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Post by propjob on Jul 28, 2019 1:49:03 GMT
New poster to forum. Bought a HB JA60 last December brand new. Need to adjust the truss rod. Using notched straight edge was able to get only to about a flat relief and no more. truss rod is loose and able to turn would like to get a little relief, but almost appears that fretboard will not relax any more. would like to see about .o12" relief at 8th fret to start and given the radius of the board. I have reduced tension on the strings and am tempted to assist with some weigth while this bows slightly. The specs on the Thomann site are quite general. Any recommended specs for this guitar? Also I am wondering if there has been an issue with the necks on HB. As this guitar is not expensive, it might be ludicrous to send back. Guitar has been in a somewhat humidified environment since I bought it. Has anybody had this issue and what was done to correct it/??
Prop
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 29, 2019 18:41:45 GMT
If I understand things right a double action truss rod puts strain both ways, so I would expect it to go through a neutral position before bowing the neck the other way. So it is not only relaxing the neck. Keep turning past the point where it seems loose (does it?) and see what happens. I never had that situation, so I can't promise I'm right.
Specs should be whatever applies to a 25.5" scale. I have no idea, I never measure this. I'm happy at the point when I notice some relief as opposed to the strings being flat on the neck when fretted at both ends.
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Post by propjob on Jul 29, 2019 21:52:35 GMT
Leo I think you are correct. I did that and am now seeing relief Wow was it off. Also I found out that when I checked the relief, one of my feeler gauges was stuck to another with oil and throwing issues into the mix. I will keep the forum informed. Thanks
Prop
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 30, 2019 2:20:49 GMT
Good So I do understand how things work after all… I don't use feeler gauges for relief. I know Dave does, he's a great teacher for set-ups and repairs, but what I do is simpler: fret the low string at the first fret with one hand (I don't have a capo), at the last with the thumb of the other and press it down in the middle with the middle finger of that same other hand to feel relief. I get to the 12th fret on a 35" bass and to the 9th on a Les Paul, which is closer to the middle of the fingerboard. Do the same on the high string. I leave as little relief as possible, mostly proceeding by quarter turns. The ChinaGuitarSceptic has a slightly different method: fretting on both ends the same way, he just plays the string and adjusts the relief so it doesn't buzz that way:
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 30, 2019 8:16:09 GMT
I wonder why people put guitars on tables to do a set-up. Yes, I get it's a workbench and it's better when they have to do some soldering or general fret levelling with a big block. I'm a couch player, so I do all my stringing and set-up on the couch itself. The guitar lays flat when I remove or put on strings around the pegs: it has its end on the couch and the neck on my legs.
I check the relief in playing position because that's the comfortable way of holding the thing anyway. I set the string or bridge height the same way, tuning and checking for buzz in playing position as I go along. Intonation is also checked that way, regardless of how it has to be held when doing the adjustment.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Jul 30, 2019 10:14:09 GMT
Good So I do understand how things work after all… I don't use feeler gauges for relief. I know Dave does, he's a great teacher for set-ups and repairs, but what I do is simpler: fret the low string at the first fret with one hand (I don't have a capo), at the last with the thumb of the other and press it down in the middle with the middle finger of that same other hand to feel relief. I get to the 12th fret on a 35" bass and to the 9th on a Les Paul, which is closer to the middle of the fingerboard. Do the same on the high string. I leave as little relief as possible, mostly proceeding by quarter turns. The ChinaGuitarSceptic has a slightly different method: fretting on both ends the same way, he just plays the string and adjusts the relief so it doesn't buzz that way: At 7:36 where they are discussing the tremolo system, this fellah says, "...so I've gotta get this floating." and then says he wants to, "get it flat and level when it's at concert pitch". Surely the system he has just showed us already is floating and he is trying to deck it. Or have I been misunderstanding these terms all my guitar playing life? Then again I hear the term 'decking' used by some people when they mean, to the best of my knowledge, blocking it. Fixing it down permanently. I have all three on different strats and worry terribly about using the floating one live in case a string goes twang and the known musical universe suddenly spins on its axis.
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Jul 30, 2019 10:40:56 GMT
Don't know if it would work DefJef? But you could try silicone tubing (the kind used for sea fishing tackle) instead of springs on your tele bridge. If cut slightly over length it should work similar to a light spring? Regarding decked and blocked its much like most guitar terminology, it gets used loosely. I never know what is the right vernacular. Does a hot pickup mean its loud or do I need to wear asbestos gloves? Do I need to get the jet wash out for muddy pups? Will Vic's Sinex work on nasal sounding guitars? It's all bobbins to me!
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 30, 2019 13:29:29 GMT
At 7:36 where they are discussing the tremolo system, this fellah says, "...so I've gotta get this floating." and then says he wants to, "get it flat and level when it's at concert pitch". Surely the system he has just showed us already is floating and he is trying to deck it. Or have I been misunderstanding these terms all my guitar playing life? Then again I hear the term 'decking' used by some people when they mean, to the best of my knowledge, blocking it. Fixing it down permanently. He first says what he wants to do, "set it floating", which it obviously already is but then he says he's never touched it so there's no telling what he really wants to do. Then he moves on to say something general about setting up the action with such a system, which happens to be nonsense. You don't set your bridge flat before setting the action, you set it where you want it because if you don't, then the action will change when you finally do. If your bridge is flat (decked on a Strat'), then having it float will raise the saddles and increase the action. I don't know why people buy guitars with a floating bridge to block it. It's like ordering a coffee with sugar but not stirred. I have seen some making or buying systems to insert in there to that effect. All they have to do is tighten the screws hard enough, remove the bar and the thing won't move. Or get a guitar with a fixed bridge.
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Jul 30, 2019 13:57:51 GMT
Most strat's have floating trems LeoThunder. I get your point but I have 2 strat's (Squier) both have 5 springs tightened hard and the trem decked (apologies for incorrect terminology) the whammy bars are buried deep in the back of a cupboard. I never wanted a strat but 2 deals were too good to miss out on. I don't like the whammy things and have no use for them but if you buy a strat type guitar it is almost a bog standard fitting. I have grown to like playing a strat but still don't like the way it looks or the whammy. Yes I know you can get hardtail strat's but they are not as common especially used. A lot of guitars have whammy bars, so for me personally do I say "no good for me" or do I deck the floating trem and chuck the whammy in the cupboard? I wonder what was in Hendrix's mind when he got a right handed strat! Personally I like and prefer tune o matic bridges I find them easy to set up and maintain. Probably a hardtail strat bridge is very good to? Again what I like may not suit someone else but because I do not use a whammy does not exclude or prevent me from buying a guitar that has a whammy/floating trem.
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