TRUSS ROD 101 HOW TO SET NECK RELIEF

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Stiggy'sGuitar Loft

11 жыл бұрын

A VID TO EXPLAIN WHAT A TRUSS ROD DOES AND HOW TO SET YOUR GUITAR NECK

Пікірлер: 92

@gustavorlore 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, it took me along time to understands what neck relief was.

@SammyBones 9 жыл бұрын

Good video. Each adjustment of the guitars truss rod, nut, bridge or saddles affects the other. Do each slow and check the others. You may have to do a truss rod adjustment, then a bridge/saddle adjustment, then do another neck adjustment, etc... just my opinion after 25+years as a guitar tech. Have a great day! Sammy Bones #trussrod #adjustments

@rileyhardy7162 10 жыл бұрын

Ideally, how much space should be between the fret board and the strings at the first few frets? Last few frets? I'm nervous, never adjusted it before so I'm afraid of hurting my baby.

@garymillar169 6 жыл бұрын

R Hardy each guitar has a factory spec google it

@micheltaillon5833 10 жыл бұрын

exactly what i was looking for. thanks

@dukegfsl 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks alot! Very helpful Stiggy.

@ukebox00oftheworld63 Жыл бұрын

Great video Thanks. One question, do I if need be slacken the strings on my bass when adjusting the truss rod?

@alg4943 6 жыл бұрын

I need to add some relief to the neck of my Johnny Smith arch top. I know which way to turn the truss rod nut, but my problem is that the nut is so loose that it is spinning freely and it is not having any effect on the neck. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

@f1948s 7 жыл бұрын

Info looks good but I have a neck on an off brand strat style guitar I am trying to set up to get back into playing and found after getting to the set up and checking the neck relief it looks like I may have less than .010" at the 7th fret with a capo on the first fret and the string fretted where the neck meets the guitar. The truss rod seems to have no tension on it at all. I thought I would check to see if I could put pressure on the truss rod to make sure it was not broken and I could. What would you recommend to get relief in the neck.

@bbfreddiealbertking 10 жыл бұрын

Great video! I live in a very warm climate. My strings always are very tight and difficult to bend. The neck would be convex, correct? I would need to tighten the truss rod right? Thanks.

@Keitan97 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you!! I honestly thought Neck Relief was actually concave and that I have to adjust the truss rod =,=, thanks!! Although my guitar’s string and fret distance is mildly high from 12th fret onwards, Is it correct if I sand the saddle a bit ? Thanks!

@Stiegosaurus 9 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info man.

@salihgonlutok5959 9 жыл бұрын

quick question when you stick the guitar pick on the high e string do you have to check the low e string aswell or it doesn't matter?

@74dartman13 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video...I think my neck is too straight and it needs a little relief in it. I'll give this a try!

@a.bloke2.0alwayslearning.23 7 жыл бұрын

Good video Ziggy. Clear, easy to understand and well explained right down to the professional neck bow types graphics. Are you a professional artist ? Now I think that I will get my torque wrench out of my toolbox and start on my Fender ! .

@metalehead95 7 жыл бұрын

what do you think is best to use a dual action or a single action truss rod?

@steve-oouss7232 8 жыл бұрын

thanx a lot now i can rock thanks to you .. peace

@StiggysGuitarLoft 10 жыл бұрын

Hi Caleb it's a matter of choice and feel of the player some people like it when it's really low some like it a bit higher the science of it is the string dosnt go side to side when you hit it as it make the tone the string goes around in a circle the string needs to have enough room between the fret to do this a great way to test this is to fret a string at the top fret near the but with one hand then use your little finger of the other hand to depress the same string on the very last fret then use your thumb to just tap the string at the twelve fret I like a a medium size plectrum gap between te string and the fret as I play a lot of blues and rock as a guide at the top fret you should be able to slide a playing card inbetween the fret and the string that will give you a nice feel. But as I said diffrent people like diffrent set ups depending on their finger strength and the style of music they play hope that helps

@rosco3516 8 жыл бұрын

this helped with my bass. it was concave.

