Does it matter?

[musicmanguitar]

So im wondering, i just got the JP 50 Sterling .. and im wondering does it matter what strings i put on it? On all my guitars i usually put on 10-46 ... Can i still use this string gauge ? or should i go lighter?

 

[Colin]

that string gauge is absolutely fine. remember when changing string gauge you may have to adjust the truss rod and do a minor setup

 

[musicmanguitar]

ok what do i look for ? how do i know if it needs to be adjusted? funny i can play the crap out of the guitar ... but other then that im a little knowledgeable ..

 

[Colin]

well if your action is too high or low then it most probably needs a turn on the truss rod.

 

[DrKev]

By 'a turn' we don't mean a full 360° turn...

What is the best way to adjust the action on my Music Man guitar?

Sterling by Music Man - Setup Guide

 

[mt85]

NEVER use the truss rod to adjust action! You should never really think of the truss rod as a tool to raise/lower the action. The truss rod is a simple device that has one purpose: to counter the pull of the strings. That's it. It isn't meant to adjust the height of your strings; you can't set your intonation with it; and with a little foresight, you aren't going to render your guitar useless by attempting to adjust it. However, if any adjustments are made wrongly, you can do some sever damage to the neck of your guitar.
To adjust action, you should raise each individual saddle on the bridge. You might also need to shimmy the nut if the action is too low further down the neck.
Remember, if you're not sure on how to go about setting up your guitar, take it to a professional!


What is the best way to adjust the action on my Music Man guitar?

^^^ This needs to be deleted!

 

[DrKev]

Music Man are one of the most respected instrument makers in the business. If they say it's safe to adjust string action with the truss rod on their guitars you can be sure that they mean it.

Let's not assume we know more than these people do about their products and their business.



Actually, IMO truss rods are not nearly as scary as people think. I imagine it started as a ploy by a hard up guitar tech to scare people into giving him business and it stuck in the collective consciousness of millions. In reality it's pretty difficult to screw up a guitar neck with a truss rod. One should never need to adjust a truss rod so much that there is a risk of damage. A few small adjustments are all that should be necessary and if you still can't get it where you want it then your guitar should probably be set up by a professional anyway.

And the only nuts I have ever seen that needed raising, on guitars of any brand, were the result of a 'professional' who screwed up trying to lower it. Unless there is string buzz on the lower frets that can't be fixed any other way, way a nut should never need raising. And nut that's higher than it needs to be will screw up intonation and tuning and will make playing in lower positions more difficult.

K.

 

[beej]

What is the best way to adjust the action on my Music Man guitar?

^^^ This needs to be deleted!

Sorry man, you're way off base here.

When the weather changes, you're often likely to get changes in the neck bow which will raise or lower the perceived string height. Tweaking the truss rod is the right way to fix that (just a 1/4 tweak here and there) and it will fix most action issues.

That's not always the case, of course ... but if your guitar played fine before then it's the neck bow that has changed, the saddle heights will be right as soon as the neck returns to where it was.

 

[mt85]

Ok I didn't mean to ruffle so many feathers here. Not my intention at all. I've been a guitar luthier for the past 20 years and I've seen so many people bring their guitars to me and say, "Man, my action is way off. I've tried turning the truss rod, now my guitar is buzzing like crazy or doesn't feel right." Or something to that extent. You want your neck to be straight, maybe with just a slight bow in it (depending on your preference). When you change your string gauge, over time, your neck will change too. So, of course you will need to adjust the truss rod as well as the intonation and other things.

The truss rod is a simple device that has one purpose: to counter the pull of the strings. That's why it was invented. If your action is a bit high or low and your neck is straight, you don't want to touch the truss rod. There is no reason to. That's where the adjustment screws on the saddles come in or the posts on a Tune-O-Matic bridge or what have you.

I'm not saying I know all. Everyone has their way of doing things, which is just fine! If you have your own way of doing things that work for you, don't let anyone tell you different. I'm going by years of first hand experience. The people at Music Man/Ernie Ball are great people! Much respect![/quote]

Sorry man, you're way off base here.

When the weather changes, you're often likely to get changes in the neck bow which will raise or lower the perceived string height. Tweaking the truss rod is the right way to fix that (just a 1/4 tweak here and there) and it will fix most action issues.

That's not always the case, of course ... but if your guitar played fine before then it's the neck bow that has changed, the saddle heights will be right as soon as the neck returns to where it was.

You are absolutely right! It's just people have the pre-conceived idea that if their action is too high or low and the neck is straight, they should have to adjust the truss rod. Which is not true. That's all I'm saying.

 

[beej]

Where the FAQ is coming from, I suspect, is that the most common reason the setup changes on EBMMs is changes in relief. Given that, the quickest way to fix things is to tweak the truss rod until it's back where it was. Making players aware of this is really handy and saves a lot of hassle.

As you rightly point out ... there's a lot that goes into a good setup. When the time comes, there's no substitute for having it done by a real pro.