Truss rod adjustments

Bridgehouse

thebreeze said:

The confusion though is, is it always righty tighty etc whichever end of the neck you are? (modern at headstock, vintage at body)

In my experience, yes.

FelineGuitars

richardhomer said:

Normally in the winter (in UK) necks generally develop more less relief, due to central heating reducing humidity. 

This tends to raise lower the action and requires the truss rod to be tightened.

The way you're describing it - it sounds like the neck is too straight - or bowing up in the middle - which requires the truss rod loosening. You really need to evaluate the amount (or lack of) relief before adjusting.

Holding the low E down at the first and last frets (this requires two hands - or a capo) - there should be a slight gap around the 7th/8th fret.

This will tell you if you need to tighten, or loosen.

Fixed that for you
Necks usually get straighter over the winter months and need the truss rod loosening off (turn CCW) and during spring and summer the opposite is true and necks get more relief and need the rod tightening (turn CW)

richardhomer

FelineGuitars said:

richardhomer said:

Normally in the winter (in UK) necks generally develop more less relief, due to central heating reducing humidity. 

This tends to raise lower the action and requires the truss rod to be tightened.

The way you're describing it - it sounds like the neck is too straight - or bowing up in the middle - which requires the truss rod loosening. You really need to evaluate the amount (or lack of) relief before adjusting.

Holding the low E down at the first and last frets (this requires two hands - or a capo) - there should be a slight gap around the 7th/8th fret.

This will tell you if you need to tighten, or loosen.

Fixed that for you
Necks usually get straighter over the winter months and need the truss rod loosening off (turn CCW) and during spring and summer the opposite is true and necks get more relief and need the rod tightening (turn CW)

Not my experience at all.

May be things are different here in the frozen North!

FelineGuitars

Mileage can vary I'm sure ...only going by my own daily experience with guitars that have crossed my bench for the last 30 years.
Both temperature and humidity can be factors and I know some areas get cold with lowered humidity and the specifics of your heating arrangements in your home could also affect it.
Some guitars are much more prone to it than others , so it's an individual thing 

richardhomer

FelineGuitars said:

Mileage can vary I'm sure ...only going by my own daily experience with guitars that have crossed my bench for the last 30 years.
Both temperature and humidity can be factors and I know some areas get cold with lowered humidity and the specifics of your heating arrangements in your home could also affect it.
Some guitars are much more prone to it than others , so it's an individual thing 

Summers tend to be warm rather than 'hot' here - heating is gas through radiators. I have a hygrometer in the room where my acoustics are kept it - typically RH is around 35 - 40% in the winter and 55 - 60% in the Summer. The temperature is pretty constant all year round.

Some of my guitars need a tweak - some seem pretty much impervious to seasonal changes, as you say.

GavRichList

My Jazzmaster (a 2008 AVRI) needs almost monthly tweaks. Annoying really - love the guitar and the neck is lovely, but for its mobility. In contrast, my 1962 Jaguar never ever needs touching. 

richardhomer

GavRichList said:

My Jazzmaster (a 2008 AVRI) needs almost monthly tweaks. Annoying really - love the guitar and the neck is lovely, but for its mobility. In contrast, my 1962 Jaguar never ever needs touching. 

Funnily enough, my (now departed) 2013 59 AVRI had exactly the same issue.

GavRichList

richardhomer said:

GavRichList said:

My Jazzmaster (a 2008 AVRI) needs almost monthly tweaks. Annoying really - love the guitar and the neck is lovely, but for its mobility. In contrast, my 1962 Jaguar never ever needs touching. 

Funnily enough, my (now departed) 2013 59 AVRI had exactly the same issue.

Why is it?? Gets on my tits. It's only small adjustments each time, say, a 6th of a turn, but I'm amazed it's required so often. Some of this may be my own lack of knowledge; I imagine that any truss adjustment has a period of settling, where some of your adjustment is countered by the wood shifting back a little shortly after? Also, I stripped the nitro off the back, and whilst I tru-oiled it to seal, could this play a part in it? 

richardhomer

GavRichList said:
Why is it?? Gets on my tits. It's only small adjustments each time, say, a 6th of a turn, but I'm amazed it's required so often. Some of this may be my own lack of knowledge; I imagine that any truss adjustment has a period of settling, where some of your adjustment is countered by the wood shifting back a little shortly after? Also, I stripped the nitro off the back, and whilst I tru-oiled it to seal, could this play a part in it? 

Poorly seasoned timber would be my guess....

Bridgehouse

I have no scientific proof, or evidence, and this is totally conjecture, but it seems to me that how much you play them, where you store them (in or out of case) whether they are upright or flat, on the wall or in a cupboard all seems to make a difference as to whether they need a tweak or not.

Similarly, two guitars in the same circumstance can behave totally differently...

Cabicular

Bridgehouse said:

I have no scientific proof, or evidence, and this is totally conjecture, but it seems to me that how much you play them, where you store them (in or out of case) whether they are upright or flat, on the wall or in a cupboard all seems to make a difference as to whether they need a tweak or not.

Similarly, two guitars in the same circumstance can behave totally differently...

