Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
- Thread starter jerryjg
- Start date
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
Hold down the low E at the 1st and 14th fret, and there should be a gap between the 7th fret and E string that's just big enough to slide a THIN pick into. Adjust your trussrod so that's what you have. Then, move onto saddle height, so the action is right where you want it on all strings, which should follow the natural radius of the fretboard.
Lastly (if you know what you're doing), adjust the intonation. That means the notes on your fretboard should read dead center on a tuner. If you have a Floyd and aren't experienced, let someone more experienced do it, because it's harder than a strat bridge.
Hold down the low E at the 1st and 14th fret, and there should be a gap between the 7th fret and E string that's just big enough to slide a THIN pick into. Adjust your trussrod so that's what you have. Then, move onto saddle height, so the action is right where you want it on all strings, which should follow the natural radius of the fretboard.
Lastly (if you know what you're doing), adjust the intonation. That means the notes on your fretboard should read dead center on a tuner. If you have a Floyd and aren't experienced, let someone more experienced do it, because it's harder than a strat bridge.
big_black
Opaqueologist
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
You don't adjust action with the trussrod.
I adjust my trussrod until is pretty much straight (not even looking at the action), adjust the saddle height to get the action where I like it, and if there is still buzzing, I tweak the rod a bit. I don't measure anything. Do it all by sight and feel, sometimes playing the guitar for a few days making minor adjustments.
You don't adjust action with the trussrod.
I adjust my trussrod until is pretty much straight (not even looking at the action), adjust the saddle height to get the action where I like it, and if there is still buzzing, I tweak the rod a bit. I don't measure anything. Do it all by sight and feel, sometimes playing the guitar for a few days making minor adjustments.
jerryjg
PinkElephantologist
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
Thanks. Great advice. I appreciate it.Never hand someone your guitar because they say it needs a trussrod adjustment. the action was perfect, the way I like it and now its not, and I cant get it back to the way it was. Well,I will do it little by little as u suggest.
Thanks. Great advice. I appreciate it.Never hand someone your guitar because they say it needs a trussrod adjustment. the action was perfect, the way I like it and now its not, and I cant get it back to the way it was. Well,I will do it little by little as u suggest.
big_black
Opaqueologist
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
It's best for me if I start out completely flat under full string tension, then add a little bit of relief as necessary.
It's best for me if I start out completely flat under full string tension, then add a little bit of relief as necessary.
big_black
Opaqueologist
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
With the strings off? You can't possibly know what you will end up with once the tension of the strings are applied. When straightening the neck you want to loosen the strings so the adjustment sets better (you don't want the trussrod fighting full string pull), but you need to have them on the guitar to make an accurate adjustment.
Loosen the strings, adjust, let the guitar sit and the adjustment set, tune and check the adjustment, then repeat if necessary. That's how I do it.
With the strings off? You can't possibly know what you will end up with once the tension of the strings are applied. When straightening the neck you want to loosen the strings so the adjustment sets better (you don't want the trussrod fighting full string pull), but you need to have them on the guitar to make an accurate adjustment.
Loosen the strings, adjust, let the guitar sit and the adjustment set, tune and check the adjustment, then repeat if necessary. That's how I do it.
sgman
New member
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
Guy do what works for you...I was commenting from what my book says...It actually warns against making a adjustment with strings tuned..The actual words are:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STRAIGHTEN THE NECK WITH YOUR STRINGS TUNED...Take off the strings or at least loosen the strings liberally.
Maybe another book can say something else I don't know. The book I depend on is DYA Guitar Repair written by Pieter Fillet. I like the book because it has a whole section on converting righty guitars to left and I'm a lefty....We are mistreated in the guitar world.....
The main thing is just to fix the problem. They were using a straight edge to make sure the neck was straight before proceding...
Just trying to help Jerryjg, he is as good man...
Guy do what works for you...I was commenting from what my book says...It actually warns against making a adjustment with strings tuned..The actual words are:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STRAIGHTEN THE NECK WITH YOUR STRINGS TUNED...Take off the strings or at least loosen the strings liberally.
Maybe another book can say something else I don't know. The book I depend on is DYA Guitar Repair written by Pieter Fillet. I like the book because it has a whole section on converting righty guitars to left and I'm a lefty....We are mistreated in the guitar world.....
The main thing is just to fix the problem. They were using a straight edge to make sure the neck was straight before proceding...
Just trying to help Jerryjg, he is as good man...
big_black
Opaqueologist
Re: Guitar adjust. Raise saddles or turn Truss rod?
Yeah that's what I said. There is not sense in taking the strings off because you need full sting tension to know what the adjustment actually did.
Yeah that's what I said. There is not sense in taking the strings off because you need full sting tension to know what the adjustment actually did.
