Truss rod is all the way loose and relief is .005"

[Chad]

I recently got an SL1T and set it up with D'Addario EXL 9-46 strings. I normally setup my guitars with relief around .007" to .012". I found that when I loosened the truss rod all the way on this guitar, the relief is around .005". Since it's already all the way loose, I can't get anymore relief/upbow if desired. I've owned over 30 guitars and I've never run into this issue before.

In the Owner's Manual, Jackson lists factory spec for relief at .020" at the 8th fret. I don't know anybody that knowingly runs that much relief on a guitar like this, but it bugs me that I'm not able to adjust it to factory spec if I wanted to.

I'm also concerned that if I ever tried to sell the guitar this could possibly hurt resale value because I would feel compelled to mention this issue. If a potential buyer desired more relief this could be a problem. Or if they wanted to put on super light strings (like 8 gauge or so), then the neck might potentially go into a backbow that couldn't be corrected since the truss rod is already all the way loose.

With all that said.....even though I normally like more relief, I have to say that this guitar plays really well. It's a nice guitar that resonates & sustains well.

My questions:

1. Is this a big enough issue that I should try to return or get a credit from the seller? I bought it used from an individual via Ebay. I specifically asked the seller if the truss rod worked properly before I bought the guitar.

2. Should I try to correct this issue? I'm wondering if I were to put on heavy gauge strings and leave them on for a couple weeks or months if the neck would upbow and stay that way, so that if I put the 9-46 strings back on I could adjust relief like normal. Has anybody tried that before?

Thanks!

[Newc]

Asking if it works properly is totally different than asking if it has any issues related to the trussrod. Yes, it spins both directions. Does it make the neck bend back? Yes. Does it let the neck bend forward? No.

Sorry for the trouble. I've got one like that as well. I'm gonna try a set of 10s on it.

[DonP]

With all that said.....even though I normally like more relief, I have to say that this guitar plays really well. It's a nice guitar that resonates & sustains well.

Who cares about numbers. If it plays good it plays good.

Go get Dan Erlewine's book if you want more relief. Option 2 you mentioned is not his way, but might work.

Did you let the neck have some time to relax with the new strings and truss rod loose?

[Chad]

Who cares about numbers. If it plays good it plays good.

I agree somewhat, but where do you draw the line?

The numbers I'm mostly concerned with are $ numbers. How much does this condition affect the value of the guitar and should I be seeking some sort of reimbursement from the seller?

Go get Dan Erlewine's book if you want more relief. Option 2 you mentioned is not his way, but might work.

I read Dan's first book about 10 years ago and his guitar setup book a month after it was released. He doesn't address this issue in either book.

Did you let the neck have some time to relax with the new strings and truss rod loose?

I've never experienced much "settling" or "relaxing" with truss rod adjustments. They pretty much look the same a day or two after as they did 30 seconds after the truss rod adjustment.

I have had to re-adjust truss rods with seasonal heat/humidity changes, but that's due more to environment than any settling or relaxing.

[instroke]

I have had this happen on a past guitar, it was a low humidity problem.

Check the humidity in your room. You will be surprised what an extra 15% will do. most wood instruments want about 40 % - 55 % humidity.

hope this helps best of luck to you...

[Chad]

My house is around 45% +/- 5%.

[instroke]

My house is around 45% +/- 5%.

yeah that's pretty normal humidity, well I think you options are...

...put the thicker strings on, probally need 10's to whatever to make a difference.

...return to seller if still possible

...a last option, I have heard about, a past guitar tech, told me a way:
he would apply lotts of heat to the neck, and then loosen off the fretboard and then reseat/reglue the neck with the fretboard in a clamped vise and properly adjust
the truss rod to the new setting...

but not sure if this technique is perfected and I think it would be a fairly
tough procedure.

try searching the forum, for reseating the fretboard or neck.

