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Truss Rod - Straight Neck


Fuzzbass2000
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I have a bass neck which I can't seem to loosen the truss rod off enough to get the neck straight when under string tension.

I know it needs a little relief but I like the neck pretty straight so I loosen the hex bolt until it feels like it's super loose but the neck still has too much relief in it

Any ideas as to how I can get the neck straighter?

Edited by Fuzzbass2000
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5 hours ago, MoonBassAlpha said:

Normally one would tighten the truss rod to straighten the neck. Rightly-tighty!

Thats exactly what id normally expect, but the more i tighten the truss rod (turn it to the right, looking down at the hex nut from the headstock) i’m sure there’s  more relief (concave) in the neck - unless i’m totally confusing things.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Fuzzbass2000
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5 hours ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

Thats exactly what id normally expect, but the more i tighten the truss rod (turn it to the right, looking down at the hex nut from the headstock) i’m sure there’s  more relief (concave) in the neck - unless i’m totally confusing things.

 

 

 

 

OK - try it the other way.  If it is a normal modern rod, you will reach a 'loose' mid point.  This is where the rod is now straight so there's no pressure on the nut.  Keep turning and it will start tightening again, but this time the rod will be bending in the opposite direction.

What bass / neck is it?

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You get one and two way rods;

1 way rods counter string tension and takes relief out when you tension/tighten it (tightening is 'usually' clockwise BUT sometimes is counterclockwise).  

2 way rods have a mid -point and depending on whether you turn one way or the other it can add/subtract relief.

I'm discounting necks with 2 parallel rods.  

If you know what you are doing and you don't go daft, sometimes you need to apply relief into the neck with pressure before tensioning the truss rod BUT you'll need to be sure which way your rod is operating!  

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4 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

OK - try it the other way.  If it is a normal modern rod, you will reach a 'loose' mid point.  This is where the rod is now straight so there's no pressure on the nut.  Keep turning and it will start tightening again, but this time the rod will be bending in the opposite direction.
What bass / neck is it?

Cheers  - It's a Gretsch Junior Jet - with a hex nut at the headstock end. 

Can I check my understanding of something, you're saying turn to the left until it feels super loose, then keep turning and it will start to tension again? (and not fall off?).

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1 hour ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

Cheers  - It's a Gretsch Junior Jet - with a hex nut at the headstock end. 

Can I check my understanding of something, you're saying turn to the left until it feels super loose, then keep turning and it will start to tension again? (and not fall off?).

I wouldn't think that your bass has a 2 way rod especially with a nut on a threaded rod.  

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2 hours ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

Cheers  - It's a Gretsch Junior Jet - with a hex nut at the headstock end. 

Can I check my understanding of something, you're saying turn to the left until it feels super loose, then keep turning and it will start to tension again? (and not fall off?).

Ah - maybe not if it's a Gretsch.  

As @warwickhunt says above - I think Gretsch have a standard nut on a threaded rod - in which case it isn't going to be double acting.  You actually can't do any harm because it would just screw back on, but it probably isn't going to solve your problem.  But therefore I don't understand why tightening it is increasing the relief.

How are you measuring the relief?

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13 minutes ago, Fuzzbass2000 said:

Sorry, I mean a "nut" (or bolt?) accepting an allen key.

 

OK. If it's a modern one that has an allen key, then yes - there is no loose nut and nothing should come undone if you loosen it (counter clockwise) and keep turning until you feel resistance again - which is the rod now bending the other way. 

Turn it 1/4 of a turn from when you feel the resistance and check if the relief gap is now smaller.  If so, then carry on, 1/4 turn each time, checking as you go until the relief gap is where you want it.

If, on the other hand, the relief still gets bigger when turning it counter clockwise, then stop and get a tech to have a look...

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