@whitefalcon74 10 жыл бұрын

i'm having a buzz issue with my gretsch falcon the action is to high.how do you adjust the bridge along with the truss rod.do i set the action first (bridge hight) than adjust truss? thax for any help

@tyreekmurillo4524 7 жыл бұрын

if you have fret buzz even with a proper set up up neck and average action, could the frets be the problem?

@StiggysGuitarLoft 10 жыл бұрын

Hi Goki a truss rod responds to the slightest movement it should only been done a bit at a time then left to settle slacken the truss rod again and leave over night then the n tune to concert pitch and adust the truss a little at a time leaving it to settle inbetween adjustments

@sweetbilly 9 жыл бұрын

You need some tension but I suggest leaving the strings on but tuning down, adjusting 1/8 what you think you want, then re-tune and check again. If it's still too high repeat the steps. It will take quite a few times but you won't damage your guitar doing this way either. You also have to reset the intonation on your guitar after you do this or the intonation will be off... it will be off just slightly but it will be off.

@AmpsforBuddha 10 жыл бұрын

Righty, tighty. Lefty, loosey.

@joeseymour4073 4 жыл бұрын

Hi I just watched this video today and want to reply anyway lol. If your truss rod is adjusted from the headstock end, then looking down the fretboard from the headstock toward the body of your guitar you'd turn the truss rod to the right to tighten it (as when dealing with too much relief/too much of a bow in the neck where the fretboard is concave). If your guitar's truss rod is adjusted from the end of the neck where it joins the body, then looking down the fingerboard at the headstock would be your correct POV, and you turn your truss rod to the right to tighten it. Hope this helps but I hope you got your answer a long time ago! 👍🤘🏻

@Thunderdad974 10 жыл бұрын

Is it better, required or preferred to set this with strings on the guitar? Sorry if this sounds dumb. This is my first attempt to adjusting this.

@DelTangBrav 9 жыл бұрын

Hi Mike - Neck relief adjustment should be carried out with strings *on the guitar*, the strings should all be at the same tension as they would be when being played - the reason for this is that the tension of the strings is the main factor and trying to get it correct without strings on is nearly impossible. If as happens on some guitars where the adjuster is near the headstock, the strings get in the way; then they need to be coaxed (perhaps slackened then retightened) out of the way. Main thing is to check afterwards and note that sometimes the result is delayed due to the wood needing to bend at its own pace. Hope that helps.

@sweetbilly 9 жыл бұрын

DelTangBrav Partly wrong, string tension is a factor, but having tension while adjusting your neck also incorrectly intonates your guitar as well because you are changing the distance between your nut and saddle just slightly ...first you loosen your strings just a little bit, adjust the truss rod about 1/8 of what you think you think you want, then re-tune and check it. Too much could destroy the neck. If it's still wrong, you loosen the strings again, re-adjust, and re-tune and check again until you get it just right. You also have to readjust your intonation after you adjust the neck.

@DelTangBrav 9 жыл бұрын

I agree that the intonation can be slightly affected by neck relief being adjusted - but still consider that the strings should be at intended playing tension (or as near as possible) when setting neck relief as it is the tension (or lack of it) that causes the bow (bend in neck) that is corrected (either way) with the truss rod. Using the "trial and error" method you advocate has the disadvantage that the adjustment could take many days as the neck (being wood) doesn't always respond immediately. There is little point loosening the strings to adjust neck relief and no reputable guitar repairer, book or technician I've ever known or read advocates otherwise.

@giorgoskappa9115 8 жыл бұрын

Nice video. How much time do I have to wait before I check after I have adjusted the truss rod?

@josephwazocha140 5 жыл бұрын

Some say to wait 24 hrs then check it again. The 24 hrs will give the neck time to adjust on it's own after the adjustment was made due to string tension, humitidy etc.

@Kystreetracing 7 жыл бұрын

Help at the 12th fret I don't room at al do I need to tighten or loosen it

@loupascarelli 7 жыл бұрын

My Epi LP Stud has been very hard to finger my chords on .. It requires a ton of pressure to hold down the strings .. My Special is so much more easier to play [ bolt on as opposed to set on the LP .. LP is a fatter neck to begin with ] Neck seems fine otherwise ... I have mid finger 2 1/4 long .. Any clue ?

