I have a nocaster (relic) and the neck has a bit too much relief though the rod is fully tight. I've read something about a washer to give a little more range which is all I need. Can someone tell me what kind/size and exactly what to do?
thanks!
I have a nocaster (relic) and the neck has a bit too much relief though the rod is fully tight. I've read something about a washer to give a little more range which is all I need. Can someone tell me what kind/size and exactly what to do?
thanks!
the trick will be finding a washer with a small OD.
do I look like I know what I'm doing?
You can find a washer with the right inside diameter and grind or file the outside to size.
Are you sure that you've run out of threads on the truss rod?
If not, you can sometimes get more out of a truss rod if you loosen the strings completely, clamp or have someone hold the guitar's body to the bench (all surfaces padded), pull down gently on the end of the neck (at the nut, not the tip of the headstock) and give the rod a slight turn.
I've had great results doing this, but...
Keep in mind that you can completely screw up the guitar if you do this wrong or overly aggressively!
I'll give that a try. Thanks Don. Last winter I realized I had no more range of adjustment and the neck still had too much relief. This guitar is an '02 and has always been fine until last unusually dry/cold winter.
Anyhow I loosened the rod a bit and detuned the guitar about a step. Stuck it in a room with a humidifier for a week. I left tuned like that all year long. I just tuned it back up today, I'm going to check the rod again, but if it's like last year, I'll probably need that washer.
I heard Fender sells or supplies these to authorized techs. Can I get one through one of them so i'm sure it's the right size? I've never pulled a truss nut out before. I'm not sure how the washer will even do anything.
As much as a Custom Shop Nocaster relic must have cost when it was new, might it be worth taking the guitar to a qualified luthier and having him fix it?
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
If you have any doubts at all, follow the above advice and take the guitar to a luthier.
Your troubles will be a lot worse if you break the truss rod.
Whatever you do, don't force it!
I've been at this for a long time and recommend extreme caution when working with truss rods.
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