How they really function and their actual purpose in the wider context is vital in making your instruments playable and controllable. See the suggestions below.Even though virtually every guitar has one, the sheer amount of opinion and conflicting information on truss rods leaves players, builders and even techs with fundamental misunderstandings. Experiment and see what will work best for you, your guitar, the string gauge, tuning, and your playing style.
A straighter neck will generally feel more comfortable but may produce some unwanted string buzz if too straight. Make your adjustments ¼ turn at a time (or less) and check the results. To loosen and allow more bow, turn counter-clockwise. To tighten the truss rod and straighten the neck, turn clockwise. How Much Neck Relief? Step 2: Adust the Truss RodĪdjust the truss rod to affect the amount of neck relief. 015″-.020″ for basses (check out the Guitar Setup Calculator for many more examples). For the technically minded, try setting the relief to. If you don’t have these tools, you can use a business card or string package for reference. You can measure the amount of relief using a string action ruler or set of automotive feeler gauges. Check these measurements with the guitar in the playing position. If there is no gap, the neck is likely either dead straight or back-bowed. The amount of gap is the amount of neck relief. If you have a gap, you likely have some bow in the neck. Observe the distance between the top of the fret and the bottom of the string, as pictured. When checking an acoustic guitar, bar the fret closest to where the neck and body meet (often the 14th fret).įind the centre between those two reference points (it is often the 7th or 8th fret on an electric guitar). If you have a set-neck (glued in), bar the fret closest to where the neck and body meet, typically the 17th-19th fret. With your picking hand, bar or press down the string as follows: If you have a bolt-on neck, bar the last fret on the #6 string (lowest string). If you do not own a capo, you can use your fretting hand to bar the first fret (or you can alternatively use a long straight edge across the length of the neck). Automotive feeler gauges or a string action ruler (if you want to measure your results)Ĭapo the first fret.Usually, there should be a small amount of relief in the neck for optimal playing, about the thickness of a business card or less. Most players feel that a near-straight neck is the most comfortable to play on, but this is subject to personal preference. Many nylon string guitars do not have a truss rod, because they do not withstand the same kind of neck tension as steel-string guitars.Ĭheck the amount of relief or bow in the neck and determine if any adjustment is needed. With heel area truss rod access, you may need to unscrew and remove the neck completely to access it. These images show various locations for the truss rod adjustment nut. Additionally, the neck may need adjustment any time after the guitar has been subjected to temperature or humidity fluctuations (typical seasonal changes). Typically, a guitar neck needs adjustment after changing tuning or string gauge. Neck relief refers to how much bow is in the neck- which is measurable. Furthermore, the truss rod allows adjustment of neck relief (or bow) in relation to how much tension is being applied to the neck. Its purpose is to counteract the pull of the strings by applying a counterforce within the neck. A truss rod is a steel rod that runs down the interior of the guitar neck.
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