wildkat1 Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 I have had an Elitist 1965 Casino for 5 yrs. that I bought on Ebay. Cosmetically it is pristine. The set up was fine during that time. However, recently (I live in upstate NY) it developed very slight string buzz on the high E string around the 14th fret. I removed the truss rod cover and found the end piece on the rod is a"bullet" style brass fitting that screws onto the rod end. Is there a special tool for adjusting this rod other than a basic hex wrench?? I just don't comprehend how this rod functions....it seems to me if I want to add relief to the neck I'm just going to undo the brass bullet cap!! Any advisement is welcomed....please excuse the ignorance, all my other guitars are quite simple utilizing an everyday allen wrench.... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorgle Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 (edited) Sounds like you need a Gibson-style wrench or a thin-walled 5/16" socket deep enough to reach the hex part of the adjustment nut. Edited April 24, 2019 by Yorgle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildkat1 Posted April 24, 2019 Author Share Posted April 24, 2019 (edited) You're absolutely correct Yorgle…..I have a Gibson tool that fits over the bullet fitting. The problem is that if I crank it counter clockwise (lefty loosey) to add relief to the neck the fitting is just loosening off the rod. I don't get it!! How do I loosen the truss rod to add relief??? Does this sound right? Any Elitist 65 owners..I would love to hear your thoughts!! After viewing a Stewmac video I now realize this is a Gibson style truss rod with a nut on the adjusting end of the rod. I don't see where you can loosen the truss rod with this design. Is mine overtightened already?? Edited April 24, 2019 by wildkat1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 I have many Gibsons, and an '09 Elitist Casino with the same Gibson truss-rod system. Â It is a very basic & straightforward truss rod. The rod itself does not turn. Backing off the nut (counterclockwise) will reduce tension on the rod, and adds relief. Tightening the nut (clockwise) will increase tension on the rod, which then forces it upward as it rests in a bowed channel (reducing relief & straightening the fretboard). Â If you have completely backed off the nut and still do not have sufficient relief when the neck is under tension, then there potentially are other issues at play that cannot be resolved through adjusting the truss rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorgle Posted April 24, 2019 Share Posted April 24, 2019 (edited) You're absolutely correct Yorgle…..I have a Gibson tool that fits over the bullet fitting. The problem is that if I crank it counter clockwise (lefty loosey) to add relief to the neck the fitting is just loosening off the rod. I don't get it!! How do I loosen the truss rod to add relief??? Does this sound right? Any Elitist 65 owners..I would love to hear your thoughts!! After viewing a Stewmac video I now realize this is a Gibson style truss rod with a nut on the adjusting end of the rod. I don't see where you can loosen the truss rod with this design. Is mine overtightened already??  You don't turn the rod, itself. There's a metal washer deep in the hole that the nut rides up against to pull the neck straight. If the nut is coming off the rod, that means it's as loose as it gets, and normally in that situation, string tension will pull the neck into a high relief (up-bow) state. If not, then your neck may have developed the dreaded back-bow. Usually this means pulling out the frets and sanding the fingerboard flat, but here are some things you can try: First, adjust the truss rod nut so that it's completely loose (which you apparently already have done), then turn it clockwise (tighten) back in to the point where it just so touches the washer that's buried up against the back of the neck. Don't tighten it, just get it so it's touching--you dont want to actually put any force on the neck. Then string your guitar with some heavier gauge strings and tune it up to pitch. Check the truss rod nut and see if it's tight now. If it is, loosen it an 1/8 to 1/4 turn and see if you gained some relief (measuring from the bottom of the E strings to the top of the 6th fret). If not, don't give up. Do the same thing, but this time tune the guitar (with the heavier strings) a half or whole step higher to increase string tension on the neck. If that works, leave it that way and play for a month or two, loosening the truss rod nut an 1/8 turn every week or so until the neck maintains at least some relief with the nut all the way loose. At that point, you can probably go back to regular tuning and lighter strings. Edited April 24, 2019 by Yorgle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildkat1 Posted April 24, 2019 Author Share Posted April 24, 2019 Thanks bobouz and Yorgle!! Very useful and informative!! This is the 1st time I've ever touched this Truss Rod and I'll never know if the previous owner had this problem and sold it to me in this state. It's quite playable as is but I'm going to try your advice. I wouldn't have removed the nut briefly as I did if I didn't see them do it on the youtube vid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.