Can someone let me know how to set the truss rod on my guitar correctly. I have a Les and an Ibanez Jem and I would like to get the action lower on both, however if I lower the bridge I get buzzing strings. I think the truss rod needs adjusting as I changed the guage of strings on both guitars recently.
Truss fuss
- Thread starter Phil G
- Start date
Tom Hicks
Well-known member
Gibson type guitars access the truss rod behind a plastic plate on the headstock.The rule to remember is "righty tighty -lefty loosey".Guitar necks are designed to be straight,with the strings just clearing the frets.So first adjust the neck to straight.
Tune your guitar to concert pitch.Looking down the bass side from the headstock,use your low E string as a straight-edge and sight the neck in comparison.It will be straight,upbowed or backbowed.Upbowed means the bend of the neck is concave.Backbowed means convex.
A neck that is upbowed has too much string pressure pulling on it and needs a tighter truss rod to resist that force.Backbowed necks need to have the truss loosened.
Make all adjustments in quarter turn increments,then resight the neck using the E string as noted above.
Okay,now its straight,now what?Test for buzzing frets by playing every note on the neck.At this point you can't blame the neck which we have just determined is straight.So any buzzes are due to worn frets at different heights (time for a fret job?)
Assuming no buzzes,the last step is to dial in "relief".This is a tiny amount of upbow techs allow so that string bends across the radius of the neck won't buzz.Don't use much relief,just enough so that you can barely see it.
Now you can adjust your string height as low as you want!
Tom
Tune your guitar to concert pitch.Looking down the bass side from the headstock,use your low E string as a straight-edge and sight the neck in comparison.It will be straight,upbowed or backbowed.Upbowed means the bend of the neck is concave.Backbowed means convex.
A neck that is upbowed has too much string pressure pulling on it and needs a tighter truss rod to resist that force.Backbowed necks need to have the truss loosened.
Make all adjustments in quarter turn increments,then resight the neck using the E string as noted above.
Okay,now its straight,now what?Test for buzzing frets by playing every note on the neck.At this point you can't blame the neck which we have just determined is straight.So any buzzes are due to worn frets at different heights (time for a fret job?)
Assuming no buzzes,the last step is to dial in "relief".This is a tiny amount of upbow techs allow so that string bends across the radius of the neck won't buzz.Don't use much relief,just enough so that you can barely see it.
Now you can adjust your string height as low as you want!
Tom
camn
Active member
Phil! DO it yourself! do not take it to a guitar tech... because you are the only one who knows how you like it..the tech knows nothing.
Now, listen to Tom, but only to some. I hate to disagree, but guitar necks are NOT designed to be straight. If they are straight, they sound like ass and buzz, too. but lets not argue about that, since he mentions adding releif in later
Setting your action is a balancing act. the higher your action is, the better tone you'll get.. the lower it is, the better the playability, too low, too much buzz. Most guitarists nowadays, being total pussies, set their action just above the piont where the buzz is too much. thats OK.
Listen to Om when he says lefty-loosy righty-tighty. Tightening your ROD
that will generally straighten your neck, thus lowering your action. So thats what you wanna do. tighten it up in SMALL TURNS (like tom said, 1/4 turn increments) and DONT FORCE IT. if you remember those two things, you wont fuck up your guitar. after every turn, check and see if you like how it plays. THATS THE KICKER check if you like how it plays, because there truly is no formula for playability. you need to like the feel and the sound, so fuck around and find out what you like.
my rant for the day.
xoxo
Now, listen to Tom, but only to some. I hate to disagree, but guitar necks are NOT designed to be straight. If they are straight, they sound like ass and buzz, too. but lets not argue about that, since he mentions adding releif in later
Setting your action is a balancing act. the higher your action is, the better tone you'll get.. the lower it is, the better the playability, too low, too much buzz. Most guitarists nowadays, being total pussies, set their action just above the piont where the buzz is too much. thats OK.
Listen to Om when he says lefty-loosy righty-tighty. Tightening your ROD
that will generally straighten your neck, thus lowering your action. So thats what you wanna do. tighten it up in SMALL TURNS (like tom said, 1/4 turn increments) and DONT FORCE IT. if you remember those two things, you wont fuck up your guitar. after every turn, check and see if you like how it plays. THATS THE KICKER check if you like how it plays, because there truly is no formula for playability. you need to like the feel and the sound, so fuck around and find out what you like.my rant for the day.
xoxo
Phil
Do it yourself, but first ask your self a couple questions.
1-Is it too high on higher frets but not lower frets? Then you tighten the trussrod.
2-Do you want to lower the bridge? If you'd like to get a more even string height throughout the neck you tighten the trussrod and raise the bridge. If your set on lowering the bridge, you'll have to loosen the truss rod slightly to prevent buzzing.
Jeff
Do it yourself, but first ask your self a couple questions.
1-Is it too high on higher frets but not lower frets? Then you tighten the trussrod.
2-Do you want to lower the bridge? If you'd like to get a more even string height throughout the neck you tighten the trussrod and raise the bridge. If your set on lowering the bridge, you'll have to loosen the truss rod slightly to prevent buzzing.
Jeff