Dear Guitarists and bassists.. Trus rod etiquette.

[pineweasel]

I bought a Stingray a while ago and have had to make a few truss rod adjustments. Ernie Ball actually specify the following in their FAQ: "You should make all adjustments with the strings where you would normally play them. Do not loosen the strings to adjust the truss rod."

[Guest]

I always slacken off the strings a bit when adjusting the truss rod either way. As others have said, basic physics - particularly when the rod is trying to straighten the neck and pull the strings!

Something a lot of people don’t know is that wood continues to move long after the rod has been adjusted. A half turn may appear to make little difference, but tomorrow morning the neck will be like a banana! Small tweak then leave it. Also dependent on temp an humidity.

[bazzbass]

the whole "only turn 1/8th at a time" is not correct.I think the advice stems from being given to beginners typically, thus turn a little bit at a time as they wouldn't know how much it needs.

If it needs a whole turn, do it, why do eight 1/8th turns?

Ease off the tension and give it what it needs.

Of course, you have to know that it needs a whole turn or not , that's experience.

 

[gary mac]

4 hours ago, bazzbass said:

the whole "only turn 1/8th at a time" is not correct.I think the advice stems from being given to beginners typically, thus turn a little bit at a time as they wouldn't know how much it needs.

If it needs a whole turn, do it, why do eight 1/8th turns?

Ease off the tension and give it what it needs.

Of course, you have to know that it needs a whole turn or not , that's experience.

 

Have to agree with this. For those of us adjusting/setting up instruments on a daily basis it would be ridiculous to do an 1/8th turn and then wait a day before another 1/8th turn.