Well, I always remove the pickguard and use an angled screwdriver to adjust the trust rod on a fully working guitar. You should loosen the strings while adjusting the rod. In case your angled screw driver needs more space you can loosen the neck pickup to get more space. I believe this leads to good results the easy way ... ;-)
Correct, no need to unscrew the neck. There are also proper tools from StewMac and Hosco (H-TRW), of which none are offered by Thomann of course, to make adjustments extra safe and easy on those slotted vintage + nuts with just the PG removed. Seeing a tiny Phillips screwdriver loading the slot edges to the max in the video is pretty cringeworthy.
I ran into this flaw on a strat, so I notched out the plastic guard to fit an elbow driver and now you can adjust on-the-fly without removing anything!
Elbow driver is usable for a vintage tele bodies, usually they have a hole in front of a trussrod screw. Strats does not have that, and i came to idea to simply saw off thar little part of wood from a body, to make the trussrod screw more accecable. Wish me luck :)
Most vintage-style teles already have a channel cut in front of the neck pickup for adjusting the truss rod. All you need to do to access it is remove the pickguard. Since the tele neck pickup is mounted directly to the body, no removal of the neck pickup is required. You don't even need to loosen the strings.
stewmac sells a tool/specialized screwdriver where you just need to remove the pickguard and you can adjust it with the neck under tension. i actually called thomann once to ask if they have something similar. no luck :D tbh, fender should give you such a tool, especially when you buy a custom shop guitar for 4 grand or more.
I have one of the stew mac tele tools. Just remove the pickguard. Also, if you get a gallon of paint at the home store, the key they give you to open the paint can is just as good.
@@SpencerP96 nah, most cases just 5 screws as it's for "vintage" lines, also vintage lines have the neck pickup bolted on to the body, not the pickguard, so it's just removing the plastic, and another bonus is you can do it under tension
that capo tip is killer, especially if you (like me) have those vintage tuners where the strings will pop right out usually. You just saved me a hell of a lot of time, thanks!
Thank you for the super tip. I have a 62 reissue Strat and was dreading taking the neck completely off. I saw the other comments, so will be careful to look for shims before shimmying the neck loose.
you forgot to tell people to notice if there are shims in between the neck and body.....and make sure they stay in place and dont end up being clamped at a different spot.
That capo move is priceless. Moving the neck up is a timesaver, too, but for those of us with the slotted tuners, fiddling with re-seating the strings has been the obnoxious time-waster, and the capo trick eliminates that. Thanks!
Thats damn useful because I have this Aria legend Strat from the 90s and it has the same construction trussrodwise. I always wondered how you are supposed to adjust it without multiple attempts. It can not be good if you have to unscrew and screw back the neck multiple times for an adjustment.
I'm pretty sure moving the neck out from the loosened screws can cause the holes in the wood to become stripped eventually making it impossible to keep the neck tight enough on the body of the guitar.
I actually created a cavity on a few of my vintage spec Strats that allow me to make truss rod adj’s w/o having to pop the neck. A small u-shaped cavity that allows my StewMac wrench to access the rod freely…so worth it!
Yeah, many customise their vintage spec Fenders, which make a lot of sense. If it's an expensive guitar though and you really don't want to mod it, it's nice to know these tricks too. Cheers //Kris
I bought a 50s vintage tele, a Keith Richards tribute. I didn’t realize the bloody truss rod would be such a pain. Thanks for the video. I’m set up again and ready to go!
Can't thank you enough! My new 60's Vintera Strat would require just the proceedure you described to adjust the truss rod. Happily I got the action where I wanted it without that adjustment , but if that changes in the future now I know what to do
This shows how easy it is. But PLEASE stop saying "the amount of turns".....people get the idea that adjusting a truss rod is a matter of cranking the wrench "a few turns" when it really only needs a small amount, like 1/8- 1/2 turn.
Great tip I just don't understand why fender and "boutique" builders still build some guitars with necks like this, from an engineer point of view this is such a stupid way of accessing the truss rod ... But I guess "vintage" sells and adds mojo, it's like someone ordering a new caterham car and saying : "it looks vintage and all, but I want the shitty gearshift and powerless engine from the 70's to make it real authentic.
