FUNCTION OF THE TRUSSROD

To straighten the neck.

INDICATION OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUSSROD

Bowed neck away from strings causing high action. (or the opposite) Bowing into the strings causing fret buzzing and/or too low action.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Here is how to determine if the rod needs adjusting: With the strings tuned to standard pitch, hold the low E string down at both the 1st fret and at the last fret on the fingerboard. (See Fig. #2) By doing this, you have made this string a straight edge (a perfectly straight line). With this straight line now sitting right over the fingerboard, sight (look) along the string at each fret and notice how close each fret wire is to the string. If each successive fret wire goes away from the string (as you look to the middle) then the neck is bowing away from the strings.

This is the most common bow which will make the strings be high off the fingerboard and hard to play.

If you sight along the string and you see the string touching the top of each fret wire, then you have a back bow. Here, the neck is actually bowing towards the strings. When this happens, you will get a lot of fret buzzing or even dead notes that won’t play.

Ideally, you should have just a slight bow away from the strings. I like to make the neck straight and then turn the rod back to allow for this slight bow. This lessens the chance of fret buzz while making the neck very playable.

ADJUSTMENTS

To adjust the rod, always approach the adjustment nut straight on, to determine which way to turn the adjuster, clockwise or counter clockwise. (See Fig. #1) Always do this adjustment with the strings on and tuned to pitch.

SO...if the neck bows away from the strings as you face the rod, turn it CLOCKWISE to tighten the nut. This will straighten the bow.

OR... if your neck bows into the strings (back bow), then you will turn the adjusting nut COUNTER- CLOCKWISE.