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Truss rod issue ... help pls !!


EuroAussie

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Hi All,

 

Im having horrible buzzing all over the freboard on the J-150.

Relative humidity has been super low recently (around 25%) and Ive not humidified it as well as i should have (onto it now). In past when this happened i lowered the action a bit by adjusting the truss rod and it seemed to have worked. Specifically to the left to loosen it up.

But when i placed the Gibson style truss rod wrench on the truss rod 'knob' (is there a better word) rather than turning the truss rod, it actually started unscrewing all together, hence i uncrewed the knob, did not adjust the truss rod.

Im buggered if I know what to do now, never happened before ... help please ??

 

Just to be clear, my main issue is solving the buzzing problem (which is present all around the freboard, and something that was not there before)

 

mC94iUt.jpg

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It's unlikely that you've damaged anything. The rod is fixed and does not turn.

 

Essentially, you've just backed the adjusting nut all the way off, which takes all the upward (straightening) pressure off the rod and increases relief (bowing) to it's maximum. If you tightened your strings to pitch under this condition, you typically should have a noticeable bow in the neck.

 

Just put the nut back on & tighten it down flush with the washer. Then I would add just a teeny-tiny bit of clockwise pressure to eliminate any possibility of rattles from the rod/washer/nut assembly, and tune the guitar to pitch. Typically, it should now be set just a whisker away from maximum relief.

 

With the neck now essentially at the maximum relief end of the scale, see if you still get the buzzing. If not, you can slowly proceed clockwise to reduce relief to a comfortable setting. If you still have buzzing, there may be something else going on.

 

Best of luck in getting it dialed in!

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It's unlikely that you've damaged anything. The rod is fixed and does not turn.

 

Essentially, you've just backed the adjusting nut all the way off, which takes all the upward (straightening) pressure off the rod and increases relief (bowing) to it's maximum. If you tightened your strings to pitch under this condition, you typically should have a noticeable bow in the neck.

 

Just put the nut back on & tighten it down flush with the washer. Then I would add just a teeny-tiny bit of clockwise pressure to eliminate any possibility of rattles from the rod/washer/nut assembly, and tune the guitar to pitch. Typically, it should now be set just a whisker away from maximum relief.

 

With the neck now essentially at the maximum relief end of the scale, see if you still get the buzzing. If not, you can slowly proceed clockwise to reduce relief to a comfortable setting. If you still have buzzing, there may be something else going on.

 

Best of luck in getting it dialed in!

 

Thanks. Im also going to humifiy it heavily with a soundhole and room humidifier for a couple days.

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If I'm trying to increase neck relief to regain a stating point for a set up, I keep some string tension to induce neck movement, then tune up a step or two below standard and begin my adjustment. No need to re-humidify.

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I happened to read this earlier today on Frets.com/adjusting your truss rod. Sounds like it's a perfectly normal thing to do.

 

Here's a hot tip: Take the truss rod nut off, if possible, and oil the threads of the truss rod. Most of the time, the factory doesn't lubricate them, and you might be turning the nut against a lot of unnecessary friction.
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Thanks for the comments gents. It seems the guitar needs to be havily humidified after checking wiht some guitar techs and people on the know on Fbook.

 

Interestinglly, i didnt realise that the Gibson truss rod can only be turned to the right, ie tightened, or thats what im hearing ?

 

Is that really correct, what if you need to loosen it ? As in my caseif i start turning left the 'knob' will start turning left but not the truss rod, or am i missing something here ?

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Is that really correct, what if you need to loosen it ? As in my caseif i start turning left the 'knob' will start turning left but not the truss rod, or am i missing something here ?

The rod does not turn. As you tighten the nut clockwise, the rod is counteracting the tension of the strings by straightening the neck. When you loosen the nut, string pressure creates relief (a bow) in the neck.

 

There are dual-action truss rods which can put pressure to bear in both directions, but that's not what you've got.

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Im having horrible buzzing all over the freboard on the J-150.

 

 

In past when this happened i lowered the action a bit by adjusting the truss rod and it seemed to have worked. Specifically to the left to loosen it up.

 

I'm confused.

 

If you loosen the truss rod, wouldn't that RAISE the action by letting the neck bow more?

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Well, it's not really raising the action, but creating a significant bow where the middle of the neck would have action much higher feeling than at the upper registers.

 

I'd just put that nut back on, tighten it up a bit, and put a few humidifiers to work immediately. keep it cased with these working away for at least a week,

 

Dampits, in the sound hole IMHO are still the best for this. (you may want to try two of them for a week or two.)

 

Also a home made humidifier, like a soap travel case with holes drilled in it and a damp kitchen sponge cut to size, Put this in case where the head-stock is.

 

There's also the Oasis Humidifier tubes. anything would work, but definitely gotta do "Something"... and you're gonna want to check these daily. The guitar will suck up the moister very quickly if it's really that dry.

