Rickenbacker truss rod(s) question

scarry67

My 2000 360/12 has got a bit too much relief for my liking but having gone through fiddly business of removing TRC I’m finding that both truss rods are pretty tight. I certainly don’t want to over tighten them further if there’s a risk of damaging them but where does that leave me? I read about someone who loosened both completely before retightening but that sounds a bit risky...

ICBM

Although it's got the 'modern' (post-1985) truss rods you're still better to tighten them using the 'old' method in my opinion - bend the neck backwards by hand then tighten the truss rods to take up the slack, rather than just tightening the rods. It's easiest if you clamp - or get an assistant to hold - the tailpiece end of the guitar flat down on a bench or table with a towel on it, with the headstock hanging over the end, so you can push the neck down with one hand while you tighten the rods with the other.

scarry67

Bloody hell, that sounds a bit surgical ICBM! 

I also read that the rods only really affect the headstock end of Rik necks. (Cost of these things makes me cautious I’ll confess.)

ICBM

scarry67 said:

Bloody hell, that sounds a bit surgical ICBM! 

I also read that the rods only really affect the headstock end of Rik necks. (Cost of these things makes me cautious I’ll confess.)

Not at all, it’s very easy and safer than just trying to tighten the rods. They affect the whole length of the neck, in fact possibly slightly better than most other guitars since there are two rods (more rod relative to neck) and the neck doesn’t taper as much as most guitars (more similar thickness at both ends).