# Which Way To Turn Truss Rod?



## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

When looking down the fret board towards the headstock which way do I turn the truss rod to tighten and loosen?

On my new Yamaha it's clearly right to loosen and left to tighten but on my old Yamaha I can't tell.

Also on my old Yamaha I managed to turn the truss rod a bit but there was a ping sound and now the truss rod won't move. Should I be concerned?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

The ping was likely the metal being stressed which is normal when it is being tightened and put under load. It may have pinged because it had not moved in a long, long time. It is likely threaded the same as your new one but shouldn't you be able to tell by seeing the neck concave or convex?

PS: I don't understand why you should even listen to someone like me who I know, has so much less experience than you but that's my 2 cents worth.


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## Robboman (Oct 14, 2006)

I've never come across a reverse threaded truss rod myself. Clockwise = tight, counterclock = loose.

I know from experience.. if you hear a loud bang sound and your allen key flies across the room and the neck bows severely... it means you just broke the truss rod


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Steadfastly said:


> The ping was likely the metal being stressed which is normal when it is being tightened and put under load. It may have pinged because it had not moved in a long, long time. It is likely threaded the same as your new one but shouldn't you be able to tell by seeing the neck concave or convex?
> 
> PS: I don't understand why you should even listen to someone like me who I know, has so much less experience than you but that's my 2 cents worth.


You expect to visually see the neck adjust when doing like a 1/8 turn?

PS Not sure why the dig. Have you I wronged you in a past life?


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Robboman said:


> I've never come across a reverse threaded truss rod myself. Clockwise = tight, counterclock = loose.
> 
> I know from experience.. if you hear a loud bang sound and your allen key flies across the room and the neck bows severely... it means you just broke the truss rod


Is the clock face (in your mind) at the head stock or the end of the body of the guitar?

On mine right is loose if the clock face was facing me sitting on the headstock.

ie If I'm looking up the neck at the headstock then right is loosen, if I'm looking down the guitar towards the soundhole then right is tighten.


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## Robboman (Oct 14, 2006)

Say you and I are standing face to face and I raise my right hand. From your viewpoint, the hand to your left went up. Is it still my right hand? 

Sorry, I'm not that bad a smartass usually, but I tried to get my mind around what you are saying and it's hard... I guess I'm no help.


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

Guncho said:


> Is the clock face (in your mind) at the head stock or the end of the body of the guitar?
> 
> On mine right is loose if the clock face was facing me sitting on the headstock.
> 
> ie If I'm looking up the neck at the headstock then right is loosen, if I'm looking down the guitar towards the soundhole then right is tighten.


The way you are thinking about this just adds confusion.
Just think about the tool when it is engaged,turn the tool clockwise to tighten.
It doesn't matter which end the adjustment nut is on.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Ok let me phrase it this way.

If you are loosening the truss rod are you turning the allen key towards the high e string or towards the low e string?


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

Depends where the adjustment nut is.
This is why I said think of the tool.









With a nut on the heal...loosening is towards the low E
With a nut on the headstock...loosening is towards the high E
(on right handed guitars)


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Let's say it's in the soundhole of an acoustic guitar.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

righty tighty dude... right or left is always as sighted at the nut on the side it meets the bolt (or in this case, threaded rod), not down the bold at the nut ( which would make no sense to do in this situation where you are trying to adjust the nut).

as mentioned by others I have also never come across a reverse threaded truss rod in my travels, but anything is possible and I don't recall if I ever serviced a Yamaha in particular.

also, despite the hopeful opinion above, nobody here can guarantee the ping noise wasn't a bad thing happenning. i'm not saying it is a bad thing; just that we ain't got the axe in our hands so...


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

in soundhole, looking towards headstock, yes right to tighten (towards high E) = straighten neck. Obviously, towards the fat low E to loosen= allow more bow. Generally it is recommended to take tension off the strings before you turn (at least, tighten...probalby wouldnt worry about it if loosening) the rod. Also, I generally take the neck over my knee and put pretty firm tension on the neck in the direction I want it to move before I tune back up.

EDIT
***I suppose there may be some reverse threaded truss rods, but as someone else said above, I have never seen one, which does NOT mean they don't exist. You can probably find out for sure on the manufacturers website*** This means I think you are wrong about your new Yamaha. Double check the manual and their website if you can.

Yes, I can literally see the difference after 1/8 of a turn on most of my axes, after tuning back up to pitch. And it may settle more overnight, but generally not much.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

As to your old Yamaha, I would turn the nut opposite the way you turned it when it locked up. It's probably just gunk in the threads, and going back and forth a few times will likely loosen it. The PING wouldn't bother me any, that's just years of built up tension from not being turned being released. Once you have the nut moving, my tendancy would be to take it right off and put some beeswax on the threads. NOT WD40 DO NOT USE WD40. Light machine oil maybe. Beeswax = best.

But this kinda thing doesn't bother me, I like to DIY and do learn from making the odd mistake  It's all on the internet these days, between Google and YouTube there ain't much you can't find.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

keto said:


> NOT WD40 DO NOT USE WD40.


This can't be stressed enough.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Bubb said:


> Depends where the adjustment nut is.
> This is why I said think of the tool.
> 
> 
> ...


My Yamaha seems to be the opposite of that. The nut is in the heel and turning towards the low E seems to be tightening it.