You mention the word “engineer” but your interpretation is wrong. The adjustment port at the headstock puts a defect in a thinner and stressed component that could lead to problems in years to come. The adjustment port in the strongest part of the neck makes sense from an engineering point of view. As an engineer myself I understand this intellectually, but I’m with you, it is very inconvenient!
Thanks Chris, I always do all my guitars, but I just got the "Virginia" Eric Johnson strat a while back and saw that "buried" truss rod. Very helpful! thank you!
my old tele..i removed the pickguard.. removed the neck pickup.. (just loose off on the side).. and the little part of wood between the neck pickup and the screw? gone.. i chopped that off.. and i'd now use a long phillips with the guitar strung .. i'd put the picuup and slide the pickguard back.. !
Thank god. I always thought it’s really really bad when I was doing it like that in the past. But the fact that you recommend doing that way makes me feel better now 🤘
Thanks for this tip ... I have to change out my 5way switch so I will have access to the screw, but if I don't get it right at least I know I don't have to take the whole guitar apart again to adjust that truss rod.
Short term solution! You can't do it like that for the life of the guitar man! You'll strip the neck holes in a few years of owning the guitar. It's far better to route a small channel for your screw driver where the body meets the neck. Then all you have to do is unscrew your pick guard! The method of removing the neck will eventually lead to metal inserts or new maple dowels in the neck screw holes and that will be an expense. Stew mac also has a funky little tool that can get in there for the adjustment with the neck on.
I live in NY, and the weather and humidity are all over the place, all year long. I hate the heel adjustment on the Vintera JMaster, the only one I have. TBH, since it's also a vintage radius neck, which requires constant tweaking , anyway, I wouldn't buy again ( or trade, as the case may be).It's a less than stupid feature to continue for the sake of " vintage authenticity ".
Good idea. I also agree about checking shims. When I have adjusted my vintage truss rods I use a notched straight edge and adjust the neck flat. Then reinstall the neck and return strings to tension. This has worked well and usually requires minimal re adjustment if any . Of course this varies depending on the stiffness of each neck.
I just removed the pick guard and cut a small cavity in the body ahead of the forward pickup and with a "truss rod crank" adjusted the neck with the strings on.
Just be aware of the neck screws, and not stripping out the threads in the neck.. if you partly unscrew them like this, and then you bump things around, or maybe you didn’t loosen the strings as much as you should’ve, you can yank the screws, where they hit an angle, and partly hop the thread, so pay attention that they are coming smoothly back in, and if it seems like they’re cross, threading back it out and proceed with caution
Simply feed a small, flathead screwdriver into the pickguard notch and adjust the truss rod screw the easy way. It's why the notch exists in the first place, it isn't just there for "show", it serves a practical purpose. You won't have to loosen any strings or unbolt the neck and you'll get a more precise neck adjustment too.
@@tunesdonebyone3428no problem. I'm surprised a guitar tech is giving such bad advice when the method I've described has been used by guitarists since the 50s. I own a vintage Fender and it even explains the method I've shared in its old instruction manual 🤣
I understand your concern. The only sensitive parts are the holes: you should definitely not over tighten the screws. There are many 70+ years old teles and strats with this kind of truss rod and they are still doing fine. After the first few years of a guitar's lifetime you don't have to adjust the truss rod too often. Everything gets settled in after a while. Cheers //Kris
Do you mean the neck pickup cover? Or the pickguard? The pickup cover can't be removed. The pickguard can and there are some clever tools that allow you to adjust the truss rod without loosening the neck. Some of those work well, some don't. I mainly had experience with the later ones but I've heard people liking some other tools. Cheers //Kris
Great video! I hadn't even thought of that as an option - just loosening the neck, as opposed to removing completely. Question - what model screw gun is that you're using? Looks nice and compact.
I think that is very good to use the same gauges and strings brand for mentaining the setup....I bought the Fender Vintera 50's Stratocaster and is more than anything, is just having such a trussrod, this guitars are the beggining of everything....After playing for almost 11 years Dean, BC Rich and Ibanez, i just found amazing the factory relic guitar, is very good for large hands, for small ones no, needs an modern one, definently the 50's is like a Les Paul as wood, is very wide and very good as tone.....
