Vintage Modern Tele neck adjustment issues.

[Gilmore]

Hi

My new neck has a substansual up bow in it when unstrung. I measure with notched straightedge and feeler gauges, and the largest gap about 6 - 8th fret is about 0.24. When I tighten the trussrod, the gap does not get alot smaller, I read about 0.22.

I can´t move the trussrod alot. When I have turned it about 1/2 a circle it gets very stiff and I dare not to force it further. Should a new trussrod have enough lube in it to turn? I don´t know how I can get the nut out to lube it, because the hole is very small, and I would know how to get it out.

When I string the guitar, the neck gets even more up bow in it. I can see how the frets from 17 and upwards (the tounge) gradually go upwards and are way higher and closer to the strings then the frets below 17.

Any tips?  I have never seen so much up bow in a neck, and I own many guitars. And I don´t know why the truss rod wont turn more then just about 1/2 a circle.

When I turn the rod in the other direction, the nut gets loose for a while and when I turn further it tightens again, but creates more releaf.

 

[Mor Paul]

Keep turning in that other direction. You said it adds relief, but that's what you want, right? If you become very concerned with how tight it is, you may want to contact Warmoth, but I'm sure they'll tell you the same thing.

 

[mayfly]

With these non-warmoth pro truss rods, sometimes you need to provide a little 'english' to the neck to get it to move where you want.  Remember - with a traditional rod, the rod won't move the neck; it just holds it where you left it.

Warmoth pro rods are different.  Adjusting the rod will move the neck around.

 

[Gilmore]

Keep turning in that other direction. You said it adds relief, but that's what you want, right? If you become very concerned with how tight it is, you may want to contact Warmoth, but I'm sure they'll tell you the same thing.

No I´m trying to take out the relief and make it straight.

But i´m on the right track, the neck got a little straighter after I loosened the nut and pulled the neck at the headstock and kept the tension while I tightened the nut again, It is almost straight now, without the strings.

I was hoping to get some backbow, and then back it off a little bit, until it´s straight again and then I would feel good about it.

 

[Gilmore]

I think I have solved the issue.

The neck and the truss rod needed some calibration. I loosened the nut and forced a tension to the neck and tightened the rod again. Now I have a dead flat neck without stringtention and some room to tighten even more, so the neck will be fairly straight when I put the strings on.

 

[Mor Paul]

ah, I see where my confusion came from. You said it had upbow, when it had relief. Glad you got it fixed.

 

[Gilmore]

Isn´t a relief called an upbow and backbow when there is too much tention?