Stupid string gauge/truss rod question

[erogenousjones17]

Maybe this is a dumb question, and maybe I could have easily found the answer somewhere else, but please humour me anyway; it's late and I've been fighting insomnia for the past two weeks, so I'm not quite firing on all cylinders. Also, I just have so much damn faith in the knowledge contained in this board's collective unconscious.

So basically I got bored of having six guitars in standard tuning. I tuned my souped-up Jackson P.O.S. down to C# and my Warmoth to D#. I also beefed up the strings on each, going from .010s to .011s in both questions. Do I need to make any kind of adjustments to the truss rod to compensate for the slightly thicker strings, or will the lower tunings compensate for the increased tension? What If I decide to go back to standard?  :icon_scratch:

On a side note, anyone got a cure for insomnia? I'm going out of my mind here.  :sad1:

 

[Dan025]

:dontknow:

it might be ok, you'll just have to keep an eye on it for a couple days, i have seen necks that dont change much with no strings on them at all, and i have seen necks back bow, my westbury acoustic in particular. it was my aunts and her boyfriend at the time who worked for westbury built it with some preload like a war era martin but not enough to negate the need for the truss rod.

what type of truss rod is in the jackson? what construction is the warmoth

 

[-CB-]

Look at the relief on the neck, which should show up pretty soon if its gonna move.  Adjust accordingly.

Any time you change tunings or string gauges, expect a truss rod adjustment, as the neck tension is going to vary.

If you just retune for a short time, it might work ok, IF the relief moved in the right direction.  But if it got smaller... you might be in West Central Buzztown Nebraska (population 86)

 

[tfarny]

Yeah, it'll depend. 10s to 11s is not a huge deal in fact the tension might be less since you're tuning down. I've had my LP w/ 10s, standard tuning, for a year and last month I put on some .013s and tuned to open G# (not any lower overall than standard), the truss rod hasn't moved enough in a month to merit an adjustment. My thinline tele couldn't handle 12s in open D though without a serious adjustment. Also, pro necks may be less of a worry in general. Playing with tunings and string gauges is fun, it changes the whole sound and feel of the instrument. Try open minor tunings and other weird stuff while you're messing around.  :icon_thumright:

 

[tfarny]

oh, and insomnia sucks don't it. Books, warm milk, couple extra glasses of wine - sometimes it works, sometimes not.

 

[Dan025]

someone used to tell me if you have insomnia read the bible and see how fast the devil puts you to sleep

i'm not pushing religion here, just if you believe that then there might be a psychosomatic effect or whatever you chose to believe is the culprit, and if your not into religion then the bible will probably put you to sleep anyway :icon_thumright:

 

[mullyman]

Ease up on carbs and sugars and eat more proteins. Try to get some balanced meals and make sure to eat enough throughout the day that you're not letting blood sugar levels drop too low. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if you're insomnia is a cause of some sugar problems in your body.
MULLY

 

[erogenousjones17]

Thanks everyone. I'll let things settle for a coulpe of days and then pull out the straightedge. @Dan: I have no idea what kind of truss rod is in the Jackson (it's a bottom-of-the-barrel JS20 Dinky), but the W is a "Pro" construction.

My diet is actually pretty well-balanced and I've been getting exercise, but I never thought about blood sugar. You might be on to something Mully. Lately I've tried herbal teas, reading, watching tv, relaxation techniques, beer, staying up late, going to bed early, all to no avail. I actually don't have a Bible in my apartment (not really my thing...), but I do have a Book of Mormon. I was accosted in the street a while back by a couple of missionaries, and they wouldn't let me go without giving me one. And I can never bring myself to throw out books. 

 

[tfarny]

The Book of Mormon is perfect! The most badly written "holy text" in history. Mark Twain famously called it "chloroform in print."
Tried Sominex or Unisom?

 

[MUYFUE]

About the trus rod: just see if the neck needs adjustment, as stated above.

About the insomnia: there is an...herbal alternative  :laughing7:

 

[erogenousjones17]

"Chloroform in print." That's brilliant. To be honest, I haven't actually read any of the Book of Mormon. But if it's that bad, it might be entertaining!

I've tried to avoid actual sleeping meds, well, just because. But if tonight sucks as bad as last night did I'll be taking a trip to the pharmacy tomorrow. Or to the musky-smelling apartment across the hall, where it's all reggae, all the time...  :laughing7:

 

[MUYFUE]

Actually now that I think about it more, you might wanna try a soak in a hot tub, steam room or sauna, then a nice shower, but keep the TV off..
Helps me chill  :glasses9:

 

[tfarny]

Computers and tvs are really bad for insomnia.

 

[AprioriMark]

Computers and tvs are really bad for insomnia.

Yeah, when I have trouble sleeping, I unplug everything electronic and leave my phone in the bathroom.  It works wonders.  I know Tfarny meant using them too much or too close to bed, but the lack of electronic hum helps me a lot.

-Mark

 

[mullyman]

My diet is actually pretty well-balanced and I've been getting exercise, but I never thought about blood sugar. You might be on to something Mully.

Yeah, you know, a lot of people have it in their mind that you gotta be fat to have sugar problems but in all reality diabetes and hypoglycemia can happen to anyone regardless of their shape. Sure, fat people are more at risk, but everyone is fair game. I'd seriously try staying away from simple carbs and sugars after around 7:00pm. If you must eat something plain old yogurt will do you just fine. Tastes like crap but it won't weigh you down and it won't cause adverse effects with your glucose levels.
MULLY