Hi Chris great tip! remind me which way to turn if I need a little more lower action... clock wise or counter clock wise ? because I can't go lower on the saddles on my Strat Thx
Hi, thanks! If you need to straighten the neck you have to tighten the screw (= truss rod). So you turn it clockwise. And remember, small steps at a time. A quarter turn can already make a huge difference. Also, if the screw is tight don't force it. Cheers! //Kris
I use the same trick, but no need to relax the strings. 1) Install the capo 2) Return the guitar 3) Loosen the neck screws, pressing the body , avoiding the neck to jump out the neck pocket. 4) With prudence, unmount the neck from the neck pocket 5) adjust the truss rod When the neck is mounted, the string are very next of the good tune.
Prudence - lifting the neck from the neck pocket would entail loosening the strings. A very small effort to take all the needless pressure off the truss, the truss end, the neck in the pocket etc. You can retune after the adjustment with the neck seated in the pocket and the screws almost tight to get a firm fit.
@Jeff Smith There are angled tools made just for this purpose. Makes it so much easier than having to remove or loosen the neck every time you need to adjust the rod.
Marlin have a heal adjustment It turns clockwise about an eighth anti clockwise and the nut unscrews ???? Buzz around 9th up to the 21st fret unless I set high action
Interesting. But, why not just take the pickguard off and use an angled tool? StewMac sells one that works. I know you wouldn't want to do that with a strat, because the pickups are attached to the pickguard, but there's nothing attached to the pickguard of a vintage tele.
Hey, there are clever special tools for this, you're right. It's just really hard to find them in Europe. Ordering from Stewmac and other US shops is really expensive (customs, shipping, etc). So this little trick helps to solve the problem without any special tools, which is useful I guess. Cheers! //Kris
This is a good way to do a neck-butt end truss rod adjustment. I've done it this way for a long time and it's just fine. But what a PIA compared to adjusting a nut-end truss rod nut with the guitar in tune! No comparison. Why the neck-butt end design? Cosmetics? Economy? No, I don't think there is a sensible reason except to drive us crazy.
I hate brother time to get your tech skills going on. I got a old fender Squire strat and the trust ride is not visible so I’m gonna do that technique. I don’t even see it partially visible, but I’m hoping it’s where you say it is OK.
I tried this trick but couldn't go further when the neck seemed glued to the body. Any tips Thomann?
3 роки тому+2
It's unlikely that it's glued. What's happened is that the finish from the neck and the body have dried together creating a little bit of a seal. A little pressure should make them come unstuck again.
Wait, if you put on a capo then loosen the strings, won’t the strings only be loose between the capo and the tuners? It would make more sense to loosen the strings, pull them tight from down by the bridge, then put the capo on. That way it’s tight we’re you need and loose where you need it.
I understand your concern but don't worry, there's no capo (at least not that I know of) that will hold the tension of the strings once you loosen them. I also didn't tighten the capo that much so it's really just holding the strings in place, instead of locking them like a locking nut. And for this reason the order of loosening the strings and putting on the capo doesn't really matter. //cheers, Kris
I just picked up a Fender Brad Paisley " road worn " tele. The truss rod is a vintage style like in the video. Is it worth replacing the guitar neck; with a trust rod opening in the neck? or is this not a big issue? thoughts? thanks.
Don't replace it. As you've seen in the video it's not much of a deal setting it up. And even if you don't want to do it yourself, any guitar tech can do it for you in a minute. Just visit a workshop once a year for a check, done. If you change the neck of a guitar the feel and the tone will most probably change. So if you like it as it is, don't swap it. Cheers //Kris
By no means screw the screws with the machine but by hand with a screwdriver because the thread damaging the wood is not metal. And by machine screwing you don’t feel like a manual.
I can’t believe that you didn’t tell us which way to turn the truss rod screwdriver to lower the action up high on the neck- that’s all I wanted to know
Ok, here is to everybody complaining. 1. The only complicated thing is how these stupid tutorials are. 2. You don't have to remove neck if you have a right tool, that is a simple peace of steel that fits the space between the pickip and neck heel. You can buy it, or make it your self. I even cut a hole in my pickguard, so I don't have to remove it every time. Adjusting truss rod is easy!!!