[Newc]

I've always heard that maple and ebony rarely, if ever, want to bend the same direction, and if you've got either one pulling back more than a double-acting trussrod can reasonably accommodate, the guitar is pretty much toast. You'll spend more time adjusting the rod and trying to make the guitar playable than actually enjoying it.

Mine can sit on the stand for a week tuned to standard E and the next time I pick it up, it's a semitone above that, of not closer to F, and the rod is as loose as it will go without taking the nut off.

[DonP]

I read Dan's first book about 10 years ago and his guitar setup book a month after it was released. He doesn't address this issue in either book.

Well, he has two books. I have both. He discusses a couple of necks (Lep Paul and a Baritone Tele) that need "help" getting relief. He used a jig with a clamp in the middle to help the neck get to where he wanted it.

I really don't call this an issue. I say you have a very strong neck that doesn't want to give in to string pull.

You want a strong neck for good tone IMO. A flimsy neck will suck the tone out of the guitar.

[DonP]

I've never experienced much "settling" or "relaxing" with truss rod adjustments. They pretty much look the same a day or two after as they did 30 seconds after the truss rod adjustment.

Agree to disagree. I think you should let a neck settle for 24 hours between adjustments.

[Slik_Karl]

Agree to disagree. I think you should let a neck settle for 24 hours between adjustments.

+1

[Newc]

I agree with Don. Wood moves very slowly. The only time wood moves quickly is when it breaks. While the initial adjustment will usually be immediately noticeable, the lasting effect of that adjustment will not. It takes a few hours for the wood, which is not completely free of moisture (it'd shatter if it were), to settle into the new adjustment of string tension vs rod tension vs what it wants to do.

I learned years ago that whenever I receive a guitar, I let it sit with whatever setup it came with for a few days until it acclimates. I did that with JCF01, which had mile-high action and played like total shit the day I got it. I tuned it up and did nothing else to it. A few days later, once the neck adapted to the new environment, the action was low and fluid, and needed only a minor tuning adjustment afterwards.

I didn't have to touch the bridge or the neck after that.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I'd return the guitar if possible. :dunno:

A Soloist neck ought to have a visible (as in "holy shit that's a lot of relief") bow to it with the truss rod slack and strung with .009 - .042.

Have you checked with a straightedge to see if there's a hump, or is the relief curve OK, but just not enough? What's the neck look like with the truss rod loose and no string tension? Flat, or back-bowed?

[Chad]

To check relief, I use a quality straightedge from Stewmac and quality automotive feeler gauges. As mentioned in the first post, the guitar plays really nicely in its current state with 005" relief and 9-46 strings with the truss rod all the way loose. But I'm still concerned because that isn't normal and I wonder what might happen if seasonal humidity/temp changes caused the neck to straighten out even more and possibly move into a back bow that couldn't be adjusted with the truss rod since it's already all the way loose. Also, concerned if a person wanted to put on lighter gauge strings or they wanted more relief.



Regarding letting necks settle, I wasn't really arguing that this should be ignored. I was just saying that I don't personally ever recall my guitars' truss rod adjustments changing a day or two after adjustment. Same with this guitar. It was .005" relief 30 seconds after I set the truss rod....and it's still .005" several days later.

I think we're talking about two separate issues here....settling and environmental affects. If temp/humidity stays constant and a truss rod adjustment changes a day or two later that was probably due to the wood settling in to an adjustment (as mentioned I don't ever recall this happening in my house with my guitars). If temp/humidity HAS changed and a guitar needs a truss rod adjustment, then that would most likely be due to environmental changes. I always leave new guitars in the packing box for a day or two after I get them before opening (yes, the wait is painful, but it's like waiting on Christmas )to help avoid any major temp/humidity shock to the guitar.

BTW, I sure wish Jackson used dual action truss rods and this situation wouldn't even be an issue.

[toejam]

I'd throw on a set of 10s or 11s or even higher, let it sit for a day or so, then you should be able to tighten the rod.