How to Make Neck Adjustments on an Electric Guitar

Occasionally, changes in humidity, temperature or string gauge can alter the amount of bow in the neck of an electric guitar. Ideally, the neck should have a slight forward bow, meaning that the neck bows out away from the strings. If you hear buzzing sounds due to strings hitting frets when you're playing, for example, then you may need to adjust the neck.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Find the location of the truss rod adjustment head. Depending on the guitar, it might be at the base of the headstock or it might be at the other end of the neck.

2. Determine what type of tool you need to make the adjustment. Typically, you either need an Allen wrench or a hex nut socket wrench.

3. Mark the present position of the truss head. It's easy to lose track of the original truss head setting, so make some kind of (easily removable) mark to indicate where you started.

4. Make a small turn of the truss head. Use a quarter turn and then check the results. A little turn goes a long way in adjusting the bow of the neck.

5. Replace any parts that you removed from the guitar to make the adjustment. If you had to remove a cover, for example, then replace the cover when you're satisfied with your adjustment.

Tips & Warnings

• A counterclockwise turn loosens the truss rod and increases forward bow, and a clockwise turn tightens the truss rod and decreases forward bow.
• It may be necessary to remove the neck from the electric guitar to perform the adjustment if the truss rod head is inaccessible. If so, you'll probably need more time to make the adjustment and check the results.
• Don't make extremely large adjustments to the truss rod; small adjustments are usually sufficient. Over-adjusting the truss rod or using excessive torque to turn the truss rod can damage the electric guitar. If you're unsure, take the guitar to a professional repair shop.