Still an old design flaw that needs to die. I refuse to own a guitar with this kind of truss rod adjustment. Under 2 minutes, but guess what? You can't check your work without putting the whole thing back together and tuning it up. Then if you got it wrong, loosen the strings, take it apart, turn it a little more, put it back together, tune it up. If you don't get it right on the first try (and you probably won't), it will take significantly longer than 2 minutes. And repeatedly loosening and tightening the screws will put wear and tear on the screw holes, eventually necessitating adding toothpicks and glue or wood filler to the formula. I once owned a guitar like this. Never again. Not when necks have to be adjusted every time the seasons change. Headstock truss rod adjustment is a far, far, FAR superior design. When the adjustment is at the headstock, you make an adjustment and check your work immediately, no dissassembly/reassembly required. Guitars with the old adjustment should not even contunue to be manufactured, it is a disservice to guitarists and techs.
It is a pain, but you don't need to take the neck off, you can buy angled screwdrivers for teles, but you still need to remove the pickguard. I guess it's trading some vintage authenticity for ease of use. Like playing an AC30 that has no master volume or effects loop.
Well, I always remove the pickguard and use an angled screwdriver to adjust the trust rod on a fully working guitar. You should loosen the strings while adjusting the rod. In case your angled screw driver needs more space you can loosen the neck pickup to get more space. I believe this leads to good results the easy way ... ;-)
Correct, no need to unscrew the neck. There are also proper tools from StewMac and Hosco (H-TRW), of which none are offered by Thomann of course, to make adjustments extra safe and easy on those slotted vintage + nuts with just the PG removed. Seeing a tiny Phillips screwdriver loading the slot edges to the max in the video is pretty cringeworthy.
0:54 just remove the pickguard and usually the body will have a channel for heel access. I use the stew mac crank for tele.
I ran into this flaw on a strat, so I notched out the plastic guard to fit an elbow driver and now you can adjust on-the-fly without removing anything!
Elbow driver is usable for a vintage tele bodies, usually they have a hole in front of a trussrod screw. Strats does not have that, and i came to idea to simply saw off thar little part of wood from a body, to make the trussrod screw more accecable. Wish me luck :)
This is gold! Saves so much hassle.
Most vintage-style teles already have a channel cut in front of the neck pickup for adjusting the truss rod. All you need to do to access it is remove the pickguard. Since the tele neck pickup is mounted directly to the body, no removal of the neck pickup is required. You don't even need to loosen the strings.
this +1!!!! how the heck the professional guitar people in Thomann didn't know this??
stewmac sells a tool/specialized screwdriver where you just need to remove the pickguard and you can adjust it with the neck under tension. i actually called thomann once to ask if they have something similar. no luck :D tbh, fender should give you such a tool, especially when you buy a custom shop guitar for 4 grand or more.
That’s what I was thinking. Just cut the Pickguard back enough to reveal the screw.
I have one of the stew mac tele tools. Just remove the pickguard. Also, if you get a gallon of paint at the home store, the key they give you to open the paint can is just as good.
Removing the pickguard sounds like more of a pain in the ass than doing this tbh
@@SpencerP96 nah, most cases just 5 screws as it's for "vintage" lines, also vintage lines have the neck pickup bolted on to the body, not the pickguard, so it's just removing the plastic, and another bonus is you can do it under tension
@@SpencerP96 On a 50's style tele you can easily remove the pick gaurd while the neck has the strings fully strung and tuned up.
that capo tip is killer, especially if you (like me) have those vintage tuners where the strings will pop right out usually. You just saved me a hell of a lot of time, thanks!
Haha! Good to hear that! Yeah, this trick really makes a lot of sense with vintage tuners.
//cheers, Kris
for real, quite a nice tip
Thank you for the super tip. I have a 62 reissue Strat and was dreading taking the neck completely off. I saw the other comments, so will be careful to look for shims before shimmying the neck loose.
you forgot to tell people to notice if there are shims in between the neck and body.....and make sure they stay in place and dont end up being clamped at a different spot.
