Amazing what a 1/4 truss rod turn will do...

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

A small turn will not cause your guitar to explode and can definitely help with the action, despite what the purests say. The operative word is "small."

Adjusting one's truss rod only helps if it is the thing that needs to be adjusted to improve action. Otherwise, it will make action worse.

Large, small, medium are irrelevant. Don't randomly adjust the truss rod. Define a target amount of relief and adjust the truss rod as much, or as little, as necessary to get it from where it is now to that target.

For most players, strings and styles a target of between about .005" and .010" is desirable. Some like a little more, some a little less. Feel free to experiment with the amount of relief on your guitars to find what YOU like best. Then you have a defined target, at least on that instrument, with those strings for your style of playing.

This isn't rocket surgery. It's so simple, I'm not sure what there is to debate about it.

[MC5C]

Truss rod purists say to adjust it first, then and only then address action - for a reason. It's undeniable that adjusting the truss rod either way - more relief or less relief - has an effect on action height. It just does. So if you have too much relief and slightly high action, adjusting the truss rod is the correct step to take to fix the problem. It's only when the truss rod is correct that you look at other steps to address playability. I look at guitar setup as a continuum - it starts at the nut and works it's way down the neck, all parts affect all others, nothing stands alone. You need the nut, the frets, the truss rod, the saddle, the intonation to all be right, at the same time. If adjusting the truss rod is the right thing to do, then do it! And don't apologise...

[rmp]

it's pretty simple actually. Just look down the neck, knowing what you're looking for, and adjust as needed.

not rocket science.

That said, I can feel it... immediately.... I'm sure many people on this board can.

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by mcduffnw

Why? Using the truss rod to adjust neck relief is absolutely one method to help adjust the action on the neck. Even pro Guitar tech's working on touring artists concert tours use this technique all the time. It's quick, simple, and easy, and it works great...as Shades Of Blue found out.


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

It “works” because the relief wasn’t right initially. And because many electric players only know one way to “adjust the action”.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

This is why the sequence of neck adjustments starts with setting neck relief, then moving to the other stuff.

I found this to be true also. I adjust relief, nut and then saddle.

[PorkPieGuy]

Yup, I used to give my Taylor a 1/4 turn during the winter and then turn it back 1/4 in the summer.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Lillis

I’m curious which way you turned the truss rod? I’m guessing you loosened it for more relief?

Hi Lillis

Yes. I've always had instruments where you Loosen UP (counter clockwise) to add more relief, and Tighten DOWN (clockwise) to flatten the fingerboard…

Perhaps there are some built other than that.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

...Yes. I've always had instruments where you Loosen UP (counter clockwise) to add more relief, and Tighten DOWN (clockwise) to flatten the fingerboard…

Perhaps there are some built other than that.

Only in the Southern Hemisphere - naturally, they work in the opposite direction there.

We need Bruce and Colin from Australia to chime in here - I’m pretty certain that the Coriolis Effect enters into it south of the equator, as well....


whm

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Only in the Southern Hemisphere - naturally, they work in the opposite direction there.

We need Bruce and Colin from Australia to chime in here - I’m pretty certain that the Coriolis Effect enters into it south of the equator, as well....


whm

OK Wade

No toilet talk allowed…right?

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Adjusting one's truss rod only helps if it is the thing that needs to be adjusted to improve action. Otherwise, it will make action worse.

No argument here. My assumption is that it would indeed be the thing that needed to be adjusted. Of course it you loosen it when you should have tightened it or vice versa that would make the action worse.

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Large, small, medium are irrelevant. Don't randomly adjust the truss rod. Define a target amount of relief and adjust the truss rod as much, or as little, as necessary to get it from where it is now to that target.

Nobody advocated randomly adjusting the truss rod. I have made small adjustments to tighten or loosen the truss rod between winter and summer. For me it gets the action exactly when I want it to compensate for the weather and humidity changes that happen when the seasons change.