![]() ![]() On newer Fender-style electric guitars - behind the nut, uncovered and can usually be adjusted by a 1/8" (3 mm) Allen wrench.Adjustment of such truss rods can be done by a Phillips screwdriver and requires prior removal of the guitar's pickguard or neck. On older Fender-style electric guitars with bolt-on necks (and vintage re-issues) - on the heel of the neck.Depending on the model of guitar, this bolt can be located: The truss rod tension is usually controlled using an adjustment bolt (a hex nut or allen key). These rods are regarded as being more difficult to adjust.Īdjustment bolt visible through the sound hole. Some guitars (notably Rickenbackers) come with dual truss rods that are more stable and not affected by seasonal climate changes. Turning the bolt counter-clockwise loosens it, allowing string tension to act on the neck and creating a forward bow (higher string action). Normally, turning the truss rod's adjustment bolt clockwise tightens it, counteracting the tension of the strings and straightening the neck or creating a backward bow. Usually, the truss rod of a brand-new instrument is adjusted by the manufacturer before sale. The truss rod can be adjusted to compensate for expansion or contraction in the neck wood due to changes in humidity or temperature, or to compensate for changes in the tension of the strings (the thicker the guitar string, the higher its tension when tuned to correct pitch) or using different tunings (the lower the pitch of each string, the lower its tension). ![]() Truss rods are frequently made out of steel, though graphite and other materials are sometimes used. The truss rod is not specifically for adjusting intonation or action (height of the strings above the fingerboard) though adjusting it can make an instrument more easily playable. Before truss rods, builders had to make the neck out of very rigid woods, and achieved relief by laboriously planing the fingerboard. In fact, the 1923 patent touts the possibility of using cheaper materials as an advantage of the truss rod. The neck can also be made thinner, which may improve playability. Without a truss rod, many of these materials would be unable to properly handle string tension at normal neck dimensions. Truss rods also allow builders to make instrument necks from less rigid materials, such as cheaper grades of wood, or man-made composites. Such devices are not normally needed on instruments with lower tension strings, such as the classical guitar, which uses nylon (previously catgut) strings. bend) beyond repair due to applied high tension. Without a truss rod, the guitar's wooden neck would gradually warp (i.e. ![]() Truss rods are required for instruments with steel (high tension) strings. The amount of relief many guitar manufacturers prefer for an electric guitar is about. Relief is typically measured as the distance between the string and the 7th fret while holding down the first and last fret. Too much relief can make a neck feel floppy, slow and lifeless-while too little can make the strings buzz on the frets. The two should be adjusted in concert with each other. Relief achieved through the truss rod combines with the height of the bridge to affect the playability of the instrument. A lower action in the high fret positions also facilitates more accurate intonation with less compensation at the bridge. Guitar technicians usually adjust a guitar neck to have a slight relief (forward bend) to achieve reasonably low action in high fretboard positions, while letting strings ring clearly in low positions. Similarly, when tightened, the truss rod straightens the neck by resisting string tension. When the truss rod is loosened, the neck bends slightly in response to the tension of the strings. A truss rod keeps the neck straight by countering the pull of the strings and natural tendencies in the wood. Though a similar effect could be achieved with a roasted maple neck, truss rods are still used for precise adjustments. Cross-section of a Strat/Tele neck showing the position of the truss rodĪ guitar neck made of wood is prone to bending due mainly to atmospheric changes, and the pull created by changing to a different gauge of guitar strings and/or different tuning. ![]()
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