This is basically trying to tell you that you can do it. Of course there will be more and he goes into detail somewhereI'm sure in another video
That capo move is priceless. Moving the neck up is a timesaver, too, but for those of us with the slotted tuners, fiddling with re-seating the strings has been the obnoxious time-waster, and the capo trick eliminates that. Thanks!
Thats damn useful because I have this Aria legend Strat from the 90s and it has the same construction trussrodwise. I always wondered how you are supposed to adjust it without multiple attempts. It can not be good if you have to unscrew and screw back the neck multiple times for an adjustment.
I'm pretty sure moving the neck out from the loosened screws can cause the holes in the wood to become stripped eventually making it impossible to keep the neck tight enough on the body of the guitar.
I actually created a cavity on a few of my vintage spec Strats that allow me to make truss rod adj’s w/o having to pop the neck. A small u-shaped cavity that allows my StewMac wrench to access the rod freely…so worth it!
Yeah, many customise their vintage spec Fenders, which make a lot of sense. If it's an expensive guitar though and you really don't want to mod it, it's nice to know these tricks too. Cheers //Kris
Ouch! I don't want a Dremel or router anywhere near my guitar.
Have the same idea with my partcaster vintage spces strat. Do you have maybe some video tip, how to make it as smooth as possible?
I bought a 50s vintage tele, a Keith Richards tribute. I didn’t realize the bloody truss rod would be such a pain. Thanks for the video. I’m set up again and ready to go!
We should all have Keefe’s guitar tech working on our tele’s!😂
Can't thank you enough! My new 60's Vintera Strat would require just the proceedure you described to adjust the truss rod. Happily I got the action where I wanted it without that adjustment , but if that changes in the future now I know what to do
This shows how easy it is. But PLEASE stop saying "the amount of turns".....people get the idea that adjusting a truss rod is a matter of cranking the wrench "a few turns" when it really only needs a small amount, like 1/8- 1/2 turn.
Great tip I just don't understand why fender and "boutique" builders still build some guitars with necks like this, from an engineer point of view this is such a stupid way of accessing the truss rod ... But I guess "vintage" sells and adds mojo, it's like someone ordering a new caterham car and saying : "it looks vintage and all, but I want the shitty gearshift and powerless engine from the 70's to make it real authentic.
It plainly just looks better as well
You mention the word “engineer” but your interpretation is wrong. The adjustment port at the headstock puts a defect in a thinner and stressed component that could lead to problems in years to come. The adjustment port in the strongest part of the neck makes sense from an engineering point of view. As an engineer myself I understand this intellectually, but I’m with you, it is very inconvenient!
Thanks Chris, I always do all my guitars, but I just got the "Virginia" Eric Johnson strat a while back and saw that "buried" truss rod. Very helpful! thank you!
my old tele..i removed the pickguard.. removed the neck pickup.. (just loose off on the side).. and the little part of wood between the neck pickup and the screw? gone.. i chopped that off.. and i'd now use a long phillips with the guitar strung .. i'd put the picuup and
slide the pickguard back.. !
I found this out on my own a year ago. Man I wish I would have known about it sooner. Great video!
Thank god. I always thought it’s really really bad when I was doing it like that in the past. But the fact that you recommend doing that way makes me feel better now 🤘
Thanks for this tip ... I have to change out my 5way switch so I will have access to the screw, but if I don't get it right at least I know I don't have to take the whole guitar apart again to adjust that truss rod.
Wow ! Your name on the neck plate ? Ultimate luxury !
Ultimate Ridiculous...
Never thought about the capo trick very cool!
Short term solution! You can't do it like that for the life of the guitar man! You'll strip the neck holes in a few years of owning the guitar. It's far better to route a small channel for your screw driver where the body meets the neck. Then all you have to do is unscrew your pick guard! The method of removing the neck will eventually lead to metal inserts or new maple dowels in the neck screw holes and that will be an expense. Stew mac also has a funky little tool that can get in there for the adjustment with the neck on.
I live in NY, and the weather and humidity are all over the place, all year long.
