Straightening your Electric or Acoustic Guitar neck for better playability
Author: Ian-Bush
Date Posted:8 August 2012
Here is a quick and easy process to check and adjust your truss rod
Tools Required
Capo, Feeler Gauge, Truss Rod Allen key, Tuner
Steps
1. Tune your guitar to your normal tuning (with your normal gauge of strings on the guitar)
2. Place a capo on the first fret
3. Hold the guitar in playing position
4. Place your finger on the last fret of the neck (19th-24th fret)
5. Measure the gap at the fret the ideal gaps are shown below under "ideal gaps”. These gaps are super thin - about the thickness of a business card so if you don’t have a feeler gauge a business card will do a basic job. (You can buy a feeler gauge from a hardware store for only a few dollars)
6. If you have too much gap, adjust the truss rod 1/4 turn clockwise and recheck
7. If you have too little gap (it's too close to the fret) adjust the truss rod 1/4 turn anticlockwise and recheck
Ideal Gaps
Steel-string acoustic guitar - Gap 0.05mm at the 8th fret
Nylon-string acoustic guitar - Gap 0.05mm at the 8th fret
Electric guitar Gap 0.025mm at the 8th fret
Bass Guitar Gap 0.356mm at the 7th fret
Thanks for reading this blog! to give you even more great content, check out our pages.
- Join our newsletter for tips, advice, new products, and great deals
- Visit our YouTube channel for some great Demo’s & Tutorials
- Our Facebook page for updates and specials and more
- Visit our website
I hope this article has helped. if you need any assistance please email:
sales@artistguitars.co.nz or call us on 0800 025 467
© Artist Guitars 2021
Comments (2)
Great timing
By: WarrenCrabb on 9 August 2012With the changes in humidity and temperature during wintertime, the guitar tone woods will shrink, expand and generally move around. This is a great blog post to read up and know how to keep your guitar in top playing condition. Great article Ian and great timing. I have a few guitars I was about to adjust the truss rod... so now i can put them up on the workbench.
what is the scale?
By: Martin577 on 9 August 2012Great guide but you don't say whether it is inches or millimeters. Please add in this detail. Thanks.