Adjusting for Neck Relief
Source: Guitar Neck Repairs
Adjusting Neck Relief:
If you are not sure what Neck Relief actually is, please read our article Checking Neck Relief. Knowing the necessary terminology is paramount for proper neck truss rod adjustments.
Types of Adjustment Nuts and Bolts:
There are quite a few different adjustment configurations that can be found on Acoustic Guitars. Some will be obvious and some are not so obvious. Each luthier or guitar manufacturer has a personal preference and reasons for doing so. Here are some of the more popular configurations you will find.
Threaded Nuts:
These will be simple threaded nuts that tighten against a washer on a threaded rod. Usually, the best way to adjust these is with a nut driver. Be sure to have correct standard and metric sizes available.
Hex Nut or Allen Wrench: Several manufacturers use an an allen wrench setup. Again make sure you have all the standard and metric sizes available.
Nut With Holes in Sides: Several foreign instrument makers use a small round bar, which is inserted in holes drilled in the side of an internally threaded sleeve, which acts as the nut.
Truss Rod Adjustment:
If you need a bit less relief in the neck, crank the adjustment rod in 1/4 turn increments and continually check your relief measurements. Be sure to do this with the strings on the instrument and “in-tune”.
If you have a two way adjustment rod system, you have a great deal more flexibility and can gain more relief than the normal compression rod offers.
Usually you will be able to adjust the neck enough by just loosening or tightening the nut.
Still a bit confused about which direction to turn? Refer to the diagram. Righty tighty and lefty to loosey is a good way to remember. Tighten bows up and loosen bows down.
After making the truss rod adjustment, it is important that you grasp the neck at the nut on one end and at the body with the other hand. Give the neck a few firm twists. Do this in both directions to attempt to re-seat the rod in its new position.
Check The Neck After Each Small Adjustment:
Check the neck after each adjustment. If needed, measure the relief with feeler gauges until it is perfect. As mentioned before, make the adjustments with the strings up to standard pitch. An exception to this would be if you run into a case where there is an abnormal amount of bow in the neck. Under these circumstances you should do most of the adjustment with the strings in a slackened state, then tune it up and make the final adjustments with the strings up to standard pitch.
Tags: adjusting neck relief, guitar neck, guitar neck repair, how to adjust a truss rod, truss rod adjustment