I hate the heel adjustment on the Vintera JMaster, the only one I have.
TBH, since it's also a vintage radius neck, which requires constant tweaking , anyway, I wouldn't buy again ( or trade, as the case may be).It's a less than stupid feature to continue for the sake of " vintage authenticity ".
Good idea. I also agree about checking shims. When I have adjusted my vintage truss rods I use a notched straight edge and adjust the neck flat. Then reinstall the neck and return strings to tension. This has worked well and usually requires minimal re adjustment if any . Of course this varies depending on the stiffness of each neck.
Why would you flatten the neck? You want relief.
Yes this helped me!! I have a 60’s Vintera tele and had no idea how to adjust the rod! Thanks!
Glad to hear that! Enjoy that awesome guitar! //Kris
I just removed the pick guard and cut a small cavity in the body ahead of the forward pickup and with a "truss rod crank" adjusted the neck with the strings on.
Great video. Vintera Strat 50’s was too high. Then store set it up too low. I will try this today. Thank you for this excellent solution.
Just be aware of the neck screws, and not stripping out the threads in the neck.. if you partly unscrew them like this, and then you bump things around, or maybe you didn’t loosen the strings as much as you should’ve, you can yank the screws, where they hit an angle, and partly hop the thread, so pay attention that they are coming smoothly back in, and if it seems like they’re cross, threading back it out and proceed with caution
Simply feed a small, flathead screwdriver into the pickguard notch and adjust the truss rod screw the easy way. It's why the notch exists in the first place, it isn't just there for "show", it serves a practical purpose. You won't have to loosen any strings or unbolt the neck and you'll get a more precise neck adjustment too.
Hey, thanks! Haven't tried it yet, actually, but I just bought a custom shop Strat was a little freaked out at not being able to adjust the truss rod
@@tunesdonebyone3428no problem. I'm surprised a guitar tech is giving such bad advice when the method I've described has been used by guitarists since the 50s. I own a vintage Fender and it even explains the method I've shared in its old instruction manual 🤣
Very useful . Thank you very much !!
Amazing tone bud ! ✌️😎
these types of videos are awesome , more of these please
That was really nice but I'm thinking after time (loosed and tighten) the neck is going to make the neck joint unstable.
I understand your concern. The only sensitive parts are the holes: you should definitely not over tighten the screws. There are many 70+ years old teles and strats with this kind of truss rod and they are still doing fine. After the first few years of a guitar's lifetime you don't have to adjust the truss rod too often. Everything gets settled in after a while. Cheers //Kris
Great playing
Great Info - A BIG Thanks.
Glad I watched your video! Can I take off front cover to get to it with elbow tool?..
Do you mean the neck pickup cover? Or the pickguard? The pickup cover can't be removed. The pickguard can and there are some clever tools that allow you to adjust the truss rod without loosening the neck. Some of those work well, some don't. I mainly had experience with the later ones but I've heard people liking some other tools. Cheers //Kris
I use the stewmac truss rod crank. All you need to do is remove the pickguard. You don't even need to loosen the neck screws.
You must be rich. I gotta check and see if harbor freight has one.
Awesome tip, thanks man!
Thank you a thousand times over.
I love my vintage reissue tele. But man I hate adjusting the truss rod on it!
Thank you Chris! very helpful.
Great explanation. Smooth, short n sharp!
Nice trick! Thank you so much for posting this!
That was very helpful. Thanks!
Glad to hear that. Cheers! //Kris
Welcome to the greatest design flaw in the history of electric guitars.
Great video! I hadn't even thought of that as an option - just loosening the neck, as opposed to removing completely. Question - what model screw gun is that you're using? Looks nice and compact.
whats the reason/ benefits of having truss rod adjustment at this position, rather than at headstock? Im curious to know
No benefits, just an old design.
I think that is very good to use the same gauges and strings brand for mentaining the setup....I bought the Fender Vintera 50's Stratocaster and is more than anything, is just having such a trussrod, this guitars are the beggining of everything....After playing for almost 11 years Dean, BC Rich and Ibanez, i just found amazing the factory relic guitar, is very good for large hands, for small ones no, needs an modern one, definently the 50's is like a Les Paul as wood, is very wide and very good as tone.....
