#1
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Truss rod adjustments: how much is too much
I just received a Guild OM-240ce yesterday. Love the sound of this guitar but the action was really high. I looked up how to lower it and found that a truss rod adjustment can help.
The instructions were to first try to loosen it to be sure it was already tightened all the way. When I did this there was no resistance at all. So I then started to turn it an 1/8 of a turn at a time. The first 2 turns gave no resistance as if it was not engaged at all. The 3rd turn I finally felt some resistance. Measured the height at the 12th fret and it was 3.5mm. Re-tuned and then another 1/8 turn. I did this about 4 times until the measurement at 12th fret is about 2mm. It still seems a little high to me. So, how far can I go with the truss rod? should I adjust until there is fret buzz and then back off? Or is 2mm a standard height and I should just leave as is? |
#2
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Truss rods aren't meant for adjusting action. They will effect action to a degree but are used to adjust relief. (Back or forward bow in the neck). If you want to lower the action, generally the bottom of the saddle needs sanding but there is a formula and method for that also. Over tightening of the truss rod can break it. Then you've got a problem.
I would suggest taking it to a guitar tech and let him/her check it out. 2mm is about right for the low E depending on what you like.
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Larrivee OM-03 Seagull SWS Maritime Mini Jumbo Alvarez AP70SB Parlor Alvarez AF60SHB Seagull Concert Hall Mahogany Harmony H1215. 1953 An 80 year old Kay (approx) Epiphone ES-339 Epiphone Les Paul 50's Standard 3 home built Strat's Last edited by Wooly; 09-24-2020 at 09:52 AM. |
#3
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Hopefully I didn't over tightened it. It was completely loose when I started. By the time I made the last turn it was still very easy to turn and it did lower the action about 1.5 mm's.
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#4
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It shouldn't be fully tightened but there again, truss rods aren't meant for adjusting action.
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Larrivee OM-03 Seagull SWS Maritime Mini Jumbo Alvarez AP70SB Parlor Alvarez AF60SHB Seagull Concert Hall Mahogany Harmony H1215. 1953 An 80 year old Kay (approx) Epiphone ES-339 Epiphone Les Paul 50's Standard 3 home built Strat's |
#5
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Quote:
^^This^^ is absolutely right. |
#6
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What has worked for me is first I put the same gauge strings on the guitar/instrument that I intend to play it with. Then I let the instrument acclimate to those strings and its environment for a few days.
Once it is settled in, if there is too much relief in the neck I will adjust the truss rod in small increments. I allow the instrument to get acclimated to each adjustment before doing more adjusting. For me, the little by little process can occur over multiple days. Sometimes I tweak things so slightly and let the instrument settle in so much that it might take a few weeks before it is as perfect as I want. Which brings me to your question. Too much or too far is when you tighten the rod so much that it overshoots the ideal bow/relief in the neck and causes the neck to bow in the opposite direction and the strings to buzz against the middle frets while being fine on the upper or lower frets. In my experience, when an instrument has been neglected as far as proper truss rod adjustment is concerned, I know IÂ’m not going to get the rod properly settled in on day one. |
#7
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It seems to play much better since I did the adjustment. It's easier to play all over the neck and there is no string buzz anywhere. Could it just have been that the neck was bowing away from the strings?
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#8
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If there is excess relief in the neck, reducing or eliminating the relief by adjusting the truss rod can indeed lower the action. So it can be, in fact, one component in reducing the string height, along with saddle and nut adjustment where appropriate.
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#9
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There is lots of information at http://frets.com/FretsPages/pagelist.html including on setting up your guitar.
Long story short, action is adjusted by 1. Setting neck relief using the truss rod 2. Adjusting the string height at the nut 3. Adjusting the saddle height
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Martin |
#10
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what relief do you measure in the neck
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#11
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Quote:
4. If it still don’t work, take it to an expert - it may need a neck re-set -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |