How to Adjust the Truss Rod on a Les Paul Guitar
Getting adequate action on your Les Paul means getting your truss rod setup just right. With a little knowledge and a few tools, you can adjust your truss rod setup yourself and enjoy playing your Les Paul.
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Instructions
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Check the truss rod setup by looking down the neck of the guitar. Flip it over to check the curvature on the other side as well. Most guitar technicians shoot for a completely flat neck, although players like Stevie Ray Vaughn had his action set high.
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Loosen the string closest to the nut on the truss rod and move it to the side. This gives you room to make the adjustment.
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Tighten or loosen the truss rod with a socket wrench. Tightening forces the neck backward and lowers the action, while loosening increases the curve and raises the action on the guitar.
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Adjust only a quarter of a turn at a time. Overtightening a truss rod can set your action out of whack and break the truss rod.
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Sight down the neck again after making the adjustment. Adjust the truss rod another quarter of a turn if the action is not raised or lowered enough. When you are finished adjusting, put the moved string back in place and tune your guitar.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're not comfortable adjusting the truss rod setup on your Les Paul, hire a guitar technician to adjust it for you.
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Comments
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I wouldn't slacken any strings. Keep the guitar in a normal state of play and in tune so you get a true reflection of the action. Use a straight edge to check the curve.
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inonothing
Jul 05, 2010
It's a lot less scary to do this yourself if you loosen all your strings and then adjust it. It takes longer because you have to tighten all your strings again, before you can see if you've adjusted it sufficiently, but theres virtually no way you can damage anything doing it this way. Just remember, if it doesn't want to turn anymore don't force it!!
