In praise of dual action truss rods

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I was setting up my guild starfire bass and found that it had a dual action truss rod so I've been able to set the relief for lowish tension flatwounds that enables me to prevent string buzz without needing to raise the action. I've never encountered a dual action rod before so I wonder why in 2020 this isn't the standard for all basses? being able to add relief when the strings don't pull enough on the neck to add relief is a real game changer and I'm impressed that Guild didn't stick to the original 1960s spec by using a standard single action truss rod.

Who else is a fan of the dual action truss rod?

[CameronJ]

I always assumed that dual action rods were standard on basses built relatively recently? As in, the last 20-30 years or so? But that assumption is based on absolutely nothing tangible! 

They are a godsend and I don’t know why anyone would continue using single action rods in their builds once dual action options became readily available, other than for the purposes of penny pinching...

Edited October 26, 2020 by CameronJ

[Beedster]

Can someone explain single versus dual action?

[CameronJ]

Single action truss rods can only go between “flat” and bending in one direction. Dual action rods can bend both ways, allowing your neck to be adjusted both forward and back relative to your playing position.

[blisters on my fingers]

Hope this helps 😊