time to adjust the truss rod?

[Mikernaut2]

Well okay I admit I'm a truss rod noob here and I have 2 guitars with the same syndrome and am wondering if indeed I need to adjust the truss rods.

Both guitars in question had really low action and were fretting out around the 15th fret and higher. I raised the action to compensate for this but now the action isnt too desireable at all. It is fine actionwise up at the locking nut end but gradually gets higher as it moves up to the higher frets.

So would tightening or loosing the truss rod compensate for this ? Or would even putting in a shim/shims under the locking nut ( which I have on my BC Rich's) also give me the required effect of balancing things out.

I'm assuming that loosening the truss rod it will slightly bow the neck up and help to remedy this situation and then I can low the action again to get rid of the deadspots. Or am I totally off in my thinking?

[ihocky2]

The truss rod does not adjust the action. The truss rod adjusts the relief with the greatest amount of relief in the general neighborhood of the 7th fret. By the 15th fret the relief should be pretty much flat to the last fret. The action height increases as you get closer to the bridge because you have the bridge higher off the board than the nut. All you have to do is lower the saddles a little bit. Check out this link on how to set up a guitar. Follow each step in order, do not skip any steps. http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/tutorial1.htm

[greenskeeper]

Nice site. Thanks.

[Spivonious]

Nice site. Thanks.

+1

Very nice site indeed!

[Deadlock]

very nice site...i'm gonna need that tonight when i adjust my BC Rich.

[VitaminG]

The truss rod does not adjust the action....
...All you have to do is lower the saddles a little bit....

Both guitars in question had really low action and were fretting out around the 15th fret and higher. I raised the action to compensate for this but now the action isnt too desireable at all. It is fine actionwise up at the locking nut end but gradually gets higher as it moves up to the higher frets.

ihocky, seems that Mikernaut is aware of this. His guitars had low action, but were fretting out, and he adjusted the bridge height already.

Mike, try loosening the truss rod a little (righty tighty, left loosey, as you look down the neck from the headstock). Adding some more bow to the neck will allow you to bring your bridge height back down.

[toejam]

ihocky, seems that Mikernaut is aware of this. His guitars had low action, but were fretting out, and he adjusted the bridge height already.

Mike, try loosening the truss rod a little (righty tighty, left loosey, as you look down the neck from the headstock). Adding some more bow to the neck will allow you to bring your bridge height back down.

Yeah, I do this to my Fender Double Fat Strat twice a year. It sits on a stand in my bedroom all year long... when it frets out, the rod gets loosened; when the action gets too high, the rod gets tightened.