Truss rod tension

anon · Post by **anon** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 9:58 am

Could you please answer a couple truss rod related questions for me? My friend brought his late 1984 330 over for me to set up. He bought it used a couple years ago so we don't know its history. It plays well but the action was a little high, with no relief on the treble side and next to no relief on the bass side. We went through the whole checklist in order, putting on Fender .009-.042 strings. Now the questions. The treble rod had no tension on it (finger tight) and the bass rod about a quarter turn. We got just a tiny bit more relief on the bass side and the treble side is just starting to show relief, but we can't loosen them anymore to increase the relief. With both rods any looser I can push up on the plate between them with the nutdriver and they will slide toward the top of the headstock about 3/8 inch. Is this right? I always thought the rods were anchored. How should they anchor and can these be replced easily if need be? I always thought a neck would have quite a bit of bow with no truss rods or no tension on them.

anon · Post by **anon** » Sun Dec 31, 2000 10:02 am

P.S. When we tighten the teble rod it just seems to pull up into the nut very easily without any reistance, or adding any tension.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 12:51 am

When using low tension guitar strings (not bass strings ...that is a different issue)

Sometimes the rods are totally loose.

With the old Ricks this can be fixed easily.

You do need to have some kind of tension on the rods ...this helps to stabilize the neck.Otherwise the humidity and temperature use the different woods in the neck and cause it to wiggle like a termostat.
(for those who don't know a tremostat has a coil of metal with 2 dissimilar metals in a coil and as one contracts at different rates it cause the coil to contract and set of the heater)

In a guitar the fretboard and the neck are just like this.The rods help this stabilization.

On the older Ricks ,if the rods can be removed ,this is easy .Bend them straight or if they already are ...put a slight dip into them.
then re-install them.
Put a little tension on them and that should do it .

THey DO NOT adjust each side of the neck unfortunately .There just is no way to make them do that .Adjust the neck as best you can and keep tension on both of them.One rod may be used more than the other one .There is no reason to keep them at the same tension if you have a neck that there is NOT the same relief on both sides .
HOWEVER if you do have the same relief on both sides ...by all means please do keep the tension equal on both sides.

Confused?

let me know .

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 12:53 am

It's always great to get more than one opinion ,so if you find my answer totally confusing ,ring/call Rickenbacker and ask for the official answer .../I'm sure that someone there can help you .

This rod thing has been an issue for a long time .

I hope this helps you out.

anon · Post by **anon** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 4:45 pm

This is a late 1984 but has the older style truss rods. They will slide at least 1/4" toward the top of the headstock if we put a little pressure on the brace between the two rods. Can they just be pulled out the rest of the way or are they supposed to be anchored into the neck somehow? Thanks for the help.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 5:30 pm

To identify which rod system you have is fairly easy.The old rods are looped at one end and indeed do slide out .It takes some doing ,but they will come out.

the 'NEW' rods are anchored at the body end with a nut .These are not to be removed .

The old style rods also usually have an aluminum bar that both rods pass thru.Then there are 2 nuts that are the adjustment nuts.

This old stlye is not to be tightened up to tension rather to hold it in tension .Well sort of .But if you are familiar with either Fender or Gibson truss rods they can be adjusted up to tension with a wrench .It's just a different way of approaching it .

To adjust them ...sometimes they MUST be removed to bend them to put more of an arch in the neck .

You are welcome .
If you need more clarification ,ask away .

anon · Post by **anon** » Thu Jan 04, 2001 8:37 pm

Mark, these are the old style, I emailed Rickenbacker and they replied that even though the change was Sept. 1, 1984 it could have still had older style rods even though it was made in October. What confused me is that when we tried adding a little tension to keep them snug in the neck they appeared to be pulling themselves up out of the neck, yet Rickenbacker claims that the newer rods are the easily replaceable field serviceable rods. Based on your comments I believe the rods have just lost some of their bend so I will try to pull them out tomorrow and add a little bit of arch to them so they will stay snug in the neck cavity.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Fri Jan 05, 2001 12:47 am

You may have just a loose fit .

the center of the rods was taped and one layer may not be enough .

you can get 1/8" masking tape at any auto body paint supply shop.That will do it .Probably only one piece will do the trick.Put this in the center of the rods.

If ,befoer you remove them ,you tap on the back of the neck ...and it rattles ,then the tape will fix this.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri Jan 05, 2001 8:27 pm

One important correction to Mark's information here. The modern truss rods ARE removable and replaceable in the field, although it's very rare indeed, compared to the pre 1984 rods, that this needs to be done.

To change the rods, remove the nut at the head of the guitar and use something like a punch or screwdriver to tap the rod into the neck a little. At this point, the nut at the body end of the neck will be visible and can be removed. Now tap/push the rod back from the body end and remove the rod with pliers.

Simply reverse the procedure to install new rods.

The whole beauty of this truss rod system is this ability to replace them without having to do major structural repair to the guitar.

anon · Post by **anon** » Sat Jan 06, 2001 1:35 pm

I just started working on pulling them out (old style). If the ends are looped, do I take the pickups off and push them out toward the bridge, or just work them out toward the headstock? Thanks.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Sat Jan 06, 2001 2:03 pm

NO ! To remove them I put some kind of 'block' (any piece of nut material or pickguard scrap or block of wood will do)up against the nut after I remove the nameplate.

Then using a pair of needle nosed pliers I gentle pry away from the fretboard.
When you get one rod close to the end of the cavity ,I use a piece of feeler gauge as a ramp for the rod to slide up and out of the cavity.Then just pull the rod out.
Do the same for the other one .

Add the extra tape and when you go to re-install them ,I wipe Paste wax onto the rods .This makes them slide in easier .