Truss rod direction?

notCardio

I walk the line
Has anyone ever run across a truss rod that is threaded the opposite of the 'normal' way?

I got an off-off brand LP for $10 that has a slight back bow, and I just wanted to know before I try and adjust it.

How long do you give it after you've turned it before you see a result?

How much time between adjustments?
 
I don't think I've heard of a reverse thread truss rod, but I suppose it's possible.

One thing I learned is that you need to take the load off the truss rod before adjusting it. Don't use the truss rod to force the neck, just use it to hold the neck. That means gently bending the neck back while turning the rod. It's kind of a three handed process unless you have a proper workbench. I usually gave it a quarter turn at a time. In my (limited) experience, the result is immediate.
 
Yeah, a quarter turn is what I've read, but I didn't know if I would see it immediately to make sure I'm going the right way. And I didn't want to turn it, not see anything , turn it some more, not see enough, and turn it again, and give up, only to hear it pop later.

And I don't really have a 'proper' workbench, unless an ironing board counts.
 
I think "hearing it pop later" is what happens when you don't pre-flex the neck. As I understand it, the truss rod shouldn't be used to force the neck to flex, it should just hold it in position. But it might be best to let someone with more skills than me guide you on this.
 
There is such a thing as a two-way truss rod. I don’t have any experience with them, but I wouldn’t really expect to see one in a cheaper guitar either. There is sometimes a bit of a settling period after you make the adjustment, but you should see most of what it’s going to do pretty much immediately AFTER it is tuned up to pitch. Most of what I’ve heard says that you can generally loosen a little without having to detune, but should probably relieve some string tension before tightening the truss rod. You definitely have to put it back in tune either way before you know what it’s going to do. Do that til it’s good today, then check it again tomorrow and maybe tweak a little.

Realize, though, that the truss rod is generally there to counteract the tension of the strings. If you’ve got a back bow, you would want to loosen the truss rod so that the strings can pull it a little past straight the other way. Tightening will just make things worse. You want to turn it “lefty loosey” which is of course meaningless. Counterclockwise when looking at it from the end where you’re sticking the wrench. If you get to a point you think it is too loose, you might need to help it some. Generally you would try to get it to go a little too far the other way so that you can tighten the truss rod a bit.
 
Right, take the tension off the strings first. Forgot that. It's been the better part of a couple decades since I messed with a truss rod.
 
Sorry, I’m afraid I could have been a bit more clear there at the end.

IF you’ve loosened the truss rod quite a bit and are afraid of going any further AND you tune it up AND it’s still back bowed THEN you should use some manual means to bend it so that it has a little too much relief. THAT you’ll probably have to leave clamped or something for a couple days to sort of retrain it. THEN you should be able to engage the truss rod a little bit to get it back to proper relief.

OTOH - IF you’re terribly unsure or feel like you’re going too far, you should probably just take it to a decent shop and get it done by a pro. Truss rod adjustment should be a part of a basic setup, and a lot of places will do it along with action and intonation for free when you buy a set of strings.
 
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