OK I'm an idiot, Truss rod adjustment

[lomky]

OK, I allways have to search the forum to find which way to turn the trussrod. Is there some logical way I can remember this?

If I'm looking at the bridge from the body which way do I turn to bring the strings away from the fretboard.

There must be a way I can remember this...

 

[russinator]

Righty tighty - lefty loosey.

 

[maddog]

to put in more relief (aka raise the strings from the board) loosen the rod. Rotate whatever you got in the capstan wheel towards you. Which would be a lefthand rotation as the Russinator has pointed out.

 

[lomky]

So lefty loosy, meaning the wheel goes counter clockwise?

 

[maddog]

counter clockwise as you look from the bridge down the neck towards the headstock

 

[tkarter]

That is correct. Stand the bass in a corner. Look at it. Counter clockwise is loosen, Clockwise tightens.

In playing position. Up towards your nose is adding relief or loosening. Towards your legs is less relief or tightening.

tk

 

[lomky]

Gotit! Thanks guys.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

 

[jongitarz]

Gav, You rock. Really.

 

[silverburst]

It still confuses me. That is why the guys at my local guitar repair shop see me so often.

 

[tkarter]

A picture paints a thousand words. Gav you are the man.

tk

 

[boston asphalt2]

It still confuses me. That is why the guys at my local guitar repair shop see me so often.

Come on, that picture above could spell it out to Ray Charles!

 

[amans]

i dont understand this! if you look on this link
Ernie Ball | FAQ
the answer to question 2 says completely the opposite, its says clockwise to raise
the action and Gav on this page says clockwise to lower the action, who is right!

 

[adouglas]

i dont understand this! if you look on this link
Ernie Ball | FAQ
the answer to question 2 says completely the opposite, its says clockwise to raise
the action and Gav on this page says clockwise to lower the action, who is right!

Think about this a second. It might help if you go grab a bottle of soda or something with a screw top. Hold it up in front of you horizontally, top of the bottle towards your nose, and gaze upon the screw top. Obviously, you know that turning it COUNTERCLOCKWISE as you're viewing it will take the top off, right? (It'll also spill soda all over you...)

Now turn the bottle around so you're gazing at the bottom of the bottle. From the is point of view, turning the cap CLOCKWISE will remove it. The cap is moving in the same direction relative to the bottle, but you're looking at it differently.

Therefore, it all depends upon yer frame o' reference, laddie. "Clockwise" and "counterclockwise" mean nothing by themselves. You need to specify which way you're looking at the wheel.

The photo posted earlier is correct and really useful because it shows this all-important orientation.

BTW, on the photo, "MORE RELIEF - BOW" means RAISE the action. "LESS RELIEF - FLATTER" means LOWER the action.

 

[mynan]

i dont understand this! if you look on this link
Ernie Ball | FAQ
the answer to question 2 says completely the opposite, its says clockwise to raise
the action and Gav on this page says clockwise to lower the action, who is right!

Forget CW/CCW...look at the pic a few posts up. Less relief equals lower action.

 

[fly]

save as..........that's what i did when gav 1st posted that pic....

 

[nashman]

Turn the truss wheel toward the "E" string (loosen) = more relief and makes the action higher, turn the truss wheel toward the "G" string (tighten) = less relief and makes the action lower.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Ok os what do you do when... your trussrod is fully released i.e. you have tried to give it as much bow as you can, in the left <-- direction as shown in the pic below but your strings have not come far away enough from the fret and are still buzzing? Is this when you must start adjusting the bridge saddles height to raise them up a bit? Because this is what is happening to my Bongo, winter is on it's way out and the house is much warmer now so the last 2 days I have noticed that the bottom 2 strings i.e. B and E are beginning to buzz against the frets, so I have tried to release some tension in the trussrod but I have noticed that the adjsutment nut was already almost loose. Any suggestions before I seek the help of Blind Lemon & Co. ? (Strings and Things) Thanks

 

[Aussie Mark]

Ok os what do you do when... your trussrod is fully released i.e. you have tried to give it as much bow as you can, in the left <-- direction as shown in the pic below but your strings have not come far away enough from the fret and are still buzzing? Is this when you must start adjusting the bridge saddles height to raise them up a bit?

You could either raise the bridge saddles, or use a shim or two in the neck pocket.

 

[bovinehost]

I'm not sure I understand the question, but if your strings are not pulling the neck into proper relief with the truss rod fully disengaged, here's what I do:

Leave truss rod loose.

Tune a half step or even a whole step PAST PITCH, putting more tension on the strings/neck.

Let it sit for a day or two. Wood will move.

Tune to pitch, readjust.

This is only if your neck is not already bowed up like, well, a bow!

I take no responsibility for any results, by the way.