How to Adjust the Truss Rod of a Guitar With a Floyd Rose
The truss rod is a slender metal pole that runs through the inner neck of the guitar lengthwise. It's used for making adjustments that compensate for the way a guitar neck warps and curls. This makes it possible to keep the neck straight so the strings are an equal distance from it at all points. A Floyd Rose tremolo bar also has a string height adjustment feature. The Floyd Rose is a bit touchy when it comes to adjustments affecting string tension, so tuning the guitar is necessary afterward.
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Things You'll Need
- Capo
- Phillips screwdriver
- Socket wrench set
- Liquid, or spray lubricant
- Cotton swab
- Hex key wrench set
- Electronic guitar tuner
Instructions
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1
Clamp, or screw a capo onto the first fret of the guitar neck. A capo is a device that holds all the strings down against the neck to transpose the tuning. The capo will simply be used to hold the strings against the neck for the purpose of helping to measure its curvature.
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2
Hold the thick lower E string down against the 14th fret with a finger and look at the string and neck from the side. Notice how the lower E string sits against the neck between the 1st and 14th frets. A wide gap between the string and the neck means the neck should be adjusted down. The neck needs an upward adjustment if the string is touching it.
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3
Look down the face of the headstock of the guitar toward the neck. The truss rod adjustment nut will be in a tunnel at the base of the head unless the guitar model has a neck that conceals the adjustment screw. Remove the neck from the guitar by loosening three or four screws at the lower back of the neck with the Phillips screwdriver if the nut is not visible through the headstock. Find the truss rod adjustment nut in a tunnel at the lower end of the neck on such models.
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4
Make a mark on the adjustment nut with a marker on the fretboard side of the neck for reference to its location before adjusting. Place a fitting socket wrench over the nut and turn it clockwise to adjust the neck down, counterclockwise to make an upward adjustment. Apply liquid or spray lubricant with the cotton swab if the nut does not move easily. Move the nut 1/4 turn at a time and check the neck between each adjustment. Reattach the neck with the holding screws afterward if necessary.
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5
Adjust the string height if necessary with the Floyd Rose pivot studs on the outside of the forward end of the saddle. Use a 3mm hex key wrench to move the string height up or down on either side of the saddle.
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Adjust the tuning after making the truss rod adjustment by loosening the clamp at the bridge on the upper neck with a hex key wrench. Turn the fine tuners at the rear of the saddle to the middle range. Plug an electronic tuner into the amp cord and set the tuning to your desired pitch with the tuning pegs on the headstock. Close in on the tuning of each string by adjusting the fine tuning pegs on the saddle of the Floyd Rose.
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Tips & Warnings
Tune the strings from the thickest to the thinnest. Then go back and check the thick one. Re-tune the strings leaving them slightly sharp if the lower E string has gone flat, or tune them slightly flat, if the E string is sharp. The sensitivity of the Floyd Rose causes one string to go out of tune when another string is tightened or loosened which makes it difficult to zero in on a perfect tuning with all six strings. Use the fine tuners once it's very close for all the strings.
References
- Photo Credit guitar image by Chris Edwards from Fotolia.com