In my experience (of having a lot of Guitars on stands all the time) it just depends on the instrument 
In support of what @richardhomer says my older guitars are less affected and my 70s 80s Les Paul are not at all bothered by it
I stuck a 79 Artist Model in a soft case on my way out the door to a rehearsal and it was bang in tune and perfectly set up
That guitar has been through two house moves and in and out of cases over the last couple of years. Strings haven't been changed and it hasn't been played and it was still at concert pitch

Bridgehouse

Cabicular said:

Bridgehouse said:

I have no scientific proof, or evidence, and this is totally conjecture, but it seems to me that how much you play them, where you store them (in or out of case) whether they are upright or flat, on the wall or in a cupboard all seems to make a difference as to whether they need a tweak or not.

Similarly, two guitars in the same circumstance can behave totally differently...

In my experience (of having a lot of Guitars on stands all the time) it just depends on the instrument 
In support of what @richardhomer says my older guitars are less affected and my 70s 80s Les Paul are not at all bothered by it
I stuck a 79 Artist Model in a soft case on my way out the door to a rehearsal and it was bang in tune and perfectly set up
That guitar has been through two house moves and in and out of cases over the last couple of years. Strings haven't been changed and it hasn't been played and it was still at concert pitch

To be fair, they are wood, which inherently changes with temperature and humidity. I guess some instruments are more susceptible than others.

It's no biggie tho. I'd rather an instrument that needed the odd tweak and was fantastic to play and sounded immense rather than a rock solid, never needs adjusting dog.

FelineGuitars

Guitars that are very well set up with the relief set low - say 0.004-8" often need more tweaking to keep them just right.
Small fluctuations that possibly would go unnoticed  on a non set up guitar with a lot of relief may cause fretting out or make the action seem a bit off.

It's a bit like being clean shaved rather than having a beard . A clean shaved man will notice his bristles (or his wife/boss may) by the end of the day whilst someone with a beard will hardly register any growth for days or weeks at a time.

guitars4you

FelineGuitars said:

Guitars that are very well set up with the relief set low - say 0.004-8" often need more tweaking to keep them just right.
Small fluctuations that possibly would go unnoticed  on a non set up guitar with a lot of relief may cause fretting out or make the action seem a bit off.

It's a bit like being clean shaved rather than having a beard . A clean shaved man will notice his bristles (or his wife/boss may) by the end of the day whilst someone with a beard will hardly register any growth for days or weeks at a time.

I agree with this - it is almost a case of zero tolerance if you have minimal relief - any movement will stand out a mile - I know with my PRS, on the odd occasion it moves, it is so noticeable and I have a slick 'sissy' action - If the relief 'grows' the action becomes harder and you notice is so quickly - I might tweak it once a year, maybe less

GavRichList

^ this makes me feel a good deal better. I like a low action and a straight neck. 

darthed1981

Bridgehouse said:

Cabicular said:

Bridgehouse said:

When you have tool in hand (!) and doubt yourself - just remember

Righty Tighty
Lefty Loosy

which direction am I facing?

Lol - twisty wristy righty tighty or lefty loosy silly

Or perhaps "twisty wristy righty tighty or lefty loosy silly goosey!"

ESBlonde

GavRichList said:

richardhomer said:

GavRichList said:

My Jazzmaster (a 2008 AVRI) needs almost monthly tweaks. Annoying really - love the guitar and the neck is lovely, but for its mobility. In contrast, my 1962 Jaguar never ever needs touching. 

Funnily enough, my (now departed) 2013 59 AVRI had exactly the same issue.

Why is it?? Gets on my tits. It's only small adjustments each time, say, a 6th of a turn, but I'm amazed it's required so often. Some of this may be my own lack of knowledge; I imagine that any truss adjustment has a period of settling, where some of your adjustment is countered by the wood shifting back a little shortly after? Also, I stripped the nitro off the back, and whilst I tru-oiled it to seal, could this play a part in it? 

When you slacken off the truss rod always snick it back the other way to ensure the threads are nicely engaged to hold it. Not all guitars are subjuct to this but some threads 'give' a little, think of it like always tuning up to pitch.

GavRichList

ESBlonde said:

GavRichList said:

richardhomer said:

GavRichList said:

My Jazzmaster (a 2008 AVRI) needs almost monthly tweaks. Annoying really - love the guitar and the neck is lovely, but for its mobility. In contrast, my 1962 Jaguar never ever needs touching. 

Funnily enough, my (now departed) 2013 59 AVRI had exactly the same issue.

Why is it?? Gets on my tits. It's only small adjustments each time, say, a 6th of a turn, but I'm amazed it's required so often. Some of this may be my own lack of knowledge; I imagine that any truss adjustment has a period of settling, where some of your adjustment is countered by the wood shifting back a little shortly after? Also, I stripped the nitro off the back, and whilst I tru-oiled it to seal, could this play a part in it? 

When you slacken off the truss rod always snick it back the other way to ensure the threads are nicely engaged to hold it. Not all guitars are subjuct to this but some threads 'give' a little, think of it like always tuning up to pitch.

I'm tightening though sadly 

Evilmags

OP. If you are worried about using the truss rod, stick a gauge heavier of strings on. If that fixes the problem then the problem was the truss rod.