# Truss rod!



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I just got back from my guitar lesson and my teacher says that my truss rod needs to be loosened! My action is too low on my Parker Nitefly! I am afraid to do this myself! Can I do this myself without harming my guitar or should I just take it in a get a professional to do it! 

My teacher tried to do it but he didn't have the proper tools!

Hence I am getting a bit of fret buzz! I never noticed it until my teacher pointed it out to me!

What to do?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Yes you can do it. Small adjustments and you will be fine. Nearly all truss rods are turned using an allen key, which is usually supplied by the manufacturer. If you lose that one, grab the allen key set from a tool kit and try them til one fits properly. 

If you can't hear the buzz through an amp, your action is fine for electric guitar purposes 

There's also plenty of tutorials on youtube.


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## Guest (May 2, 2016)

Your Parker has a_ Spoke Nut _at the bottom of your neck. Right?
Watch this brief vid and see if you're comfy trying it yourself.
Then you can search (or ask here) for more specific instruction.
Once you understand the concept, it's not that difficult.

(not the best to learn from, but, it's similar to your parker's truss nut)


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

What does back bow the truss rod mean? I just dug through the stuff that came with the guitar! The allen key is a straight piece of metal with a hook at the end?

So I am turning counter clockwise? I am so nervous! I ask because it's better to measure twice and cut once!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Before you adjust anything - when you plug in the guitar to an amp, does the buzzing come through the amp?


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Lola said:


> So I am turning counter clockwise? I am so nervous! I ask because it's better to measure twice and cut once!


Don't be nervous. You can absolutely do it yourself without the aid of a professional. Adjusting a truss rod is as safe as brushing one's own teeth. Unless you REALLY abuse the thing, you're not going to do any damage.

With the string action already being low, if you turn it the wrong way the strings will buzz more or bottom out on the frets. No biggie... If that happens, just turn it back the other way the same amount plus some extra. 1 full turn can make a big difference, so usually going by 1/2 turn to start is plenty.


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## Guest (May 3, 2016)

Lola said:


> So I am turning counter clockwise?


Yes. Lefty Loosey, Righty Tighty.
Fret the low 'E' string at the first and last fret and eyeball around the 8th fret for a small gap.
1/4 to 1/2 turn at first. Let it rest and check again.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

It's not a big deal...but if you're teacher says the action is too low, you'll probably need to do a full set-up. Adjusting the truss rod only partially addresses any action issue. It's worth the effort to learn to do a full set-up instead of just one element of it.


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

Lola, if you need help, I have both Parker Fly and NiteFly so I can help you as much as needed.
Your Parker Nitefly has carbon fiber / epoxy encapsulated neck so is extremely stable. You should definitely learn to adjust your guitars - doing string height, truss rod adjustments etc.

Let me try to find you video with setup for nitefly - I think Dave (Dave's world of fun) did some video with setups on Nitefly

Give me couple of mins


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

here is fun - but he doesn't show how he does truss rod adjustment:





This one




is not nitefly but has spoke nut like yours so should be helpful. At at around 7:35 it does truss rod adjustment

When adjusting - adjust at the most quarter of turn, and check action. You will notice changes ASAP.

2 things. If the wheel spins extremely easily don't do anything before letting us know.
Also if it doesn't want to turn at all, or is extremely hard - again let us know.

Its should be "hard" to turn, but not TOO hard.

Also, please do NOT use any kind of solvent in the fretboard.
Fly and Nitefly have glued frets, and some solvents can cause problems with the glue.
Use just water for cleaning the neck / fretboard

hope this helps. If you need more help, don't hesitate to ask.
And if you really get stuck - shoot me a PM, and we can talk over the phone.

yours Bojan


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Most necks will have some "relief", or back-bow, intended to result in a straight fretboard when the strings are installed and start pulling the headstock up towards the bridge.

Some years back, I started experiencing really bad buzzing on my old Kalamazoo archtop. I would have adjusted the truss rod, but unfortunately, being a pre-war guitar, there was no point of access to the trussrod. I brought it to local repair wizard Brian Dubbledam, who told me the cure was to simply put the strings on it that is was designed for. Foolish me, I had put a set of 10-46 on it, and they weren't tense enough to balance off the back pressure caused by the neck relief. I installed a set of 12-52, and the neck was right as rain a few days later.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

bigboki said:


> Lola, if you need help, I have both Parker Fly and NiteFly so I can help you as much as needed.
> Your Parker Nitefly has carbon fiber / epoxy encapsulated neck so is extremely stable. You should definitely learn to adjust your guitars - doing string height, truss rod adjustments etc.
> 
> Let me try to find you video with setup for nitefly - I think Dave (Dave's world of fun) did some video with setups on Nitefly
> ...


