Truss Rod Adjustment?

[pound]

I've been playing my Les Paul half a step down for a few weeks now. As of late, I've been noticing a "tightness" when playing. When I bend over a whole step, I can put my ear against the neck and hear a "clicking". I'm not sure if it's the rod or the string itself, but it feels and sounds "tight".

The neck looks pretty ****ed straight. There is some relief for sure, but not as much as my other Les Paul shows. Also, I'm not sure if it's an illusion or not, but there might be a slight concavity to the neck.

Is this typical when relieving string tension on the guitar for extended periods of time? I enjoy playing both standard and half a step down, but I do not enjoy the current feel of the strings. What's up?

 

[J Moose]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

Is it 'clicking' or fret buzz?

Typically a neck will get straighter as tension is released... lower action because there's less relief...

 

[Bludave]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

Just do a proper setup of the guitar that you want to keep tuned down ½ step.

When you tune the guitar down a little you are essentially releasing some tension on the neck, so the truss rodd may need to be tweaked. You should also adjust the action to a comfortable height then intonate the guitar. These simple adjustments will make the guitar play and sound better. IF you are hearing a "clicking" as you say........ not sure what clicking means, but it is possible that the you are getting a sympathatic vibration of the truss rod, which would indicate there is not tension on the rod allowing it to vibrate. This could be something more complicated to repair. If the neck is fairly straight and you have no tension on the rod you can't loosen it anymore than it already is to to remove any bow that may occur in the future. This could mean that the neck may need to be heat pressed to "force" some bow into the neck so you can tighten the rod a little to make the rod tight so it won't rattle in the rods pocket.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

If the truss rod was set up for standard tuning with the same gauge string then there's a good chance the lower tuning with less tension is resulting in a back bowed neck, which would cause some buzzing issues. You may need to loosen the nut on the rod a bit... maybe a 1/4 turn. Let it settle for a day and see if things don't go back to normal.

 

[lex666]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

If the truss rod was set up for standard tuning with the same gauge string then there's a good chance the lower tuning with less tension is resulting in a back bowed neck, which would cause some buzzing issues. You may need to loosen the nut on the rod a bit... maybe a 1/4 turn. Let it settle for a day and see if things don't go back to normal.

+1

Whenever you change tuning or string gauge, this can affect your setup. Re-evaluate your set up for the new tuning and string tension.

 

[pound]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

Thanks guys. Well, I went ahead and tuned back to standard pitch on the guitar last night. I've been playing for about half an hour this morning, and the problem has seemed to be tamed a bit, but it's still there on my more demanding bends.

Now, I've got a few more questions...

1) If I don't touch the rod, can I expect it to "catch up" now that I'm back in standard?

2) Is it alright if I constantly go back and forth between tunings, yet always return it to standard when not in use, without having to adjust my current setup?

3) Must I truly dedicate a guitar to a single tuning? I don't particularly enjoy dealing with setups.

Again, much thanks.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

If you are just going from E to Eb and back, a single setup to accomodate both is feasible. Set it with minimal relief with Eb, tuning up a bit will give it just a bit more relief. Though, I usually setup for a single tuning.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

1) If I don't touch the rod, can I expect it to "catch up" now that I'm back in standard?

Assuming nothing else changed, it should be alright, but it would be worth looking at. Even if I stay with the same gauge, if I change string brands I inspect the relief and intonation and adjust accordingly.

2) Is it alright if I constantly go back and forth between tunings, yet always return it to standard when not in use, without having to adjust my current setup?

That's entirely up to you. There's no way I could deal with that kind of adjustment. You could set it up somewhere in between and deal with mildly different feels. I'd set it up in Eb so it doesn't buzz. You'll have a slightly higher relief when tuned to E standard.

3) Must I truly dedicate a guitar to a single tuning? I don't particularly enjoy dealing with setups.

I prefer to pick a tuning and stick with it because while I can be pretty anal with my setup, I don't particularly enjoy doing it. That's one reason I maintain multiple guitars.

 

[pound]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

Yeah, I was thinking about that possibility. Thanks, Binnerscot.

 

[pound]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

Kudos Mike. So, when I down-tune, I'm relieving string tension on the neck. Therefore, I need to counter balance this tension appropriately. So I give some relief to the rod right? You say maybe a quarter turn?

 

[MikeS]

Re: Truss Rod Adjustment?

I wouldn't even bother to make rod adjustments... I'd set up for Eb, adjusting the rod once and only if needed. You may not need to turn the rod at all. I just don't like turning more than a 1/4 turn at a time.