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

Doubtful

Yamaha faq.... Yamaha Acoustic Guitars String Height and Truss Rod Adjustments - Acoustic Guitars - Guitars & Basses - Musical Instruments


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Guncho said:


> You expect to visually see the neck adjust when doing like a 1/8 turn?
> 
> PS Not sure why the dig. Have you I wronged you in a past life?


That was not a dig at you. It is the truth. You have way more experience than I do and feel compared to you my idea should carry little weight. Sorry if my post didn't convey my true thoughts. 

As to the 1/8 turn, I would expect it to take a few turns before you would notice but a little at a time is the right way to go.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Steadly, seriously, just stay out when you don't know. You just come off as a useless troll. A few turns? Again, I can SEE the difference after a 1/8 turn adjustment on most of my stuff, both how much straighter the neck is and how much lower the strings are at the approx midpoint. Very rare indeed would be the truss rod nut that needed 'a few turns', likely only if it came loose to the point of about falling off the rod.

Yamaha is tightening=straightening when turned clockwise (towards the skinny strings if adjusting from the body end) according to the Yamaha link, which is conventional.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

keto said:


> Steadly, seriously, just stay out when you don't know. You just come off as a useless troll. A few turns? Again, I can SEE the difference after a 1/8 turn adjustment on most of my stuff, both how much straighter the neck is and how much lower the strings are at the approx midpoint. Very rare indeed would be the truss rod nut that needed 'a few turns', likely only if it came loose to the point of about falling off the rod.
> 
> Yamaha is tightening=straightening when turned clockwise (towards the skinny strings if adjusting from the body end) according to the Yamaha link, which is conventional.


Well, actually, I do know that you should be able to see the neck move but Guncho asked if it was possible to see it only after one turn. As you said, you can see it after one turn on MOST of your stuff. That's why I said just a few turns. But you are correct as to my post. I should have been more specific but Guncho is not a newb and I took for granted he would know what I meant.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

I'm sure you meant a full turn as in the turn of the wrench as far as it will go in a sound hole, NOT a complete rotation of the nut.
When I was a kid I broke the truss rod in my harmony by thinking I could just ratchet the neck straight...

you do not want to get into complete turns, it should be one swing of the wrench maybe two at most ( at least that's all it's taken with truss rods I've not broken LOL ) two swings of a wrench inside the sound hole is probably about half turn realistically I'd say ( each swing equals about quarter turn )

Somebody mentioned Righty tighty and lefty Loosy... but I think a clearer explanation should be to use clockwise, counterclockwise. It depends on where you hold the wrench on a bolt, nut etc.
Say for instance, you put the wrench on at 12 o'clock. Turning it to the right or counterclockwise tightens a standard thread. If you put that wrench on at 6 o'clock and turn it to the right you're actually turning it counterclockwise and loosening the standard thread. in both cases you were turning the wrench to the right


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Scotty said:


> Say for instance, you put the wrench on at 12 o'clock. Turning it to the right or *counterclockwise* tightens a standard thread.


Don't you mean 'clockwise' from 12 o'clock?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Scotty said:


> ...at least that's all it's taken *with truss rods I've not broken*


This is so very comforting to know.
(couldn't resist)


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

greco said:


> Don't you mean 'clockwise' from 12 o'clock?


Yes sorry. Was trying to play guitar at the time. I'm not a multitasker


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

how is it even possible that there is a debate on how to tighten a friken screw...!!!!
I really think we should all go to another thread and try to figure out how to wire a speaker cable...
At least there you have 2 choices.( one way or the other way).
G.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

GTmaker said:


> how is it even possible that there is a debate on how to tighten a friken screw...!!!!
> I really think we should all go to another thread and try to figure out how to wire a speaker cable...
> At least there you have 2 choices.( one way or the other way).
> G.


Believe me...I've seen tradesmen struggle with the concept. People come out of trade school having difficulty reading a tape measure. Some things just mess some people up and without seeing how a truss tod actually functions (LH or RH thread, or which way springs the rod) it's not a bad idea to ask.

Besides, discussions are what keeps this place moving...no?


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

The guitar is brand new and has some buzzing so I'm taking it into the store for them to adjust but I swear, turning it clockwise feels like it's loosening and turning it counter clockwise feels like it's tightening it. I will ask them when they set it up.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Just curious, which model is it?


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

FG830


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Guncho said:


> FG830


Coincidently, I was at our local store very recently trying a Yamaha *FS* 830. *It was buzzing* and I took it into the luthier that works at the store and he quickly cut and put a 1/64" piece of wooden veneer under the saddle. I was not aware of this approach and found it interesting. He indicated that the top of the guitar was "sinking" due to being somewhat 'dehumidified'/dried out.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Repair shop at Cosmo said they could repair it but that it was unusual for a new guitar to need that much work. They recommended I exchange it. If they had one in stock I would have but as they would have to order one I got a refund and will order one from L & as they are way closer to me.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Guncho said:


> Repair shop at Cosmo said they could repair it but that it was unusual for a new guitar to need that much work. They recommended I exchange it. If they had one in stock I would have but as they would have to order one I got a refund and will order one from L & as they are way closer to me.


Well, that is a bummer but honest of the Cosmo staff. I hope the next one comes with a set up.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

This one came with a setup but the repair guy made it sound like this was beyond a setup. Like fret work.

L & M guitars do come with a setup as well.


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