Diagnose my neck please...

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:58 am

Hey,

Had a new set of rotosounds on my 96' 4003 and got the neck set up by someone else only a couple of days after I put them on. I like my action low and they had set the action higher than I wanted, so I lowered the bridge. NOw that the strings have matured the action is not ideal. I get buzzing when I play harder above the 12th fret... but I would still like things lower in the middle of the neck.

I am looking to get a 1/4 socket wrench today to tweak it myself. Can any of you diagnose the issue of too loose/tight based on that? I am pretty sure I have a slight overbow.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:39 am

I think what you need, John is an S model. They never have this problem.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:40 am

If you don't have a good straight edge, you can do a pretty good job of sighting the neck's relief by fretting the E string on both the 20th and the 1st fret. If it is convex to the strings, you want to back the rods off a little. If it has more than a business card or two's width of relief at around the 10th fret you want to snug the rods up.

If its buzzing above the 12th fret, I would think that it has too much relief.

Do this with the strings tuned, turn the rods around 1/8 of a rotation each, tune and check again.

I'd use a nut driver with a long extension and not a wrench.

In the future...re-string it, tweak the 'rods and adjust the bridge yourself. You'll find that you do it better than the bonehead at the shop.

Cheers,

Hugh Jinstrument

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:08 am

High action, upper fret buzz - these are the signs of a bowed neck. Tweak the rods a little like Jeff said, until it's flat, then you can lower the action as much as you want.

"I think what you need, John is an S model. They never have this problem"

ROFL!

blaire · Post by **blaire** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:27 am

or a 4002 its a 82 and the neck and intonation are still dead on...

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:08 am

"or a 4002 its a 82 and the neck and intonation are still dead on..."

Great idea Blair!!! Wanna trade for a 4003? My 72 4001 has not been touched in years (20+) and it is PEERRfect.

The previous owner of my 96' had the action high... and I made the mistake of getting it readjusted just after I gave it fresh strings (different brand also). I do want to learn how to do it myself though. Once the neck is set properly it stays forever.

"I think what you need, John is an S model."

Great idea Jeff!! That way I can use it for truss rod adjustment practice. Crank the baby for all she's worth and see what happens. See how tough those truss rods really are!p.s. thanks for the help.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:26 am

John ... this time of year the humidity levels drop as we crank up our furnaces ... this causes the wood to shrink ... the steel truss rods do not shrink ... so they usually have to be tightened in the fall/winter and loosened in the spring/summer ... it sounds like you need to tighten the rods and raise the bridge and maybe cut the grooves in the nut a little deeper to get the proper action ...

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:03 am

Did the adjustment today with no issues. Only needed minor tightening.

thanks!

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:03 am

Did the adjustment today with no issues. Only needed minor tightening.

thanks!

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:07 am

Nice job! See! I guarantee that you are now better at it than 95% of the doofus "guitar techs" that you used to take your guitar to.

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:18 am

easy as pie... besides, only I know what I want, and I am very picky.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:29 am

That's why no one will set up your bass like yourself. I think that every guitar and bass player should know how to do basic setup procedures, like intonation when changing string gauge, bridge height, pickup height, neck curve, string alignment and neck angle (bolt-on necks), etc.

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:49 pm

All of these things really are easy, I was just cautious at first because of all the bad rep the 70's truss rods got.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:12 pm

ya the first time I adjusted a 4003 truss rod it scared me too ...

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:37 pm

It's so rewarding to set up an instrument to play perfectly for yourself. Nothing to be scared of -- just wood and metal.