Truss Rod Versus Saddle

[Velvet Phelts]

A flat neck will need a slightly higher action. At least for my playing style.

 

[Rich Cohen]

Thanks everyone for your knowledge and advice!

 

[valleyguy]

I'm a little late to this thread, but wondering if adjustments to the truss rod can throw off the intonation?

 

[Velvet Phelts]

Wearing one sock with your boots on can throw off intonation.

 

[West R Lee]

Dave is spot on. When I bought my Collings dread, I adjusted the truss rod as I'd carefully studied various guitar repair sites to get the concept ingrained in my head. Then I went to Collings to get very specific instructions, Collings tells you what Dave tells us, with the exception that Collings recommends fretting the 15th, and taking the measurement at the 5th. I had .011" at the 5th while depressing the low "E" at both spots, with Collings recommending .005". I adjusted the truss rod once, about 1/5 of a turn, then left it for a few days. When finished, and still today, I get '006" at the 5th, measured with a feeler gauge. I also found the saddle to have been filed just a tad, not too much. But with the sanding of the saddle by the previous owner, he had left the bottom of the saddle at an angle. An angle that had the saddle slot given enough slop, would have angled the saddle towards the soundhole. But the saddle fits very snugly in the saddle slot, so the result was simply less contact with the soundboard, transferring less vibration. That may not sound like much, but it minimized saddle contact with the soundboard. Without taking any real height off the saddle, I squared up the saddle bottom. Lord at the difference, in both playability and tone. The .006' relief at the 5th fret is far more comfortable to play that the .011" the guitar came to me with. This was all done of a perfectly flat and firmly stable billiard table top, at waist height with very good light.

Also remember that desired relief can be subjective, however a bit more relief is required when setting up with light gauge strings, as guitar strings vibrate in a elliptical manner. The lighter the string, the larger elliptical pattern it vibrates. Heavier strings would require less neck relief.

Here are Collings' instructions: From "FAQ Topics"

How do I adjust my truss rod?
All of our acoustic guitar necks can be adjusted with a 5/32" ball-end allen wrench. The "ball-end" part is important, as this is needed to access the truss rod nut at an angle. Be sure to use the correct wrench to avoid stripping the truss rod nut. Please view the following diagram.

What are the factory specifications for acoustic guitar setup?
String Height (measures top of fret to bottom of string):
Bass-side string height at 12th fret: 3/32"
Treble-side string height at 12th fret: 2/32"

Relief (measures distance from top of fret to bottom of string while fretting the 1st and 15th fret):
Relief at 5th Fret: .005" (a post-it note folded in half is about .005")

We consider these measurements to be a "medium" action height. You should have some room to lower the action from these measurements, but keep in mind that an ultra-low action usually requires lighter playing or adjusted technique to prevent buzzing. Feel free to give us a call if we can be of any help.

Mine had "forward bow", so for that, you loosen, or turn the truss rod nut counter clockwise.

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West

 

[West R Lee]

I'm a little late to this thread, but wondering if adjustments to the truss rod can throw off the intonation?

Most definitely. Or, it can help with intonation issues. But I'd think changes in intonation via adjusting neck relief would be very slight.

West

 

[valleyguy]

Thanks, West. I recently bought a Tacoma D55 that had been set up to low for my playing style.. The neck is perfectly flat, so I gave it a small (less than a quarter) turn and I think I have dialed it in perfectly. I haven't noticed any intonation issues, yet, but the strings are brand new, and I find intonation issues become worse as strings age.

 

[West R Lee]

Thanks, West. I recently bought a Tacoma D55 that had been set up to low for my playing style.. The neck is perfectly flat, so I gave it a small (less than a quarter) turn and I think I have dialed it in perfectly. I haven't noticed any intonation issues, yet, but the strings are brand new, and I find intonation issues become worse as strings age.

Keep in mind VG that string gauge will effect buzz as well. You'll need just s bit more relief with lighter strings. It's really pretty fascinating to me that minute adjustments in the truss rod can move the neck as much as it does, and how precisely it can move them. Collings recommends .005" at the 5th fret, between the low "E" and the fret. Measured with a feeler gauge, I got .011" that very small adjustment too exactly .005" out of the neck relief, and I ended up with .006", which I've found to be perfect for me. I check it each day to ensure it hasn't moved, and it has not. Playability now is almost like a different guitar.

West