Truss Rod Concerns: setting up your truss rod and fixing a stuck or jammed truss rod nut

This video explains what a truss rod is, what it is used for, how to set it up properly and what to do if your truss rod feels jammed or stuck.

[@datsch_]

Thanks! I just tried your elbow technique on my 1968 Winston violin bass and it unstuck the truss rod which had been stuck for at least 40 years! Top quality info here, thanks again ...

[@JimB802]

Do you have any suggestions on how to get the truss rod to loosen up? I have a double action truss rod that I cannot adjust, the nut will not turn righty or lefty. Unstrung, the neck has a back bow, at pitch there is maybe .004" relief with fret buzzing past the 8th fret.

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

@@JimB802 it sounds like your 2 way truss rod is jammed. If the neck has a back bow without strings AND has 004" relief at the 7th fret with the 1st and 14th fret depressed when strung up to pitch, it is likely the truss rod is jammed in the clockwise position (tightened against a forward warp). The good news is that 004" relief with strings up to pitch is not terrible and in fact is a common truss rod set up, especially for an acoustic guitar. If you are getting fret buzzing above the 8th fret, that tells me that you likely need a fret level and polish and/ you may need to recheck your truss rod relief calculations. While pressing down the 1st and 14th fret at the same time, measure the distance from the bottom of the string to the top of the 7th fret with a feeler gauge. It should be 004" or as low as 002" if it is a solid body electric. Let me know if your truss rod relief is actually 004" (as it sounds like it may be closer to 011" or more.)

[@jonahlmoore]

Any idea what would cause a spoke wheel 2 way to be at an angle at the heel? EVH WOLFGANG, relief is .004”, plays great but noticed the wheel is at angle and won’t turn? Do these bind when over tightened, never messed with this style before.

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

@@jonahlmoore they can bind and it sounds like someone may have turned the wheel off angle and bent the truss rod end. If the truss rod is fine, I would not mess with it
As they say, if it isn't broken, fix it till it is. 🤔

[@jonahlmoore]

@@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gsI know what you mean. Shouldn’t the wheel be easy to turn? It doesn’t move it either direction. Idk if I should put wd40 on it? Maybe relieve tension on the neck with a clamp first? Just trying to get ideas.

[@nereus__]

8:36 to 8:46 may I ask you what you mean by that? Is it tightening up the keys or loosening them?

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

"Check, your truss rod with the strings up to tension". I mean that you should check your neck relief (truss rod) with the strings tuned up to pitch (as if you were playing the guitar). That is the only way you can be sure the neck relief (truss rod) is properly adjusted. 👍