Your amazing! Thank you so kindly! I didn't know that you had these guitars! What years do you have? If you ever get a handle on a Nitefly being sold pls let me know. I am after another one! I can't find any on Kijiji. Just the lower end models like the P-38! I need another Nitefly! I will check these videos. Once again, a gracious thank you!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Did you try it through the amp yet?


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Just don't be in a hurry. Small adjustments, a little at a time - and give it time to adjust. It isn't like adjusting a bridge where you get immediate results. The truss rod is exerting pressure on the neck and will take a bit of time to get to settle to it's final position. 



Budda said:


> Before you adjust anything - when you plug in the guitar to an amp, does the buzzing come through the amp?


Even it if isn't heard through the amp, it can kill sustain. Personally, I would adjust it so there isn't any fret-out or acoustic buzzing.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

I got into thinking..... The reason the manufacturer gives us the tool is because he feels safe most customers can do it without having issues. 

I had fret buzzes on my new used guitar, and played with the saddles to make it better. 
Maybe I should look into truss rod and see where it leads. I have a collection of Jackson Allen keys for my axe.


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## boyscout (Feb 14, 2009)

jbealsmusic said:


> Don't be nervous. You can absolutely do it yourself without the aid of a professional. Adjusting a truss rod is as safe as brushing one's own teeth. Unless you REALLY abuse the thing, you're not going to do any damage. <snip>


Lola, people should certainly learn to set up their own guitars but it's important to realize that some caution - more than suggested by jbealsmusic - is required. You *can* damage your guitar by over-tightening the truss rod, but you won't if you're gentle and careful; there's no need to panic.

If your teacher is correct and the truss rod is too tight you are as safe as jbealsmusic suggests in loosening it, but do it in small increments anyway so you don't overshoot the adjustment required. "Small increments" means 1/8 to 1/4 turn of the adjustment, then wait for a day or two before going further if necessary. If you have a long straight edge and lay it along the length of the fretboard while holding the guitar in playing position (and if your frets are properly leveled) then you may notice that the neck has a wee dip in it - very small space under the straight edge around the 7th-10th frets - and that space will increase very slightly the more you loosen the truss rod.

If you had to tighten the rod, you again could do it yourself but with a bit more caution than jbealsmusic has advised. Don't force it too much and again, adjust in small increments and give the neck time to adjust.

Some guitars - many Les Pauls for example - will play well with no or virtually no gap, a straight neck. Others require the "bow" or tiny space. As someone else has already suggested, you may also need to adjust at least the action (height of the bridge to affect height of the strings over the frets) to get everything right.

Buddha (and lots of other people) say that if you can't hear it in the amp you can fuggedaboudit, but anything that affects a string's oscillation will affect the way it sounds. Whether you fuss about it or not is your decision but it's usually possible to find magic in the setup through a bit of trial and error adjusting the bridge, truss rod, and sometimes the tailpiece and even the nut. Adjusting at least the first three of those - probably all four - are within your abilities if you're careful.

These books are great; most people are happy with just the first one:

The Guitar Player Repair Guide - 3rd: Dan Erlewine: 9780879309213: Books - Amazon.ca

How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: Second Edition: Dan Erlewine: 9780879309985: Books - Amazon.ca


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

Lola said:


> Your amazing! Thank you so kindly! I didn't know that you had these guitars! What years do you have? If you ever get a handle on a Nitefly being sold pls let me know. I am after another one! I can't find any on Kijiji. Just the lower end models like the P-38! I need another Nitefly! I will check these videos. Once again, a gracious thank you!


Thank you for kind words.
Parker Fly Deluxe that I have is really rare - it is HSS variant made in 2001 I think (based on serial number)
Nitefly I think it is Nitefly-M version - solid satin mahogany with HH made in 2000.

If you ever want to try them - let me know and we will make a meet and jam sometimes.
I will also let you know if something good pops up on kijiji / parker forum. At the moment there is some nitefly on kijiji but too expensive.

There is Korean made single cut (PM20 - Hornet) on kijiji, that I have seen yesterday in Toronto - wonderful guitar for great price (only $450 in perfect condition). I didn't get it because it is not what I am looking at the moment, but who ever gets it - will get great guitar. I posted a thread about it here:
Kijiji Alert. Wonderful Parker PM20 Hornet for $450 in Toronto

I hope you managed to adjust your neck. If you still need help - don't hesitate to ask.

yours truly
Bojan


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

Jamdog said:


> I got into thinking..... The reason the manufacturer gives us the tool is because he feels safe most customers can do it without having issues.
> 
> I had fret buzzes on my new used guitar, and played with the saddles to make it better.
> Maybe I should look into truss rod and see where it leads. I have a collection of Jackson Allen keys for my axe.


