What was that quick and dirty trick to adjust neck bow?

['59]

There's a trick that let's you get a good enough truss rod setup without needing any fancy tools? I left one of my guitars out in the garage and now the neck has some serious bow.

[nexion218]

Use the string as a straight edge. Fret/capo at first fret, fret where the neck meets the body (around 17/18). The string is straight, measure relief at halfway point (around 7th/8th fret).

['59]

Yeah, that sounds about right. And you need roughly a credit cards thickness between the strings and the fret right?

[hamerfan]

If you fret the strings it should be much less.

[nexion218]

Yeah, that sounds about right. And you need roughly a credit cards thickness between the strings and the fret right?

Mine are all set to <0.3 mm, but I guess within a certain range it's personal preference.

[GuitarDoc]

Relief and action are most certainly a personal preference.

There is a great vid on StewMac which shows how to adjust a warped neck.

[Chistopher]

Mine are all set to <0.3 mm, but I guess within a certain range it's personal preference.

Which is roughly a lil lower than a business card for reference.

[ThreeChordWonder]

Capo (or rubber band) on the 1st fret (takes nut height out of the equation), another capo/ rubber band or a finger on the 17th or up (doesn't matter after the neck / body join).

Measure the clearance at the 8th.

The relief should be between 0.008" and 0.012" depending on preferences, to allow for high frets, etc.

0.010" is roughly 0.25 mm (0.039400" = 1.00 mm).

A set of feeler gauges can be bought at Autozone for less than the price of a pack of cigarettes.

[Chris Pile]

If you left your guitar in the garage you might need an adjustment, too.

[AlexR]

There's a trick that let's you get a good enough truss rod setup without needing any fancy tools? I left one of my guitars out in the garage and now the neck has some serious bow.

I use a guitar chord, a pick and an amp. If it feels good and effortless when I'm playing that negates the need for 'fancy tools'

[Wattage]

If you left your guitar in the garage you might need an adjustment, too.

[PFDarkside]

I use a guitar chord, a pick and an amp. If it feels good and effortless when I'm playing that negates the need for 'fancy tools'

I’m curious what “fancy tools” these are. An Allen wrench and scale? And using the guitar string as a straight edge is an easy substitute?

[GuitarStv]

Truss rod adjustment is very simple.

Hold the low E string down at the first and 14th fret on the guitar. There should be just the very tiniest gap between the string and the 6th fret (like half a business card). If there is no gap, loosen the rod a bit and check again. If the gap is bigger than this, tighten the rod and check again.

Done.

[alex1fly]

Truss rod adjustment is very simple.

Hold the low E string down at the first and 14th fret on the guitar. There should be just the very tiniest gap between the string and the 6th fret (like half a business card). If there is no gap, loosen the rod a bit and check again. If the gap is bigger than this, tighten the rod and check again.

Done.

Ya

The smallest of gaps.