Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK, for the first time, it looks like I'm going to have to adjust the truss rod on one of my guitars. The guitar in question is a '02 650D that spent the first few years of it's life in Texas. Now it's here in Seattle, and I figure the humidity is causing the neck to bow a little (concave) and it's raising the action too high for my preference.

I've never done this before.

Do I want to tighten the nut to lower the action, or tighten it? Seems like I'd want to loosen it, but I'd rather ask the experts rather than risk screwing up my guitar.

Do I need to have the 'official' adjustment tool to adjust the rods, or will another tool suffice?

You want to tighten the rods to lower the action. The rod acts by exerting pressure on the back of the neck, which compresses it and straightens the neck.

Tighten it, and go slowly. 1/4 to 1/2 turn is often enough. Any 1/4" socket or nutdriver will do (assuming, of course, it's a 1/4" nut on the truss rod). If you use a nutdriver, put a piece of cardboard or something over the headstock so the handle doesn't scratch the finish.

Even though you don't have to do this with the newer truss rods, it's often easier to turn the nuts if you "pre-straighten" the neck. Hold the body firmly, grab the neck by the nut (not the headstock) and pull back on the neck until it's straight(er), then tighten the nuts. You can also do this by holding the neck across your lap (frets up) with the body hanging off to the side. The weight of the body is often enough to straighten the neck a little. Again, just snug the nuts up.

Again, go slowly - a little adjustment goes a long way. And remember, it often takes a couple of days for the adjustnment to settle in.

As a sanity check, though, don't just assume that high action will be fixed with a truss rod adjustment. Before you start turning nuts, check the neck relief to see if it needs adjustment. Fret the 6th (low E) string at the first fret (a capo helps) and the 17th frets. Look at the clearance between the underside of the string and the top of the 7th fret. You want as little as possible. The ideal is dead flat (where the string is just kissing the string). In any event, you want .010" or less. As a rough guide, that's the thickness of a business card. After you check and adjust the neck relief, look at the nut relief and bridge height. Check the nut relief by fretting each string at the 3rd fret and looking at the clearance between the underside of the string and the top of the first fret. You want as little as possible. If it's a noticable gap, it's probably too high, and you'll have to cut the nut slots down. When the nut's OK, adjust the bridge height screws until the action's as low as you can get it and still stand the buzz.

just take it slow and easy ... but remember it is not rocket science ... to do any damage you have to make several complete turns and apply a lot of force ... a gentle partial turn in either direction will do no harm ... I prefer low action and flat necks ...

Excellent walkthrough Adam.

Last time I adjusted my truss rod, I used an E string from a .010 pack as a feeler gauge. Even though I'd just bought a new set of gauges. If you're using the truss rod wrench that came with your guitar (looks like a little pipe) it usually stops in 1/4 turn increments because it'll bump the string. After a 1/4 turn, let it settle for 20 or 30 minutes before adjusting anymore. Remember to keep tuning to pitch to keep the proper tension.

Thanks for the help, guys. The action has definitely changed since I first got the guitar a month or so ago. The action was much flatter when I first received the guitar, so it probably is the truss rod, but I'll try the other things too while I'm at it.

Again, thank you!

This site rules!

typically in the winter the humidity levels drop and the wood shrinks and you have to tighten the rods ... then in the summer the humidity will go up and the wood will expand and you may have to loosen the rods ...