Try to follow this:
Stratocaster® Setup Guide | Fender Support

First you have to find where the issue is - start with checking the "action".
"eye" the neck. See which strings are causing buzzing - all, only low, only high...
Then when you do identify the problem, you fix it correspondingly - can be truss rod adjustment, can be bridge adjustment, can be nut, can be some problematic fret... Do it one step at the time and don't do it in a hurry.

If you need help - let us know.
Also there are a lot of very helpful videos on you tube - I like our own "Dave's World of fun stuff"

yours Bojan


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

boyscout said:


> You *can* damage your guitar by over-tightening the truss rod


Unless your guitar is poorly made or old and fragile, you are not going to damage it. You might damage the truss rod itself by overtightening or overloosening, but it will be pretty obvious long before you reach that point. If it starts getting difficult to turn, don't tighten it any more. If it starts to feel too loose, don't loosen it any more. It's not rocket science. In either of those cases, take it to have a professional look at it.

Most of the time, a small adjustment is all that is needed. 1/4 turn is usually more than enough to make a noticeable difference. If it seems like more is needed, there are most likely other things that need to be addressed (bridge/saddle height, nut, frets, etc.)



> "Small increments" means 1/8 to 1/4 turn of the adjustment, then wait for a day or two before going further if necessary.


I agree wholeheartedly with using short increments, but I disagree about the rest of the sentence. The whole waiting thing is quite the persistent myth. Again, unless you're working on a poorly built or fragile guitar, you can tighten and loosen truss rods within reason as often as you want. There's also nothing stopping you from doing 1 full turn in either direction, in one sitting. There may be no need for it, but it isn't going to harm anything.

As for the guitar needing a real set up, you're probably right. But the value of a proper set up is pretty subjective.



> These books are great; most people are happy with just the first one:
> The Guitar Player Repair Guide - 3rd: Dan Erlewine: 9780879309213: Books - Amazon.ca
> How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: Second Edition: Dan Erlewine: 9780879309985: Books - Amazon.ca


I conquer. I'd recommend the second one if you just want to learn the ins and outs of good guitar care. The first one if you want to get much more serious about doing guitar repair.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

This is a great resource book by Dave Burrluck. For the mechanically challenged like myself.....this book has great visual aids with large glossy colored pictures. It's been a great help for many years (and looks to be quite cheap to buy now).

The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance: Dave Burrluck: 9780879305499: Amazon.com: Books


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I posted in the other thread...it applies to bass and in my mind I say it should apply equally for guitar. Loosen off the strings and bend the neck manually (over your knee, firm but not ridiculous pressure) prior to turning the truss rod nut. Again for bass, turning the nut can result in a stripped nut but a bass is under more string tension than most guitars. Still, I'm going to try it on guitar next time I have to make an adjustment.

I haven't done *that many* truss rod adjustments, but I'm no longer the least bit nervous about doing it. I know if it's harder to turn than sorta medium hand strength pressure then I shouldn't be turning any further without investigating further.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Sorry ppl to be a bit tardy with my reply! Work gets in the way. I found the tool, the little allen key but the spoke will not turn. My hubby even tried! We can't get it to budge! There is a teacher at L & M who plays a Fly. I will let him look at it. I can see my hand flying off the spoke and creating a really nice scratch!


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

How about just raising the action a bit at the saddle first?


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Sounds seized to me. Not uncommon on an older guitar that's never been adjusted. Use it or lose it...

At this point, definitely don't force it...unless you want to buy a new neck.


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

Try a few drops of light oil in the access hole around the nut. let it soak a bit, then see if it budges, just a little, add a another drop or two, work it until it is free.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Tone Chaser said:


> Try a few drops of light oil in the access hole around the nut. let it soak a bit, then see if it budges, just a little, add a another drop or two, work it until it is free.


Could I use WD40?


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## Guest (May 6, 2016)

WD40 is not a lubricant.
Use the oil that you use for your sewing machine.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

laristotle said:


> WD40 is not a lubricant.
> Use the oil that you use for your sewing machine.


I wouldn't even know where to get this oil! Is there any substitute that I could use?


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

Dave from "Dave's world of fun stuff " Is he a member here ? 
I always get a kick out of his videos .


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## Guest (May 7, 2016)

Lola said:


> I wouldn't even know where to get this oil!


3 in 1 oil.
Canadian Tire or your local hardware store.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

laristotle said:


> 3 in 1 oil.
> Canadian Tire or your local hardware store.


I just talked to my teacher because I am fretting over this damned spoke nut! He said he will look after it while I observe how to do this procedure! I will buy the oil and take it to him! I more I screw around with this, the more nervous I am getting. I put all my might into trying to loosen it but I keep on envisioning the allen key veering off at an angle an causing a huge scratch! 

I will watch and learn! I trust my teacher to get the job done correctly, more than I trust me or my husband!


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