Guitar Truss Rod Adjustment Diagram

Adjusting guitar truss rods.

Guitar truss rod adjustment diagram.

The truss rod is a thin steel rod fitted into a curved channel within the neck of electric and acoustic steel stringed guitars and basses see the diagram below. You can adjust the truss rod with a nut located at one end. It seems that there is an unspoken rule that truss rod adjustments can only be performed by professionals with years of experience. Tune the guitar to pitch and hold the guitar in the playing position not laying on its back then use an 18 precision straightedge to see if the neck s straight.

When tightened it counteracts the tension created by the strings the strings pull the neck forward. Truss rod adjustments are made to alter the straightness flatness of the neck truss rods often require adjusting after changing string gauges or when temperature and humidity change the amount of bow in the neck. Adjusting a guitar truss rod is a key part of maintaining optimal playability. Diy truss rod adjustment.

Its purpose is to help counteract the forces on the neck from the tension of steel strings. But a change in string gauges climate especially a change in humidity or simply the player s taste may require an adjustment even on a new guitar. When a quality guitar leaves the factory the truss rod is adjusted according to the maker s taste in setup specs. The truss rod pulls the neck backward.

Different manufacturers put them in different places but they re usually at the headstock under a cap just behind the nut or where the neck joins the body just under. And there s a great tip for clamping the neck to take tension off the truss rod on page 18 of the guitar player repair guide. Understanding your truss rod. Before you do anything to your truss rod you need to have a reasonably good understanding of truss rods.

Guitar truss rod adjustment guide this article provides a top level view of how a truss rod works and how to adjust a truss rod. M ost guitar players are very reluctant to use the truss rod adjustment tool that comes with their guitar. A truss rod is an interior metal bar running the entire length of a guitar s neck.