@StiggysGuitarLoft 10 жыл бұрын

If your neck is convex it has two much back bow the best way is to loosen the truss rod and allow string tension to bring it back into line and tighten as needed once the neck has settled

@vinceanthony7046 8 жыл бұрын

what does tighten mean relative to guitar bow.

@heartpsalmist 8 жыл бұрын

Hi Stiggy! I hope i can use this info for my acoustic guitar. I appreciate your help. My problem is a flat neck, I suppose, according to your descriptions. Thank you very much. I have a beautiful, new, fairly nice acoustic electric guitar which I haven't been able to play for over a year because the buzzing was so bad. Tuning it was impossible. I live far from the maddening crowd, so to speak and don't have the money if I could find a "luthier?". I sure hope this works!

@StiggysGuitarLoft 8 жыл бұрын

Hi mate the best thing to do is to loosen the truss rod half a turn then tune back up to concert pitch leave it a day and see if the string tension pulls the neck up slightly that should stop the buzz if it doesn't then go back and loosen it another half turn that should be ample hope that helps

@heartpsalmist 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks Stiggy! Sorry, didn'tt know you messaged ne back. I have been doing this quite often since March 10th! It is getting a little better but has a long way to go yet! I also noticed a small dent on the outside across where the top brace is inside. I hope my guitar isn't ruined.I Do you think it will be OK? And should I keep a humidifier in there while I'm doing this. Thank you so much for your help. Donna

@StiggysGuitarLoft 10 жыл бұрын

Hi mate I always set up the bridge first get the correct string hight then move on to the trus rod

@TristanJCumpole 10 жыл бұрын

That would be the incorrect order of things. Nut-rod-saddles. Capo on fifth to check open string height over the first fret, then a capo on first and fretting at the 15-17th fret and checking for the gap around the 6-7th with shim stock or card feelers. Adjust the rod as required. Only then do you even think about looking at the saddles/bridge height.

@barrysparks3508 7 жыл бұрын

Agreed! Gotta get the nut work done first! Then one may move on to the neck adjustment, followed by the string/bridge height, then pickup height, and finally intonation. You will have a happy guitar and happy fretting fingers! Peace all!!

@garymillar169 6 жыл бұрын

Prostheta they should be done together as they both effect each other

@warever37 4 жыл бұрын

But the neck relief is also determined by the bridge height, so I think what should be done is to check the straightness using a straight edge, making sure there's a slight bow, then adjusting the bridge height. I wonder why no body talks about this.

@nordenglander2761 7 жыл бұрын

loosen or tighten the truss rod to take out a concave bow?

@jayzeegt5721 6 жыл бұрын

Nordenglander thight

@andrew6780 7 жыл бұрын

I need help, I tightened my truss rod because I the action of my strings were too high and made my playing uncomfortable. Now that I look at the neck of my guitar from the side it tends to bend a bit inward as it gets closer to the headstock. I don't want anything to snap, can anyone help?

@marscience7819 7 жыл бұрын

very, very good

@TheHipsterSloth 9 жыл бұрын

When should you adjust your neck with a truss rod? Do guitars already come adjusted? Does the neck break without the truss rod adjusted? So many questions because I play drums.

@LeadMuncher09 9 жыл бұрын

New guitars should come adjusted when you buy them from the store. Since guitars are susceptible to temperature and humidity over time it's possible the neck will change a little. The neck could break if you over tighten the truss rod too much, but if you make small adjustments and examine changes after you should be fine. If the neck warps too much due to excessive temperature and humidity changes, the truss rod could break. I leave my guitars in my room all the time, on stands, and they're fine year round. I just make small adjustments time to time.

@andyartcore12 9 жыл бұрын

1- basically when u hear string buzz (strings hitting the fret steel) and u wanna get rid of it or u want to change lower or raise the action (string distance to fret) 2- factory adustment is a more a compromise setup to suit evryones playstyle but generally its ok especially when your an beginner 3- without adjustment basically no

@marmadukewinterbotham2599 9 жыл бұрын

My Epiphone Les Paul Custom needs some relief - after doing the rest above, i.e. it frets out when holding the ends down. But the truss rod is as undone as it can be, i.e there's no tension on it all. What should I do?

