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The truss rod cavity is the unheralded orifice of the guitar. In addition to being cramped, it's amazing how much crap gets in there--dust and finish blobs, etc. I am resisting the urge to make an inappropriate anatomical reference here...
Plus how many times have you removed a TRC only to have a screw fall to the floor, requiring 15" of searching?
You would think instrument makers would pay more attention to making this area user-friendly, since we're supposed to have to adjust it ever now and then.
(Disclaimer--I rarely have to make adjustments after setting up the instrument after I get it. I guess the humidity swings in the midwest aren't as dramatic as one might think.
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03-24-2016 12:29 PM
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Good info. I have several sockets with their walls ground down by using my bench grinder. Also works in a pinch, so to speak.
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I've had luck with the Allparts 5/16" on an es-165 with a particularly tight truss rod nut cavity.
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Actually that one looks exactly like the Grover that I got. My cramped nut was in an ES175.
Originally Posted by MaxTwang
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All my Gibson's came with that wrench in the case pocket with the rest of the case candy. Yes a nut driver will not fit most Gibson's. The Phillip screwdriver side is the perfect size for the trussrod cover screws too. Great little Gibson tool.
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That's the reason why the Gibson truss rod adjusting tool is thin-walled:
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There's hardly any there there.
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Mine didn't have the tool, hence my quest! I actually have two Gibsons. The ES165 is perfect, so I never thought to look for the wrench. The ES175 VOS had a tad too much relief, so I started in to work on it and discovered the dilemma. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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Didn't Gibson stop supplying truss rod wrenches around 2010? My 2013 ES-335 didn't come with one. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
That's the reason why the Gibson truss rod adjusting tool is thin-walled:
There's hardly any there there.
That pic is a good example of the grain run-out problem that leads to broken headstocks - look at the grain running along the bottom of, or through, the truss rod cavity.
Excuse me while I unstring all my Gibsons and set them on a bed of pillows
Last edited by MaxTwang; 03-24-2016 at 04:34 PM.
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Could be worse:
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My solution:
Standard truss-rod tool as used by Gibson, for normal cavities.
Craftsman thin-walled socket ground down to razor thinness for tight cavities, mounted on 1/4" fine-tooth ratchet for best control of torque.
Screwdriver with no torque, perfect for removing truss rod screws without stripping heads, free from Ace Hardware.
Don't use those free truss rod tools except in emergencies. Seriously, invest in decent tools.
Danny W.Last edited by Danny W.; 03-24-2016 at 07:25 PM.
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Some Gibson guitars I own had a build-up of finish and crud under the truss rod nut. In all of my cases the build-up could be removed to allow the wrench to be inserted.
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How did you grind down the socket? I do basic stuff with tools, but metal working in general is not my forte. Originally Posted by Danny W.
My solution:
Standard truss-rod tool as used by Gibson, for normal cavities.
Craftsman thin-walled socket ground down to razor thinness for tight cavities, mounted on 1/4" fine-tooth ratchet for best control of torque.
Screwdriver with no torque, perfect for removing truss rod screws without stripping heads, free from Ace Hardware.
Don't use those free truss rod tools except in emergencies. Seriously, invest in decent tools.
Danny W.
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Forty years ago I ran the design engineering department of an electronics manufacturing company. We had an excellent model/machine shop, and one of my perks was that I could have them do whatever I needed, including making me a better truss-rod tool. I'm pretty sure they used a lathe. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
Danny W.
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In the past I have just purchased a cheapo socket and inserted a screwdriver handle. If it was a 1/4" drive socket my screwdriver handle will fit the socket. If it was a 3/8" drive socket I needed to use a reducer to make the screwdriver handle fit. Then I used my bench grinder and twirled the screw driver as I ground down the socket walls against the grinding stone. It wasn't a precise kind of thing but it did work for what I needed it to do.
Oh, and I wore safety goggles because I never wanted to be a pirate.
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A bench grinder I have (and goggles!). that might be a fun rainy-day project. Originally Posted by lammie200
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The cross section photo perfectly reveals the problem with a roomy truss rod cavity- it severely weakens the neck at a critical point. Using an Allen nut ended truss rod drastically reduces the size of the cavity and makes for a much stronger neck. A big whomping hex nut is problematical- hence I suspect those old huge baseball bat mahogany necks were intended to provide a lot of wood at that spot. Modern thin necks are even more weakened by the cavity.
Last edited by Cunamara; 03-25-2016 at 09:25 AM.
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The cross section also shows why a volute is a good idea, or the diamond on the back of old Martin necks.
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Except Tradition got in the way. Not all of Norlin's ideas were bad. You will find that the Japanese makers like Ibanez kept the Norlin volute. They recognise a good idea when they see one. Originally Posted by MaxTwang
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Honestly, folks, this little thread has become much more informative and helpful than I ever imagined. The information and observations here on how truss rods related to neck strength, and such, have been to me quite illuminating.
It almost makes it worth it to have a cramped nut, you know?
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One thing I really like is a dual action trussrod as found on the Gibson Formed top. The X500D I sold to Eric Rowland has one as do many Japan made guitars like the Vestax era DA's. They are just far superior and can achieve feeler gauge action. Gibson should upgrade all their models to this far superior trussrod IMO.
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If one Google's "truss rod adjustment" so often the feedback suggests, what ever you do don't make more than 1/8th of a turn during one adjustment.
I'd imagine many, if not most, here have been doing their own setups and TRA's for decades. What say you?
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I give it a quarter-turn. Basically if the wrench is "pegged" on one side, I won't go farther than it bumping on the other side of the truss-rod nut cavity. That's a quarter, maybe a third of a turn.
I also like to work on the truss rod with a notched straight-edge lying on the fingerboard, so I can see how much difference is made. I like to wait 5-10 minutes between turns if it takes more than one.
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I cautiously make small incremental turns when adjusting the trust rod, 1/8th sounds correct.
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a prime reason for turning only a bit at a time is because the neck will often take a few hours to find its level tension...so you can turn and see nothing tonight, and tomorrow morn it's where you want it...so don't give in to the temptation of thinking the turn did nothing and keep going...slow and steady..tomorrows another day
cheers
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