Truss rod adjustments

[Rocky]

Had to make an adjustment on a guitar. Change of seasons, and all that in a temperate four-season climate, where you need to humidify guitars in the winter. And I got to thinking.

Some guitars need and adjustment twice a year. Spring and fall.

I've seen some guitars that need to be adjusted more frequently. Like, if you look at them funny.

Most of the guitars, I've owned, however, don't need seasonal adjustments. Maybe a tweak here or there every couple of years. Is that unusual, more par for the course, or am I just not as picky?

 

[GAD]

My Guild S300AD that was my only guitar for 20+ years never once needed an adjustment.

I have a Strat with a neck that needs to be adjusted if you look at it funny.

 

[Brad Little]

I can only remember adjusting a truss rod once, don't even remember what guitar it was, and I think I tried it and then "unadjusted" it back to its original setting. May be wrong, though.

 

[adorshki]

I like to fuss around with 'em. Even leave the TRC's off now for easier access. I figure if you don't use it you lose it.

 

[bobouz]

I've adjusted the truss rod on every instrument I own - initially to get the relief dialed in where I want it. Once that initial adjustment is made, it's rare that I have to come back a second time. But I like to tinker, and down the road I'll come back to an instrument to make adjustments, repairs, or upgrades. When the strings come off for an extended period of time while tinkering, I back the adjustment nut off to remove all pressure from the neck.

 

[Nuuska]

I bought my F512 in Minnesota in summer 1977 - brought it to Finland in August - can't remember if I ever adjusted it - could be. In spring 1981 I took the train through Siberia to Nahodka - ship to Tokyo - summer in Tokyo - flight to CA US - hitch-hiked to MN in august - spent fall and early winter there - flew to Paris for a week - took train to Zürich - München - Sweden - finally flew from Umeå to Vaasa in January 1982.

Later I moved to MN for three years - then back here - never adjusted truss rod. Obviously the folks at GUILD knew what they were doing.

 

[Guildedagain]

Probably about moisture more than anything, but most of my guitars have never has the truss rod messed with by me.

Kind of embarrssing when you sell and buyer wants to know if truss rod works and you don't know because you've never done anything to it and you don't want to.

My guilds

Several D35's, down to one, never adjusted TR on a single one.

D25 ditto

F30 ditto

F112 ditto

D5CE ditto

F4CE ditto

JS2 had to loosen then tighten to counteract neck bow, worked out good.

S-100 doesn't need it.

 

[adorshki]

Probably about moisture more than anything, but most of my guitars have never has the truss rod messed with by me.

Kind of embarrssing when you sell and buyer wants to know if truss rod works and you don't know because you've never done anything to it and you don't want to.

My guilds

Several D35's, down to one, never adjusted TR on a single one.

D25 ditto

F30 ditto

F112 ditto

D5CE ditto

F4CE ditto

JS2 had to loosen then tighten to counteract neck bow, worked out good.

S-100 doesn't need it.

I note those all have 'hog necks, no? 'Hog's supposed to be very dimensionally stable across a wide range of moisture content, so perhaps that's a factor, too?

 

[Guildedagain]

True, all Hog necks. Maybe the best tonewood ever?

 

[lungimsam]

My basses seem to change with the seasons. Maple or mahogany. Also could be because they were bought and made within the last eight years. Maybe the wood is young. I have an older P bass the neck used to move a lot When it was young and my luthier removed the truss rod and put another rod down the neck which was electrical which heated up the wood in the neck and it stayed pretty stable after that drying process after the original truss rod was reinstalled.

 

[geoguy]

I'll adjust the truss rod of a new-to-me guitar to get the relief that I want.

And then maybe at a later date if I change to a different type of strings. Never had to do seasonal tweaks.