@slimjim7411 8 жыл бұрын

+Marmaduke Winterbotham Adjust the bridge height ever so slightly, and check it after a day or two. You may have to go back and re-adjust the truss rod. When you raise the bridge you change the string angle to the neck which increases their leverage (pulling it up more).

@kennyken7278 9 жыл бұрын

Most wussies I know would rather spend $40 to let their Luthiers twist their truss rods.....Like really, There's some popular serious MYTH out there where it says ''You have to hand it to a Luthier if you don't know what you're doing''...or else you might inflict irreversible damage on the neck of your guitar...I'm not a luthier, but I have YET to damage one guitar with this myth...I own 12 btw....Truss rods are meant to be adjusted, so don't be afraid folks...a quarter of a turn at a time (or lesser) will NEVER damage your guitar neck

@landajimmy 7 жыл бұрын

Kenny Ken I'm a wussie hehe

@roach2566 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah I've done fine with like 16th to eighth turns.Ive only taken my guitars in for fretwork that I can do but don't want to or have time for and electronic work that was really bad..

@Sconi71 6 жыл бұрын

We are happy for you.

@sjs793 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment TOUGH GUY!!!

@CalebPendergast 10 жыл бұрын

Exactly how high does the action have to be on a Stratocaster?

@DelTangBrav 9 жыл бұрын

It will always be a matter of preference, gauge of string and playing style but roughly the distance at the midway mark between string and top of fret (When capoed at the first fret and fretted where the neck meets the body) should be somewhere between 8 and 15 thousands of an inch. This might be of help www.fender.com/en-GB/support/articles/stratocaster-setup-guide/

@CalebPendergast 9 жыл бұрын

Thanks! :)

@xXOPT1CSXxHD 8 жыл бұрын

sick intro

@ChristianJ5680 4 жыл бұрын

That’s the standard adjustment, but it’s far from being the ideal one. If I am honest, I don’t like it. I like a flat neck, with a very tiny gap between the 7th fret and Low E string (between 001-002 inches, that’s a dead straight adjustment). That allows me to set up the action as lower as possible (around 1-1.2mm on the twelve fret and 1.5-1.7 mm on the 24 fret). There are a little bit of fret buzzes on the first frets, but that’s ok. They are not annoying and don’t affect the sound...

@jake_of_the_jungle9840 5 жыл бұрын

I want to go buy and 80s BC Rich custom shop warlock but it is buzzing on the first three frets I think I can get it fixed but the guy wants 1100 for the guitar and it’s not even playable. Is it worth it?

@josephwazocha140 5 жыл бұрын

It could be why he's selling it. What ever the problem is it may be costly to fix.

@jake_of_the_jungle9840 5 жыл бұрын

joseph wazocha the guys has like 15 BC Rich USA guitars for sale he said he collects them. He told me the one I’m looking at has been hung on his wall for 15 years. He told me the strings buzz on the first three frets when he checked it out but he said when he got it that it played great. I think it might just need to be adjusted but does it sound like something that adjusting the truss rod will fix? Also thank you all for the help!

@jake_of_the_jungle9840 5 жыл бұрын

joseph wazocha or at least something that I can get fixed with a normal set up at a guitar shop?

@jake_of_the_jungle9840 5 жыл бұрын

Bc the guitar is perfect other than the playability. I’ve always wanted one of the older 80s bc riches but not if it’s gunna be a turd lol

@jabez36 10 жыл бұрын

bravo mate

@darkphotographer 4 жыл бұрын

one thing i can not undened and you dont have say it ,,, when you tight it it convex , or concave , the go up or donw ,

@figue_barbare 9 жыл бұрын

ok i have an old diam guitar. the neck is noticeably up.. reaally high action and yet i still have fret buzzes in the middle and in high frets

@slimjim7411 8 жыл бұрын

+Aizen souske Too much bow the angle of the string is so that when you fret a note even if you're holding it very hard it basically sounds like a beginner not pressing hard enough and buzzes. Try moving your finger towards the back of the fret (towards the body of the guitar). If it stops buzzing then you have way too much bow.