 

Try some googles to find some articles on the best way to accomplish re-hydrating. If you have contacts with some good luthiers, ask what they can advise

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A truss rod is one of the most basic in principle things, but also the one thing that many players have a hard time fully grasping what it is, how it really works.

 

no harm was done here, the nut just needs to be put back in place, and tightened up a bit till the neck looks true again.

 

the real problem is gettin some water back into the wood. one can't stress enough how important it is to maintain this stuff year round. but until you've had a run in with this, many folks really don't believe it's "real"..

 

no one is to blame here, it's just something that once you get into this trouble, you usually work hard to avoid it.

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Not at all. Just wondering out loud.

 

rct

 

I’m not arguing with you

 

It’s difficult to find exactly how they work

 

Easy to see that right turn tightens and therefore straightens the neck and loosening lets the neck react to the strings and increases the bow .. that’s easy physics

 

BUT it would be easy to assume that , after removing the cover and seeing the nut , that the nut part where your spanner/socket goes , is fixed and you’re turning the rod ....

Google it and see , it’s very poorly explained in the majority of sites

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I’m not arguing with you

 

It’s difficult to find exactly how they work

 

Easy to see that right turn tightens and therefore straightens the neck and loosening lets the neck react to the strings and increases the bow .. that’s easy physics

 

BUT it would be easy to assume that , after removing the cover and seeing the nut , that the nut part where your spanner/socket goes , is fixed and you’re turning the rod ....

Google it and see , it’s very poorly explained in the majority of sites

 

I think the hardest thing for people to understand is that they don't proactively do anything. They sit there and counter whatever strings you have on that long stick of wood.

 

I've moved no more than half a dozen truss rods on many dozens of guitars in my life. And when I move them the guitar doesn't have to sit for a week and "settle". They aren't for adjusting action, they aren't for curing buzz 99% of the time. They are part of setting up a neck with the strings and the heights the guitar player likes. After that, they barely exist.

 

I guess I figure there's page after page after page all over the internet explaining this stuff.

 

rct

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😂

Ah give the guy a break.

There’s no harm done here by his nob falling off is there ?

 

Youve never had your knob fall off during a dry patch ?

 

Its getting well lubricated now (guitar, not the knob) with soundhole humidifier (kyser) and also got the room humidifier running the music room.

 

Ill give it a couple days to get its mojo back boys .. :rolleyes:

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Youve never had your knob fall off during a dry patch ?

 

Its getting well lubricated now (guitar, not the knob) with soundhole humidifier (kyser) and also got the room humidifier running the music room.

 

Ill give it a couple days to get its mojo back boys .. :rolleyes:

 

Ah if I had a pound for every time my nob......

 

 

 

 

I’m surprise there’s no cracks in the top

You are maybe lucky dude

 

Hope you get it back to its best Aussie

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Hopefully that will sort it, I’ve not had a knob drop off before!

 

I’ve wrestled with humidity for the last few months to keep the room I store my guitars in between 45 and 60% RH. I’m always juggling dehumidifiers and humidifiers and allsorts but it’s worth the battle. I’m always keeping one eye on my hygrometer-well worth investing in one if you haven’t already.

 

Some of my guitars are almost impervious to any humidity changes in terms of playability, whereas others are really changeable. It could be that your 150 is just a sensitive beast!

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Yes.......loosening the t-rod nut will increase relief and therefore cause the action to rise on the central portion of the neck where the rod has it's effect. Tightening the nut will flatten the neck, putting more rod tension against the string load and decreasing relief. It's the nut that turns, not the rod itself.......if the rod turns, it's broken. And, for my money, truss rod adjustments should always be made with the guitar tuned to pitch. There is no "settling" period.......the neck will react immediately to rod adjustment. If the strings are not pulled to pitch there is no way to see what's happening to the neck.

 

As for re-humidifying the guitar, it sounds quite dry and will likely take 10-14 days of treatment to get back where it needs to be. Moisture getting sucked out of the wood is a slow process.........so is soaking it back up.

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UPDATE:

 

Truss rod nut (knob) is back on, been humidifying her for 2 days with a soundhole humidifier and room humidifier. Buzzing ..gone! Sounding super sweet again, action spot on. Thanks for all your assistance folks. Good reminder for me not to understimate low humidity again.

 

 

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Good news Aussie. Happy to hear it

 

 

Just for the sake of learning from this , how long was the humidity so low ? You said recently , but is that weeks or days were talking ?

 

 

And , if the truss was loosened so far that the nut screwed off - does that mean it was as loose as it can be , as in right at the end of its ‘usefulness’ ?

You screwed the nut back on and then did you then tighten the truss rod a little after that ?

 

Hope you understand what I’m asking here ...

 

 

Happy strumming to you

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