Author Topic: Turning Truss Rod doesn't have an effect : RESURRECTED (Read 13105 times)

indysmith · « **on:** August 16, 2007, 07:58:23 PM »

The neck on my strat is too straight, resulting in an annoying amount of fret buzz.
I've never adjusted a truss rod before - but the principle seems fairly straightforward.
I'm loosening the truss rod to try to create more of an up-bow to give it some more relief, but I've had no effect. I've loosened it by about two turns now with no luck at all. Absolutely no effect!
I'm thinking that perhaps i should leave the guitar and its neck to settle and form some relief - maybe it's not an instant effect?

Can someone please help me out?
This is a 60's style strat, meaning that every time i want to make an adjustment i have to take the neck off, and after taking it off, adjusting, putting back on, and re-tuning about 5 times now i'm getting impatient.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:05:50 PM »

Tried turning it the other way?

Will · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:07:18 PM »

Is it turning easily?
and are you sure you are loosening it?

WezV · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:08:01 PM »

the neck probably doesnt have a two way truss rod which makes it hard to induce relief.

it the truss rod nut now completely loose?

is so tighten it enough so it stay on and leave ot overnight to settle now you have played with it a bit, best to leave them to settle in. Probably tune it slightly high as well

indysmith · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:17:08 PM »

definately loosening it - turning the other way i need to use more torque.
It's really loose now.
Wez what do you mean "tighten it enough so it stay on"...stay on what? It doesn't have a nut - it's a 60's style strat truss rod, with just what looks like the end of a screw in the end of the neck that's in contact with the body.

I think i'll just tune it a bit high and leave it

WezV · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:28:55 PM »

well that screw thing is the trus rod nut.

basically truss rods come in two flavours 1 or 2 way.

traditional one way rods (like i assume you have) that are curved in the neck. As you tighten the rod it shortens and tries to get straight - this induces backbow which conteracts the pull of the string. The only way it can induce forward bow is if it had already been tightened to reduce back bow - if its straight from the factory and they never had to tighten it to reduce back bow then you wont be able to use it to get forward bow!!!!

now if you turn this backwards it will become loose and effectively not be doing anything - if you do it too much the adjustment nut (or screw in your case) will sometimes fall off.

Now at this stage its best to leave it all to settle, wood doesnt want to be made to move quickly!!.

If it doesnt go straight through slightly exaggerated string tension there are other ways to sort it but its more pro stuff.

the cheats way is to tighten it so it has back bow, then re-level the frets. then when you loosen it it will have forward bow. But obvioulsy a bit more fretwear in the middle of the board :( I dont like this method but if refretting a neck with a one way truss rod i induce back bow and re-level the actual fretboard before refretting. Then i have the option of adding some forward bow later if i need it and all the frets will be the same height.... thats probably a bit more than you wanted to know

indysmith · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:35:46 PM »

that's a clever way to fix it but i'm not that techy :P ,
so all i've done is tuned it to open E with 11s on it and with the nut loose; I'll be leaving it overnight and We'll see if anything's happenned then...

WezV · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2007, 08:39:43 PM »

it should do it . . . eventually

indysmith · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2007, 08:23:19 AM »

meh it's exactly the same today. this is gonna take a long time isn't it?

WezV · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2007, 08:36:56 AM »

yeah probably. Different techniques work well for different necks so i dont really want to suggest anything that might not suit that particular neck... at this stage its probably worth getting a pro to look at the guitar - its always easier to know what approach to take when you can see the guitar

indysmith · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2007, 09:06:35 AM »

alright - I'm going away today - i'll be back next monday. I'll leave it til then, and if it's done bugger all then I'll send it to my local guitar tech. He works for Fender so should be able to fix her up nicely.

Will · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2007, 09:31:35 AM »

he said my epi ZW was nice :?

indysmith · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2007, 09:44:50 AM »

Quote from: Will

he said my epi ZW was nice :?

lol - isn't it?

Will · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2007, 12:58:24 PM »

its fine,
but its a sticker, which seems cr@p and it sounds erm just square
either way, he is a cool guy - and said he had a 1960 LP doublecut junior or something at one point which seems very nice

something weird though, he said my gibson dirty fingers were low output :?
won't be too fussed when i put cold sweats in there anyway

indysmith · « **Reply #14 on:** August 31, 2007, 11:34:30 AM »

okay the neck has done nothing at all. I'll take it to Terry i guess, see what he can do