Do You Tweek Often?

Bellycaster · August 2013

It's ok, it's not really like you are putting me off, it's good advice your giving me, I am, as you mentioned, extremely cautious with stuff like this, especially when I could make an expensive mistake. That and I am very choosy about the way my guitars play.

I lose count of how many random days the guitar just feels totally different and more hard work to play. The recent spell of weather probably explained a lot and woke me up to the fact that wood moves a bit, and even when temp/humidity changes are not extreme I suppose it does too.

The VSOP felt a little better to play when I lessened the relief. I also adjusted the Wolfgang just under 1/8 turn clockwise to lessen the relief, but it didn't seem to make much difference and felt as though the strings had more tension even though it was still in tune to Concert Pitch. The VSOP felt ok so I was relaxed but the Wolf not changing much sort of tensed me up a bit.

It may sound silly but I worry about differences like the following: The Wolfgang has a wheel at the Guitar Body end of the neck so clockwise is away from me(right handed guitar in playing position) whereas the VSOP has a Hex Socket at the Headstock end and Clockwise would be towards me. It still makes me think I have turned the Wolfgang wheel the wrong way.

After adjusting I usually let the guitar rest a couple of days and have it in the case stood near upright, is this fine or should it be layed flat?

Sorry to nag you with all this.

@ICBM

Thanks too for your explanation prioritising what might need adjusting in temp changes regarding the truss rod and the bridge height.

[Deleted User] · August 2013

Bellycaster;9659" said:
The Wolfgang has a wheel at the Guitar Body end of the neck so clockwise is away from me(right handed guitar in playing position) whereas the VSOP has a Hex Socket at the Headstock end and Clockwise would be towards me. It still makes me think I have turned the Wolfgang wheel the wrong way.After adjusting I usually let the guitar rest a couple of days and have it in the case stood near upright, is this fine or should it be layed flat?

Looking at the wheel on the Wolfgang (from the body side, ie with the neck behind it) you should turn clockwise to tighten (ie reduce relief) and anti-clockwise to slacken (or increase relief).

Moving or to your VSOP (which I always thought was a brandy...) - looking at the hex-key from the headstock side, with the neck behind - again turn clockwise to tighten/counter-clockwise to loosen.

TBH I don't think it matters whether the guitar is in its case or not after adjustment. Just make sure it is tuned to pitch.

Bellycaster · August 2013

@richardhomer

Thanks Rich, I got it, just making sure.

A brandy sounds a good idea actually

[Deleted User] · August 2013

Bellycaster;9696" said:
@richardhomerThanks Rich, I got it, just making sure.A brandy sounds a good idea actually

Maybe AFTER you've tweaked....

BenSirAmos · August 2013

You are overdoing this. Guitars are not so finely machined that an eighth of a turn on one would have an identical effect to the same amount of turn on another. And you don't know that you were starting from the same place with both (unless you used a torque wrench). Did you measure the clearance under the strings at the same point on both before and after? An eight might just take up the slack on the rod without applying any adjustment pressure.

I have one Strat with the traditional inaccessible truss rod. I can't remember if I've ever needed to adjust it. My other Strat has an easily accessible bullet truss rod adjuster and I fiddle with it frequently. I'm not sure Leo Fender included truss rods in his original designs - maybe they were only introduced to compete with Gibson or to give guitarists something to fiddle with between solos.

Buy one of Dan Earlwine's books and a set of feeler gauges. I don't think you'll do much harm if you only go an eighth at a time, so experiment but don't force it. I think you might be able to tell if you are tightening or loosening - if it is getting harder to turn, you are tightening.

Bellycaster · August 2013

@BenSirAmos

Thanks ,Ben. I'll start doing more research and learning about this stuff and get a set of gauges.

[Deleted User] · August 2013

BenSirAmos;9698" said:
I think you might be able to tell if you are tightening or loosening - if it is getting harder to turn, you are tightening.

I cannot agree with this. If there is already a fair amount of tension on the rod, it will present a degree of resistance to turning in either direction. Double-acting rods likewise. Only if the rod is fully slackened will it get noticeably harder to turn (when it hits the point where it has started to place the neck under some tension).

If the OP sticks to the basic principle that clockwise tightens and vice versa and uses the strings as a straight-edge (with the guitar in the playing position) to access relief, no disasters will happen.

fretfinder · August 2013

When tweaking that truss rod, "righty tighty (lessens relief), lefty loosey (increases relief)"!

Evilmags · August 2013

I own an archtop with a floating bridge so I have to know how to do a basic setup. That said if I had a bolt on with a bendy neck o suspect I'd order a new one from Warmouth and spec quartersawn wood and graphite rods. The vigier necks seem very stable and don't have trusts rods.

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Do You Tweek Often?

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