Seasonal Truss Rod Adjustments?
DanielleOM
Do find you have many guitars that need a seasonal truss rod adjustment?
Is there a rule of thumb as to what they will generally need when dry winter
weather arrives and then when the humid spring weather arrives?
It seems my Eastman needed a little tweak. In this case I tightened the
truss rod nut about 15 degrees. (making it straighter)
Thanks
Danielle
pmfan57
Some guitars need one and others don't.
DanielleOM
Do know if there is a general tendency re direction? EG tighten in the fall
and loosen in the spring?
Danielle
TFPainter
Generally, maple necks move more than mahogany. A little tweak on the
truss rod as needed w/ some minor bridge height adjustment (if
required) should be all that is necessary. These are very typical
seasonal adjustments.
Best!
Tom
DanielleOM
"TFPainter" <paint...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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Best!
Tom
Tom
Do find most maple necks move a certain direction as they become drier or
does each tend to want to do it's own thing?
Danielle
oasysco
Danielle,
There is no seasonal thing; it just depends on the guitar and time. I
tightened the neck on my 175 for the first time since I bought it.
Greg
Mark Cleary
adjustments when they need them period. Some repairmen claim this but I
just don't see it happen. Generally, and I have said this many times on
the group well made guitars over time come to a point of equilibrium.
This I think is more true on archtop guitars than other types.
Assuming you don't change the gauge of the strings drastically and go
from the desert, the jungle every few days, truss rods should not need
adjusting. A 15 degree turn is not very much but it is an Eastman
guitar. Eastman's are hit and miss with quality, no offense to your
guitar but I have repaired a few that were new.
My 1993 Hollenbeck I made a a very slight adjustment to tighten the
truss rod about 18 months later. This guitar has been to New York,
Texas, and lives in the crazy weather of Illinois. I have never touched
it since. My Dad's Barker was made in 1965 and he gave it to me in 1983,
it came from living in the west coast and I have never adjusted the
truss rod.
My point is that if a truss rod needs a lot of adjustments I wonder how
well the guitar is put together. I have worked on L5 ands and even Les
Pauls that guys bring to me year after year and never adjusted the truss
rods. They do need some bridge adjustments and some fret work but truss
rods are pretty stable. This is not to scare you but I have seen them
break from players trying make adjustments. If you ever get a gut
feeling and the tension gets real high get it to a repair person for
consult.
Guitars are made of wood and these are just generalization from my years
of repair. I work on many old Martins and guitars that have no truss
rods and have been around for years.
--
Deacon Mark Cleary
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church
Dave
On my guitars that need seasonal tweaking, I tighten in the winter, loosen
in the summer. It might not be the neck per se causing the need for
adjustment. Could be that the fingerboards, as they take on moisture in the
humid months, swell, and in doing so press against the fret tangs, and cause
a reduction in the relief of the neck.
DannyW.
Whether or not you see this depends quite a bit on how low your action
is set. At Gibson's factory setting of 4 to 5/64", I'd never notice a
seasonal change, but I set my guitars at 40-50 thou and when I lived
back east I generally had to adjust them twice a year, regardless of
the guitar type, maker or materials. Here is the desert, it's not
necessary.
When the humidity is higher, wood absorbs moisture and necks
straighten out; when it's lower, wood dries out and necks tend to
rise. This happens regardless of how stable the construction of the
guitar.
People who play old Martins generally aren't looking for a low
action :-)
Danny W.
Nil
rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz:
> Generally, maple necks move more than mahogany. A little tweak on
> the truss rod as needed w/ some minor bridge height adjustment (if
> required) should be all that is necessary. These are very typical
> seasonal adjustments.
That certainly desribes my experience. Most of my Fenders react
noticeably to the New England seasonal temperature and humidity
changes. My Yamaha SG2000 (who's neck is actually a 3-piece mahagony-
maple-mahogany sandwitch) has never needed any such tweak in almost 30
years. Almost never goes out of tune, either. The thing is stable as a
rock - it's uncanny.
TFPainter
I wouldn't damn an instrument based solely on the fact that it may
need a truss rod adjustment once and awhile...it takes 2 seconds, no
big deal. Players should learn to make these adjustments so they are
empowered to keep their guitars in optimal running condition. Find a
good repair person to show you, or a good book and go from there.
Tom
Dave
> when I lived back east I generally had to adjust them twice a year
Bingo.
> People who play old Martins generally aren't looking for a low
> action :-)
Yeah, well, when you never play past the 5th fret... <g>
Gregg L
"Dave" <n...@spam.com> wrote in message
news:hfhopc$bto$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
As Martin Taylor has referred to, it speaking of a country player-"The dusty
part of the fretboard."
Gregg
DanielleOM
"Gregg L" <him...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:be2dnZxdRNZs8IHW...@earthlink.com...
For fun I will have to dust off my D18 case and see how straight the neck
actually is. It's one of the non-adjustable ones. Of course it also has a
very thick mahogany neck. I don't play it all any more. Reaching over that
big dreadnought body just kills my shoulder these days.
Danielle
Tim McNamara
"DanielleOM" <danie...@reply.to.group.com> wrote:
> Do find you have many guitars that need a seasonal truss rod
> adjustment?
Nope. None. A few that need a small bridge adjustment.
> Is there a rule of thumb as to what they will generally need when dry
> winter weather arrives and then when the humid spring weather
> arrives?
>
> It seems my Eastman needed a little tweak. In this case I tightened
> the truss rod nut about 15 degrees. (making it straighter)
Humidify, humidify, humidify. Either humidify the room or at least in
the case.
Mark Cleary
out yesterday for a ride at 35 degrees and it was ok. The only
adjustment now is I have to run longer since I am about done for winter
outside. Must be a killer up north.
THis post has zero basically to do with jazz guitar forgive me.
Tim McNamara
Mark Cleary <mcle...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Tim McNamara wrote:
> > In article <hfgter$86d$1...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> > "DanielleOM" <danie...@reply.to.group.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Do find you have many guitars that need a seasonal truss rod
> >> adjustment?
> >
> > Nope. None. A few that need a small bridge adjustment.
> >
> >> Is there a rule of thumb as to what they will generally need when dry
> >> winter weather arrives and then when the humid spring weather
> >> arrives?
> >>
> >> It seems my Eastman needed a little tweak. In this case I tightened
> >> the truss rod nut about 15 degrees. (making it straighter)
> >
> > Humidify, humidify, humidify. Either humidify the room or at least in
> > the case.
>
> It take s good cyclist to understand the adjustment process. Tim I went
> out yesterday for a ride at 35 degrees and it was ok.
Cold and dry isn't too hard to adapt to. There's a bit more wind chill
than with running, keeping the feet warm is the hardest IME. I have
Lake MXZ-300 winter boots and they work pretty good.
> The only adjustment now is I have to run longer since I am about done
> for winter outside. Must be a killer up north.
So far October was terrible and November was balmy, although I had
little time to ride in either month and am now at my mid-February level
of fitness two months early. Uh-oh. The snow comes today, anywhere
from a dusting to 14" according to various forecasters. That's end the
outdoor cycling season for me.
> THis post has zero basically to do with jazz guitar forgive me.
Stuff happens!
tom walls
>
> People who play old Martins generally aren't looking for a low
> action :-)
>
> Danny W.
I wish my old Martin had a truss rod.
Mark Cleary
the top that causes the problem or the neck set. Almost never simply
neck stress or bow that is out of line.