Keith7940236 Posted August 12, 2012 Posted August 12, 2012 I put a set of D'Addario Chrome Flat wound 12's on my Eagle TDC after having used 11 rounds. The heavier gauge raised the action a little too much for my liking. I decided that since the guitar is 20 years old and still going strong, a little tweaking on my part probably wasn't going to do any permanent damage. I get out my set of 1/4" drive sockets, put an extension on the driver, took a really deep breath and tightened the truss rod nut 1/4 turn. The neck straightened out just about the right amount. I let it sit for an hour and checked it again. One more 1/8 turn and I got a little buzzing buzzing when fingering the first and second frets. Another deep breath, a 1/8 turn back to relieve tension and voila!! Perfect action. It's nice to know that I can do little adjustments like that to keep the guitar just the way I like it. Man I love my Heritage guitars!!!!
GuitArtMan Posted August 12, 2012 Posted August 12, 2012 Glad you are taking some initiative and doing some simple set up work yourself - it's always gratifying. Also glad the results turned out well. I've said this before and I'll say it again - you don;t adjust the action with the truss rod - you adjust the relief in the neck with the truss rod. Does this affect the action, yes, but the action is adjusted at the nut and the bridge, not with the truss rod. I like Ron Thorns acronym, TRAIN T - Tune R - Tross Rod A - Action I - Intonation N- Noodle.
yoslate Posted August 12, 2012 Posted August 12, 2012 Glad you are taking some initiative and doing some simple set up work yourself - it's always gratifying. Also glad the results turned out well. I've said this before and I'll say it again - you don;t adjust the action with the truss rod - you adjust the relief in the neck with the truss rod. Does this affect the action, yes, but the action is adjusted at the nut and the bridge, not with the truss rod. I like Ron Thorns acronym, TRAIN T - Tune R - Tross Rod A - Action I - Intonation N- Noodle. Perfect. Exactly how we do basic set ups at the shop. If you're re-stringing at the same time, don't neglect to tighten the tuners (nuts in front, screws on the back), and the jack plate. Dress the board, while you're at it (a light application of 0000 steel wool, plus whatever you prefer to dress the board). We all need to learn to sight the neck, to determine what relief may or may not be in it, then adjust it to taste ( I do all set ups with the neck dead flat, if the guitar will allow).
HANGAR18 Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 I'm so glad that I learned how to do my own setups. It has really come in handy over the years. Years ago before I ever heard of Heritage guitars, I hung out all the time in a very small Gibson dealer's store and the owner explained the concepts to me and showed me how to do a setup. My newest Heritage guitar addition to my collection has been around a few years and got goofed up over time. When I got it, the strings were almost touching the first fret, the string height at frets 12-22 reminded me of a bow (as in bow and arrow) the bridge was installed backwards and the intonation was non-existent. But, everything is dialed it to jam now and I'm very happy.
Blunote Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 2 1/2 turns of the truss rod? Slammer someone might take you seriously and strip the threads out, or worse, crack a neck. Keith, the only advice I can give is to loosen the strings so they're almost slack when you tighten the nut. It is possible to strip the threads. Some advocate loosening the strings when you loosen the nut. I don't usually bother to, but some do. Anyway, it's good you're willing to do basic work on your guitar. I've heard there are folks who won't (or can't) do their own string changes.
yoslate Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 Drop of oil on the truss rod nut, before you begin, too.
Hfan Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 Drop of oil on the truss rod nut, before you begin, too. Ah..that is a new one for me..thanks Rob. what kind of oil? I try to sight down the neck, I get a vague idea but for me it is vague, maybe my vision.. I like to hold the string down on the 1st and last fret, if I am motivated I will find a capo, then use the string like a straight edge to evaluate. Funny, as a kid I was terrified of this stuff, visions of snap crackle pop.
Hfan Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 what does "relief" mean, in this case? relief is more of a bow to the neck
yoslate Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 Pete: Just a light penetrating oil. Sometimes the truss rod nut will stick. We let the oil sit on the nut for a few minutes, before trying to turn it. Makes it easier to turn, and may keep the rod from twisting or breaking, if the nut binds. Katy: If you look down the neck, the top of the headstock on your nose, you'll see either 1) relief, in which the neck seems to dip away from the strings; 2) a flat fretboard; or 3) back bow, an arching up of the fingerboard, towards the strings.
davesultra Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 Pete: Just a light penetrating oil. Sometimes the truss rod nut will stick. We let the oil sit on the nut for a few minutes, before trying to turn it. Makes it easier to turn, and may keep the rod from twisting or breaking, if the nut binds. Katy: If you look down the neck, the top of the headstock on your nose, you'll see either 1) relief, in which the neck seems to dip away from the strings; 2) a flat fretboard; or 3) back bow, an arching up of the fingerboard, towards the strings. A lil' drop of Hoppes no.9 gun oil always does the trick for me.
GuitArtMan Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 Drop of oil on the truss rod nut, before you begin, too. I've never had to oil any of mine, but if I did I'd be woried about the oil spreading and causing the wood to swell. I'd be more likely to take the nut all the way off and just put the smallest dab of Vaseline on it.
yoslate Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 I've never had to oil any of mine.... Right, yours...mine neither. But we see so many instruments of varying degrees of quality, age, and of such sketchy histories, we can't take anything for granted. Set up a recent Paul a few weeks ago, and the truss rod nut was like a bug, in amber. There was just a big gob of clear coat poly all over it. Took a while to get it out from between the truss rod nut and the rout in the headstock, beneath it. Many are rounded off. Saw another one on a new Gibson (not trying to slag them, just reporting what I'm seeing), which had been filed down (had to have been done at the factory!) so much, to accommodate the truss rod cover, that threads were exposed. And just one drop, on the nut, is plenty....
Keith7940236 Posted August 13, 2012 Author Posted August 13, 2012 I really appreciate all of the advice. It's great to be able to fine tune my instrument.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.