Members Anonymous Guy Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 I mean, I guess the headstock looks a bit cleaner without the truss rod hole, but why do some of the high-end Fenders have heel adjusting necks? I could understand the reissues having them, but it seems like a real big inconvenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theHORSEwhisperer Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 The strings have much less tension down by the heel than behind the nut. You can move the allen wrench in a much wider arc down there making for a quicker neck adjustment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mighty Coogna! Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 It's mostly just a trend for vintage spec and build. I much prefer a headstock adjustment, because you don't have to remove the neck, or lower pick-ups or risk scratching the guard. Structurally there's just a minor difference in that the neck area of a heal adjust has more material at the nut end, and with the heal-end adjustment being partially covered, perhaps, a little less prone to the affects of humidity changes. I believe the vintage spec is also for the heal adjusts to not have the walnut skunk-stripe down the back. But that may just be for certain periods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCray Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Most high end Fenders are reissues or spin offs of older models. I can't think of one modern styled Fender with a heel adjustment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faber Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Probably the vintage craze, i agree. I don't see how a neck heel adjust is superior, seeing as Gibson's been using headstock adjustments for decade. I wish Fender would make a heel adjustment that you could access without loosening the neck like these levinson blade where you can get to them under that plate at the end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mighty Coogna! Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Probably the vintage craze, i agree. I don't see how a neck heel adjust is superior, seeing as Gibson's been using headstock adjustments for decade. I wish Fender would make a heel adjustment that you could access without loosening the neck like these levinson blade where you can get to them under that plate at the end Warmouth offers a neck with a side adjust at the heal. I think Atrox used one for one of his builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faber Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Warmouth offers a neck with a side adjust at the heal. I think Atrox used one for one of his builds. oops, sorry bout the big image. Yeah, I have one of those warmoth necks, but they still require an initial adjustment at the neck end To make truss rod set-up and adjustment more convenient, Warmoth "Pro" Construction necks feature the Gotoh side adjustment mechanism. Inserted between the usual truss rod adjustment nut at the heel and the truss rod, this ingenious device uses inclines and wedges to adjust the rod tension. Initial set-up is still accomplished at the traditional butt end but future small adjustments are then conveniently done on the side of the neck. http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/Strat_WarmothPro.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metalheadUK Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 It's purely for vintage accuracy, no practical benefit at all. I like an adjuster you can get at and tweak when you need to without disassembling the guitar. It wouldn't somehow be right on a proper vintage style Fender though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Yeah, I have an old Strat with it at the bottom and it's a major PITA. No reason at all to have it unless you need something 'just like the original'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 The strings have much less tension down by the heel than behind the nut.You can move the allen wrench in a mach wider arc down there making for a quicker neck adjustment. Quicker, are you kidding? not by a long shot when you have to at least take off the plate and - in the case of a Tele, if memory serves, the neck itself!! As to why it's done on some models, the vintage spec thing is exactly it. There's plenty of folks out there would go out of there way to play a Strat made of papier mache if they thought that's how Leo did it in 54.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members atrox Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 I prefer the look, so i build all my necks with a heel adjustment. Since I'm used to doing it, I can adjust that sucker and have the guitar back together and in tune in 30 seconds, so it doesn't bother me in the slightest. In regards to the Warmoth Gotoh adjustment... i think it's great and you don't have to adjust the heel unless it's way off from the start... which it never has been. I have installed maybe 40 Warmoth necks and I have never had to touch the heel adjustment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theHORSEwhisperer Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Quicker, are you kidding? not by a long shot when you have to at least take off the plate and - in the case of a Tele, if memory serves, the neck itself!! As to why it's done on some models, the vintage spec thing is exactly it. There's plenty of folks out there would go out of there way to play a Strat made of papier mache if they thought that's how Leo did it in 54.... I forgot we are talking about guitars here. I am thinking of the heel-adjusting necks on Basses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Help!I'maRock! Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 I forgot we are talking about guitars here.I am thinking of the heel-adjusting necks on Basses. you're thinking of the Music Man style adjustments. i'm not sure if that was a Leo invention or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theHORSEwhisperer Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 you're thinking of the Music Man style adjustments. i'm not sure if that was a Leo invention or not. I believe the new Am. Std. series J and P Basses have a system similar to the MM style heel-adjusting neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JC777 Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 In regards to the Warmoth Gotoh adjustment... i think it's great and you don't have to adjust the heel unless it's way off from the start... which it never has been. I have installed maybe 40 Warmoth necks and I have never had to touch the heel adjustment I agree. I have one one a Tele that I built. It's a great idea. And I've never had to make any adjustments at the heel either. I was a little skeptical at first, but it is a solid design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 How many times do you guys adjust the rods? Is it that big of a deal to pop the neck off for 1 minute once or twice a year the most? They're bolt-on tools not Fabrige Eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ballhawk Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 Sort of off topic but why hasn't someone designed a neck with the truss adjustment at the top but on the back of the headstock. The advantage is there are no string in your way when adjusting the rod. It might mean a deeper cut out so I suppose there would be less wood mass to resist string tension but you would have more mass on the front side. Just thinking out loud. btw if anyone does this you owe me 10% of all future sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted July 16, 2009 Members Share Posted July 16, 2009 My srv and my custom built tele have the truss rod adjustment in the heel. I'm not a fan of it - it took me a number of times to get my srv strat just right too (I like things to be PERFECT). Anyway, it does look more vintage accurate, but from a practical standpoint, pia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mister Zero Posted July 17, 2009 Members Share Posted July 17, 2009 My RGX has the adjuster at the end of the fretboard, just south of the 22nd fret, kinda the way the Music Man does it. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metalheadUK Posted July 17, 2009 Members Share Posted July 17, 2009 I do like the peavey wheel type adjusters,and similar. If I were lucky enough to own a proper vintage spec fender, it would have to have the truss adjustment on the neck heel...simply because the truss rod adjust headstocks never look vintage authentic. But in Practical terms, if I'm sitting here playing, and the relief needs sorting (which I can usually tell just by playing it) then I like to reach over, grab an allan key, and pop the 3rd and 4th strings out of the nut slot and tweak it...normally takes no more than a minute. At the very least on the vintage style, you have to slacken the strings and loosen the neck....PITA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noize Posted July 17, 2009 Members Share Posted July 17, 2009 How many times do you guys adjust the rods? Is it that big of a deal to pop the neck off for 1 minute once or twice a year the most? They're bolt-on tools not Fabrige Eggs. This. I prefer the look of a headstock without the truss rod adjustment groove, but that's just a cosmetic thing. I don't care where the adjustment point is as long as the guitar plays well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted July 17, 2009 Members Share Posted July 17, 2009 Most high end Fenders are reissues or spin offs of older models. I can't think of one modern styled Fender with a heel adjustment. The Robert Cray neck has the heel adjustment. I LOVE the neck, but that pisses me off. Not a deal breaker though... the best modern built Fender I've played was a 68 (I think) heavy relic in sonic blue/mint green, tinted glossy neck and the heel adjustment and I'd be more than glad to try to get along with that guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mighty Coogna! Posted July 17, 2009 Members Share Posted July 17, 2009 I've got a couple old Kramers that have heel adjust, they take a screwdriver, but it's not a problem because the necks sit so high in the pocket that you can adjust it without any disassembly. Around here necks need seasonal adjustments. I didn't realize the warmoths also had a neck adjust along with the side adjust. Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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