Do I need a truss rod or bridge adjustment?

Gear
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If I want to bring my strings closer to the fretboard, how can I tell if I should be tightening the truss rod or lowering the bridge adjusters. It seems that both types of adjustments will lower the strings, but I don’t want to mess anything up. :grimacing:

I’ve already lowered the bridge adjusters but at what point should I be dealing with the truss rod too?

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2

Quick check of neck relief is:

  1. Press down string at the first fret.
  2. Press down on the same string with your elbow at the last fret.
  3. With your spare hand press down at the 12th fret. There should be a small gap ( think business card thickness) between the string and fret. No gap means adjust truss rod, huge gap adjust truss rod.
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Thanks Barney, that makes a lot of sense!

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4

This is easier with a capo ime

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Sure, but not everyone has a capo. This is a no tool, quick method. All you need is the truss rod tool.

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Aha, I have one of these that I’ve never used. :rofl:

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instead of a capo you can also just thread a thick pick under the A string, and over the E and D strings overlapping the fret a bit to hold down the E on the fret. like so:

Screen Shot 2022-01-06 at 5.51.46 PM
Screen Shot 2022-01-06 at 5.51.46 PM1460×1392 212 KB

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^^^this!

In general, it’s the bridge not the truss rod unless the strings height is already set, then you’d check the neck relief.

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So that’s yet another another way to skin the cat! :laughing:

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10

The neck relief should be checked first and then string height. Always remember to retune after any adjustment and allow the bass to settle for 15-20 minutes before testing.

There are a ton of posts on this topic on the forum.
Just do a search with the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner and search for ‘truss rod’ or ‘bass setup’.

Here is a link to one that currently going on:

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You’ve obviously never played with a singer or lead guitarist that only knows a song in one key :rofl:

Using a capo and knowing the Nashville Numbering System can be a game saver sometimes when playing with others.

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At every point…
Other than truss rod tweaks during the year for changes in humidity, if you are going to make adjustments you should be doing them all in the proper order of a setup, as @Celticstar mentions.
Setting your string height not knowing where your truss rod is doesn’t make for a good ‘system’, its like building a house on a foundation that you haven’t checked the level of.

It won’t matter as much in the beginning, but what I find is the more I play the more I know how I like my basses set up, and the more it bothers me when they are not set up properly.

Past the truss rod and bridge, if the action is still not low enough for your liking, you may need to start looking at nut height or even shimming, but again, can only add those in once you know where your foundation and walls are…

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This is very helpful information, thank you @John_E .

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Is it that obvious? :laughing:

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@NipperDog the way I remember it when adjusting a Bass is: T-R-A-I-N

• Tune guitar to concert pitch.
• Check and adjust neck Relief.
• Check and adjust the Action.
• Check and adjust the Intonation.
• Noodle away

I learned it watching Ron Thorn who is a master builder at Fender talking to Phil McKight on the Know Your gear channel

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Oh Man, just what I needed! :+1:

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My favorite video:

@Barney is right, no special tools are needed, only a screwdriver and the allen wrenches that came with your bass. Rarely you may need an additional truss rod wrench but usually this comes with the bass.

And the screwdriver is only needed for setting intonation, as described here:

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I would add a couple simple things here.,

  • before all that, check your neck bolts for tightness (they do loosen over time)
  • RE-tune between each step, not doing so between R and A will effect action height significantly.
    -when retuning before I, make sure you are super spot on with tuning so intonation is as accurate as possible.
  • some folks here are comfortable enough to do this all by feel, as @howard mentions, but if you are new to this I would recommend measuring so you start to get familiar with what height = what feel. This is also helpful when you ‘think’ something is amiss later on, you can spot check to confirm to yourself. Of course you don’t have to do this, but it may help until you are comfortable. I am an engineer, and like precise thingys, so I use a Fret Guru and feeler gauges to confirm my ‘feel’ as I learn what ‘feel’ is. If you decide this route is for you, I would add one other step to above….
  • check R and A before you start and write down. That way you know where you started.

YMMV

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Sounds like good advice and I’ll heed your recommendations, John.

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