Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

LazyLightning

LazyLightning

New member
Yes I know what they say about opinions, but I still feel they can be helpful when taking in all the information you can on a topic to make an informed decision. Plus it's always nice to know what others are doing with their gear, etc...

So my question is fairly simple, though I have a feeling the answer will not be so straight forward.

Obviously back bow is problematic with even a bit of common sense.

What I am not clear on though is the pros and cons between a dead straight neck compared to a slight relief.
Part of me is leaning towards have a very small amount of relief is better in general then completely straight.

Is this correct and if so what is the general rule of thumb to shoot for ( if there is indeed such a notion ) ?

As always TIA!
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

No, it's not straightforward. You also have to factor in string height, string gauge, and playing style. There is no one right answer. Adjust it the way you like it and don't worry about what anyone else does. They're not playing your guitar, you are.
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

Like blueman said, many things factor into a set up....but it ultimately boils down to personal preference. I like my necks just shy of straight (0.08 - 0.10). I find that the guitars sustains better when the neck is straighter. The action also feels more consistent up the neck to me when its straighter. Someone else, they may like more bow, some may like less bow
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

It is subjective. My personal preference is an almost straight neck with a little bit of relief (.03 mm) on my two guitars I play the most. This will not work for everybody. I just brought a guitar in to get a new nut filed and installed for it. I did not request they set up the guitar but sure enough I got it back and they set it up to Gibson specs which was raising my pickups from where I like them and giving the neck an insane amount of relief compared to what I am used to. I do not like that much relief. A couple of turns with the screwdriver and a about 3 different 1/4 clockwise turns of the truss rod nut later and we're back in business.
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

I agree, it is all personal preference. There are a wide range of string gauges, action and relief that are considered "acceptable" as a correct setup. Once you are in those ranges, playing and adjusting will get your guitar perfectly personalized for you.

For me.... For lighter strings, less high fret buzzing and a lighter touch, a flatter relief is preferable. For heavier strings, less mid-fret buzzing and a stronger finger/pick attack, a little more relief is preferable. Sometimes a little higher action combined with a little relief will allow you to "dig into" bends, a flatter relief and lower action can let you fly around the board, especially above the 12th fret.

The most important thing is to understand how to make these adjustments yourself, then you can dial the guitar in perfectly for your preference.
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

Thanks folks,
This is pretty much what I expected to hear. Currently my setup is straight, but I believe I will try a VERY small amount of relief and see if it is appealing to my playing style.

Again Thanks!
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

Dan Erlwine says in his book and his youtube videos that he prefers to have the neck straight as an arrow.....I don't really see how you can have this unless you A) have the action super high or B) have an ungodly light touch

Necks beed a little relief to allow movement for the strings to move
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

One factor is the specific guitar, and the other is the player.

I hit hard, play a lot of rhythm parts, and use a heavy pick on light strings. So my standard setup is using slightly more relief. On my G&Ls, the factory set up is usually very close, though they are now using 10-46 and I prefer 9-42s. I use 10-46 on my Gibson instruments, so I stay right about the factory specs, more or less.

But like I said, a lot of times you have to listen to what the guitar is telling you. A couple of my Les Pauls have a definite preference for 9-46 strings at the moment, rather than 10-46. I have one G&L Legacy that buzzed all over the fretboard with my normal relief and drove me crazy--until one day I took out all but slightest relief, basically straight, and now the guitar plays perfectly. My used '59 Historic I had set up to factory specs, and hated playing it. Bet I've messed with it 50 times. Just the other day, on a whim I relaxed the rod and put a huge amount of relief in (even more than most of my Martin dreads!) and it now plays better. The neck resonates more; the sound has opened up a bit. Every guitar is different, and sometimes you just have to figure out what makes them happy. I swear they must be female!!!! LOL!

There are two other issues that are critical. Having the proper nut action is a must, and rarely do new guitars have this perfect. It can really throw of your intonation on the lower frets if it too high, and having it too low will cause buzzing on the open strings. And then, you've got to make sure that your bridge radius matches the radius of the fingerboard. Gibson tune-o-matics usually have to be filed to get them right, while most Fenders can be easily adjusted. You can buy radius gauges from Stew-Mac, and they are worth their weight in gold if you do your own setups. Absolutely critical on Fender 7.25" radius necks. Getting the bridge radius right is the key to getting that "...plays like buttah!" feel.

Good luck!

Bill
 
Re: Neck Relief-Opinions Wanted Please!

I messed with my wolfgang a million times since I got it. Ive taken the truss rod one way and the other, Ive done different heights at the bridge and the nut. I think I've finally dialed it in (0.08 relief and 4/64 on High and Low E's). Still experimenting, but thats the fun part!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top