Hi Chris great tip! remind me which way to turn if I need a little more lower action... clock wise or counter clock wise ? because I can't go lower on the saddles on my Strat
Thx
Hi, thanks! If you need to straighten the neck you have to tighten the screw (= truss rod). So you turn it clockwise. And remember, small steps at a time. A quarter turn can already make a huge difference. Also, if the screw is tight don't force it. Cheers! //Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Thx!
I use the same trick, but no need to relax the strings.
1) Install the capo
2) Return the guitar
3) Loosen the neck screws, pressing the body , avoiding the neck to jump out the neck pocket.
4) With prudence, unmount the neck from the neck pocket
5) adjust the truss rod
When the neck is mounted, the string are very next of the good tune.
Prudence - lifting the neck from the neck pocket would entail loosening the strings. A very small effort to take all the needless pressure off the truss, the truss end, the neck in the pocket etc. You can retune after the adjustment with the neck seated in the pocket and the screws almost tight to get a firm fit.
Great lesson.
Remove the pickguard then use a flathead.
as simple as that, it's what I did on my bass, NO WAY that would touch the neck
@Jeff Smith There are angled tools made just for this purpose. Makes it so much easier than having to remove or loosen the neck every time you need to adjust the rod.
absolute legend! thanks mate
Thanks so much! //Kris
Marlin have a heal adjustment
It turns clockwise about an eighth anti clockwise and the nut unscrews
???? Buzz around 9th up to the 21st fret unless I set high action
Hear I am again maple 86 mij 57 reissue neck with a straight edge tool light showing through all over do I tighten I think it has to much relief.????
you did not say which way to turn screw for bow or back wards bend
It would be really convenient for viewers to add a brief explanation of whether the 2:05 scene stretches the neck or makes it more curved.
Thanks, if ever, if i tightened it too much. how could we loosen the truss rod?
Interesting. But, why not just take the pickguard off and use an angled tool? StewMac sells one that works. I know you wouldn't want to do that with a strat, because the pickups are attached to the pickguard, but there's nothing attached to the pickguard of a vintage tele.
Hey, there are clever special tools for this, you're right. It's just really hard to find them in Europe. Ordering from Stewmac and other US shops is really expensive (customs, shipping, etc). So this little trick helps to solve the problem without any special tools, which is useful I guess. Cheers! //Kris
Without accounting for the string tension, it requires several iterations to make sure the neck's relief is the correct one... just PITA
Turning the screw, which way ? And the effect on the neck, bowing forward or backwards should be explained.
This is a good way to do a neck-butt end truss rod adjustment. I've done it this way for a long time and it's just fine. But what a PIA compared to adjusting a nut-end truss rod nut with the guitar in tune! No comparison. Why the neck-butt end design? Cosmetics? Economy? No, I don't think there is a sensible reason except to drive us crazy.
Isn't the hole in the head-stock just below the nut there to access the truss rod?
In other guitars yes, not on vintage teles.
May I ask which size of screw driver should I use?
I cannot find a damm replacement telecaster V shape neck with a trust rod adjustment on the headstock 😤. I live in Spain…
Thank you for making this video!
Only I have one question: Is this truss rod double action, or does it have a limit?
I hate brother time to get your tech skills going on. I got a old fender Squire strat and the trust ride is not visible so I’m gonna do that technique. I don’t even see it partially visible, but I’m hoping it’s where you say it is OK.
How about a 2000 Mim !, even if I take pickgaurd off can only see half of screw and the pickup still seems attached
Which way do you turn to tighten??
Just amazing tip. Save me time and strings. TNX!
Tiny turns , test and tune,repeat if necessary or do like me and pay someone to do it! Luithers need work too!
You're right, they really do. That's why we don't go into crazy repairs and huge mods in this series. Cheers buddy!
//Kris
I tried this trick but couldn't go further when the neck seemed glued to the body. Any tips Thomann?
It's unlikely that it's glued. What's happened is that the finish from the neck and the body have dried together creating a little bit of a seal. A little pressure should make them come unstuck again.
