to measure the relief. a pair of playing cards should be able to slide between the string and the frets at the point with the greatest clearance, but no more than that. Your way is not wrong, just less precise. All of the rest of what you wrote I agree with 100%.

 

Yeah, I was just trying to make it easier on him. And 1/4" was just a guess, you're right, it's a bit high even with the nut height included. If an appropriate straightedge isn't handy, you can get the same effect by fretting at the first fret, and holding the string down at the highest fret, then measuring in the middle, but I tend to run out of hands doing that! (Actually, not too hard to do with an elbow, knee, or using a capo to fret the first fret.)

[Kindness]

Now we are in agreement.

[takeout]

The set-up guide at the Fender site should be linked in a sticky at the top of the first page. Works great.