@figue_barbare 8 жыл бұрын

Slim Jim yeah i have way too much bow. unfortunately there is no way to adjust it apart from doing wood work

@aayushjindal6179 7 жыл бұрын

hey I get a buzz sound even on the open string....and my action is high enough....any clue?

@crzypagangirl 7 жыл бұрын

I've heard that if there is open string fret buzzing it may be an issue with the nut 😕

@aayushjindal6179 7 жыл бұрын

no mine was just about truss rod adjustment. my guitar sounds awesome now!

@blgdinger3 10 жыл бұрын

dude pulls out a blunt and a mug of mead

@GokiGandalf 10 жыл бұрын

my neck had a litlle up-bow so i (tightened) turned the trus rod a couple of times clockwise and now all the strings became so stiff like, what should i do ?? please answer. thanks

@Jonnydonohue 10 жыл бұрын

Not an expert opinion here but would a neck tilt do it?

@sclogse1 9 жыл бұрын

Think about this. A newby guitar player. Wants to understand how to adjust a truss rod. Has never seen an entire truss rod, only the end of one. Then he watches videos on youtube whereby the guy will say..a quarter turn...clockwise...wait....see what the wood does...check...get this height at this fret, etc. Clockwise tightens the rod. Ok. At this point the newby has not learned the very basic thing that his brain needs to understand. How does turning the end of a rod tighten a rod? What is getting tightened? You turn a bolt, a nut, etc., that all makes sense. And it does because you know you're tightening it against something. Usually another piece of metal or wood. Now back to our newby watching this video. Hmm. You turn this end clockwise and it tightens it. Tightens what? They have no idea what is really happening. Is this truss rod actually two bands of metal...how does turning a hexnut on the end of a rod either tighter or looser cause it to change shape or relax it's inherent shape? And none of the other truss adjustment videos explain what is really happening. If this simple, basic information was shown clearly, the rest would fit into his brain perfectly. It's like the videos that shows how to wire guitar harnesses. You solder this onto the third pole, and this onto the second pole, etc. But nobody explains what is going on inside the pot, what happens during rotation of the pot, and how it affects those poles and why.

@apexmike849 9 жыл бұрын

sclogse1 Yes, the basics are often missing. Also, everyone has an opinion, confusing the person trying to learn, even more.

@utooberblooper 8 жыл бұрын

+sclogse1 if you tell a newb his engine is running low on oil and to add some you sure as hell arent going to explain every element of an internal combustion engine,how it runs,why it runs,all of the dimensions,clearances,torque specs etc.that would be what is called "UNNECESSARY OVER COMPLICATION" if you say turn the cap counter clockwise to remove it,you are not going to explain the physics involved or why this works are you???? i think your long bloated post is a lot of lip flapping without saying anything relevant. he explains enough for a newb to try this out on his own without OVER explaining it. sometimes saying less is better,its less confusing for a newb to hear"turn it right,it gets tight" turn it left and it will get looser" righty tighty,lefty loosy. i hope this has helped your newb mind understand this without over complicating it.

@sclogse1 8 жыл бұрын

Lip flapping. You've been watching a lot of Inside the NBA. How about simply showing a truss rod outside the guitar?

@apexmike849 8 жыл бұрын

sclogse1 I think the problem is that something like a truss rod is to a guitar what the ECU is to a car. It's OK to ask a newbie to change guitar strings (like oil in a car), but not to mess with the truss rod (the car's ECU) without knowing quite a lot about it first. But yeah, pretty long KZfaq post ;-)

@TheRoadrunnerguy 7 жыл бұрын

Totally agree. I'm a learn by knowledge type of person too. I don't want to learn a step by step process. I want an understanding of what I'm doing.

@patrickdryer5708 10 жыл бұрын

He doesn't explain how to adjust a convex neck, thats what i needed to know

@Jonnydonohue 10 жыл бұрын

I had to fix the same thing and found the answer here. This video is awesome. Loosen the truss and lessen the truss rod pressure on the neck. As Stiggy says here, truss rod pressure works against the string pressure, ie it reduces concave and increases convex. So convex means to much pressure so release this by turning truss rod adjuster anti-clockwise (at least on my guitar anticlockwise is loosening the truss) I had to do a neck tilt after because the action became REALLY high after doing this but now, it's all good - thanks Stiggy :)