@ Thanks for your reply, I'll try again then, though I used quite a bit of pressure last time
Thanks man!
but which way lowers the action? clockwise, yes?
Wait, if you put on a capo then loosen the strings, won’t the strings only be loose between the capo and the tuners? It would make more sense to loosen the strings, pull them tight from down by the bridge, then put the capo on. That way it’s tight we’re you need and loose where you need it.
I understand your concern but don't worry, there's no capo (at least not that I know of) that will hold the tension of the strings once you loosen them. I also didn't tighten the capo that much so it's really just holding the strings in place, instead of locking them like a locking nut. And for this reason the order of loosening the strings and putting on the capo doesn't really matter.
//cheers, Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses I see. Thanks for the reply. I’m working on my new Jaguar and it’s proving to be a frustrating set up.
Nice tip, thanks!
That’s a great idea. Thanks very much.😂
I just picked up a Fender Brad Paisley " road worn " tele. The truss rod is a vintage style like in the video. Is it worth replacing the
guitar neck; with a trust rod opening in the neck? or is this not a big issue? thoughts? thanks.
Don't replace it. As you've seen in the video it's not much of a deal setting it up. And even if you don't want to do it yourself, any guitar tech can do it for you in a minute. Just visit a workshop once a year for a check, done. If you change the neck of a guitar the feel and the tone will most probably change. So if you like it as it is, don't swap it. Cheers //Kris
As a non Tech - Thank you!!!
Thx. Very useful. Cheers!
Still, it's crazy that Custom Shop is doing it this way.
New people need to understand that the neck screws must be completely backed out of the neck before you start pulling it out of the pocket...
Great idea gonna try this as we speak \_/ hey what amp did you use in this video in the test run ? Sounds super good with tele :)
Genius!!!
Nice and simple, thank you Kris. 3:19 that's what Kris said... You did that on purpose, didn't you? 😂
Well... let's say I was pretty tired at the end of the shooting day. Haha!
//cheers, Kris
By no means screw the screws with the machine but by hand with a screwdriver because the thread damaging the wood is not metal. And by machine screwing you don’t feel like a manual.
Sorry to bother, would this work with a Fender Rascal bass?
Thanks. This the absolute smartest method of neck adjustment. I did on my 60s custom shop tele in one attempt.
I can’t believe that you didn’t tell us which way to turn the truss rod screwdriver to lower the action up high on the neck- that’s all I wanted to know
Ok, here is to everybody complaining. 1. The only complicated thing is how these stupid tutorials are. 2. You don't have to remove neck if you have a right tool, that is a simple peace of steel that fits the space between the pickip and neck heel. You can buy it, or make it your self. I even cut a hole in my pickguard, so I don't have to remove it every time. Adjusting truss rod is easy!!!
thank you!
Thanks Bryan! Cheers //Kris
2:18 You call that an adjustment? You hardly moved it.
hear I am again 57 reissue mij 1986 the filler gage .010 don't fit buzzing on first 1234 frits .
that guitar is sick looking, I wish mine was worn down looking.
Still an old design flaw that needs to die. I refuse to own a guitar with this kind of truss rod adjustment. Under 2 minutes, but guess what? You can't check your work without putting the whole thing back together and tuning it up. Then if you got it wrong, loosen the strings, take it apart, turn it a little more, put it back together, tune it up. If you don't get it right on the first try (and you probably won't), it will take significantly longer than 2 minutes. And repeatedly loosening and tightening the screws will put wear and tear on the screw holes, eventually necessitating adding toothpicks and glue or wood filler to the formula. I once owned a guitar like this. Never again. Not when necks have to be adjusted every time the seasons change.
Headstock truss rod adjustment is a far, far, FAR superior design. When the adjustment is at the headstock, you make an adjustment and check your work immediately, no dissassembly/reassembly required. Guitars with the old adjustment should not even contunue to be manufactured, it is a disservice to guitarists and techs.
It is a pain, but you don't need to take the neck off, you can buy angled screwdrivers for teles, but you still need to remove the pickguard. I guess it's trading some vintage authenticity for ease of use. Like playing an AC30 that has no master volume or effects loop.
Fucking hell that Tele sounds nice at the end!