# Adjusting Your Guitar's Truss Rod



## z0z0 (Feb 19, 2009)

I found this article interesting and wanted to share

http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2001-05-01_geneimbody1.shtml

There are a few golden rules to obey when adjusting a truss rod. First, only use the rod to keep your neck as straight as it needs to be…do not use it to adjust your action! Second, only use the proper adjustment tool. If you do not know what it is, check with the manufacturer or visit a good repairman. Finally, do not force anything; an eighth of a turn can make a drastic change. The first step is to know when or in what way the neck needs to be adjusted. Start by sitting with the guitar in the playing position. Make sure it is in tune, and capo at the first fret. If you do not own a capo, you can simply fret the strings, but this may make things a little more difficult. Next, fret the bass string at the 14th fret. You are using the string as a straight edge to read the curve (referred to as relief) of the neck. Check the height of the string over the 6th fret. Gently taping the string to the fret makes the size of this gap clearer.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

z0z0 said:


> There are a few golden rules to obey when adjusting a truss rod. First, only use the rod to keep your neck as straight as it needs to be…do not use it to adjust your action!


I remember one place I took one of guitars for a set up.
I told him I like the action where it is. I like it a bit higher than most people. And the guitar I had brought in has high frets, so setting the action too low causes problems as well.

So I get the guitar--and the action is too low--I can tell he's lowered the bridge. This is an Ibanez with a Gibraltar bridge--you have to loosen two nuts to raise or lower the bridge. The bridge was moved intentionally. I mentioned that to him, so to raise the action he added some relief!

It was corrected. The same store years before did a great set up on my 12 string, but I doubt I'll be getting any work done on my guitar there now.

That's also what made me get serious about learning to do the set ups myself.

I've seen others who sue the truss rod to adjust the action.

Maybe some here agree with that--but it doesn't work for me.


----------



## Lab123 (May 27, 2007)

Set ups are not a difficult part of guitar building but its a very important step...I usually just rough in the nut and saddle until I am ready for final setup....and what a difference its makes to the guitar....First I set the relief....using a capo on the first fret and pressing down with my finger behind the 14 fret I set the relief on the 7 fret to .010.....Next leaving the capo on I set the action at the 13 fret....Low E .095 high E .075...The adjustment is made on the bottom of your saddle that has been shaped on top to the same radius as the fingerboard..Lastly the nut is adjusted ...I usually go to from Low E .020 to high E .016...This is done on my acoustics...High action means that the strings have to be stretched more to chord and the intonation is affected...This is my way, maybe not the best way but it works....Hope it helps someone...Larry


----------

