How Often Do You Adjust Your EBMM Truss?

[CudBucket]

I've had my first JP since 2004. It was a special order so of course I'm the original owner. Yesterday was, I believe, the first time I've adjusted the truss rod since I've had it. I believe that Jon might have adjusted it when I sent it in for a neck seal and fret level back in late '04 or early '05 but that would have been it.

I live in NY and think that this is exceptionally stable for a neck to require only 1 or 2 adjustments in 2 1/2 years.

Dave

 

[Bungo]

I've only adjusted one out of 6 so far including an Axis new in '98, however I do live in England where I gather environmetal changes don't have such an impact?

What is it about NY? Extremes of temperature/humidity???

 

[fbecir]

In 5 years, I made once an adjustment ...
I believe it depends on the change of climate but also on the strings tension. If you use light gauge, the adjustments are rare.

 

[SteveB]

I've had my JP since 2004 and I haven't adjusted the truss rod yet, although it is about due for a slight tweak to give it a little less relief.

 

[fsmith]

Dave,
I haven't had to do anything to my Petrucci since it went back for a new neck over a year ago, although I did have Jon seal it, and I just recently had to tweak my Morse after a year.

I haven't had to do anything to the Albert either.

I'm impressed at the stability considering what the weather swings are like here on the east coast.

 

[brett8388]

It's just about a gaurantee that my tech has to do some tweaking when new EVH's arrive to get them to my desired action (flat), but after than they rarely need adjusted. My climate (Houston, Tx and 100% humidity) might have something to do with that.

Something I've taken for granted is how user-friendly the truss rod adjustment is on EBMM's. Anyone tried to adjust a trust rod on a custom Jackson? Plan on paying triple because its much more work.

 

[CudBucket]

Bungo, it can get very humid one day and dry the next. In my case, I'd just put a set of EB Not Even Slinkies on for tuning down to C. I imagine that had more to do with the adjustment than anything else. Although, while I jumped up two sizes in guage, I dropped to whole tones in tension so the string change wouldn't be such a big difference.

I gave it one turn to the right to remove relief. Keep in mind, one turn is taking one hole in the truss spoke, from the left side to the right side of the body. That's with the headstock pointing away from you.

 

[geektard]

What is it about NY?

Yeah, what's it about NY? New Yawkers=fussy? Evil Empire=bad karma?


I "tweak" the truss twice/year. Normally right before I change the daylight clock.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Well, I live in Minnesota, so for years I was checking the guitars (of all brands) every couple of weeks, especially in the winter (but it's a dry cold!). My EBMMs require adjustment only when I set them up the first time for me or put different gauge strings on. But in all these years, I've never turned one more than 1/2 a turn. Pretty darn amazing in my book.

 

[Astrofreq]

It ain't no lie. I live in NYC and I do have to adjust my guitar one season at a time. The humidity changes DAILY here. I have an hygrometer on my wall. The humidity 3 days ago was about 20% so I pulled the humidifier out of the closet. Now it reads 65%. I lived in Dallas and OKC much of my life and never touched the truss rods because it was so dry. I miss those days.

 

[CudBucket]

Yeah, what's it about NY? New Yawkers=fussy? Evil Empire=bad karma?

I'm not a member of the Evil Empire. Today I'm just a heart-broken Met fan.

 

[koogie2k]

I have to tweak mine fairly often....our neck of the woods, the weather is murder on guitars. I do an adjustment usually at a show I am playing and get there about 1 hour early just to let things settle in. But, it is so easy to adjust I am not hampered by it..

 

[CudBucket]

It's amazing how the need varies from state to state. I was also surprised by how sensitive the truss rod is. After one turn (really about an 1/8" of a turn in terms of the full circle), it dropped my action back to about 1/16th. Maybe less. I left it over night and will check it again tonight.

Thanks all for chiming in. I know it's a minute detail but I'm always curious about other's experiences.

Dave

 

[jeffrey]

I've never adjusted the truss rods on either of my JP7's.

No need.

 

[brentrocks]

I usually go through them 4 times a year...change of seasons.

Being in MI, (hot, cold, rain snow) they move a lot!

 

[robelinda2]

Ok guys, i'm confused, this is from the EB FAQ page. i use adjust my truss rod plenty of times to change the action depending on what i feel like, cos that how it says to do it!


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

A: The best and easiest way to adjust your action is to use the truss rod. To lower your action, turn the wheel clockwise. To raise your action, particularly if you have fret buzz, turn the wheel counter clockwise. It is always a good idea to make just one or two turns at a time, then play it and see if it needs more adjustment. It normally doesn't take many turns of the wheel to notice a difference.

A "turn" as defined here is inserting an adjustment tool and moving a spoke of the wheel from one side of the neck to the other side.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Sorry wrong door - I thought this thread was all about trusses???

 

[koogie2k]

Ok guys, i'm confused, this is from the EB FAQ page. i use adjust my truss rod plenty of times to change the action depending on what i feel like, cos that how it says to do it!


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

A: The best and easiest way to adjust your action is to use the truss rod. To lower your action, turn the wheel clockwise. To raise your action, particularly if you have fret buzz, turn the wheel counter clockwise. It is always a good idea to make just one or two turns at a time, then play it and see if it needs more adjustment. It normally doesn't take many turns of the wheel to notice a difference.

A "turn" as defined here is inserting an adjustment tool and moving a spoke of the wheel from one side of the neck to the other side.

Rob...you lost me here. What is confusing?

 

[jaxadam]

I only adjusted mine once (well, twice, but it was within the span of like two days) when I changed gauges, but that was about it.

Actually, I think I might have adjusted it one other time when it came down here to Florida after sitting in VA for about a year.

P.S. What is this neck seal thing? Sorry, but I think I'm in the dark. Is it something about finishing the unfinished neck?

 

[koogie2k]

I believe it is an acetone and superglue mix....seals the neck but leaves the natural feel....I could be wrong about the mix though....