Warmoth Pro 12 string adjustment question

[EagleTree]

I have all but finished a 12 string. It's my own designed body with a Warmoth Pro 12 String neck and Warmoth hardware. I put the neck on without relief (perfectly flat) assuming that the 12 string pull would be significant enough to give me more relief than I care to have. It did. I started with the side adjustment free and the neck reminded me of a 60s Japanese 4 pickup drug store guitar, it redefined the term bowed. Over two days, I've taken it up 3 1/2 turns. The neck is now close to where I want it but not quite there. It has a slight visual bow and I don't really want to lower the bridge further till I figure this out. The string set is custom but only slightly heavier than the lightest electric 12 string set you can buy. I used the E-A-D bass string gauges from a 9-42 set instead of the really light EB gauges on the XL sets. Otherwise this set mirrors the high 8s set. This is still likely less pull than a normal or heavy electric 12 string set (I assume). The side adjust screw is now in 1/8 inch which seems a bit uncomfortable to me.

I guess the focus of the question is, does it seem odd or normal that I've used half the side adjust tension on the first time set up (mind you, I'm assuming another 1/4 turn before I have it where I want it). I'm wondering if I should pull the neck, reset, back bow it and start over? It seems plausible that on such a thin profile neck, the 12 strings are too much tension for standard setup?

 

[MUYFUE]

I wish I knew. I dont have any necks with that side adjust mechaninsm.
In the worst case...I'd venture to remove the strings and start over without string tension, as you suggested.

 

[Jommit]

You should absolutely adjust it without string tension. As mentioned as a caution regarding side adjustment
quote: Never adjust the neck under full string tension - always de-tune the strings first.

 

[MUYFUE]

And...............there you go.

 

[EagleTree]

Thanks all, but in my wordiness, I confused the question. I have been detuning the neck. The concern was if it's possible it could be right to require that many turns of the adjuster on the initial setup. I just completed that last 1/2 turn I thought it would need, the last 1/4 felt a bit tight for comfort. But the neck is virtually straight with just a barely visible bow which I think without getting out the feeler gauges, I will call relief.

Any, it just seemed screwy that it took half the adjustment. I recognize the side adjust is a fine tuning but I guess it concerned me how much the thing bowed. Sure sounds pretty though.

 

[mayfly]

Does not sound unreasonable.  My experience with warmoth pro necks (and I've had 5 of them) is that they need a good full turn on the end adjustment to put it in the ball park before you even string it up.  Then you tweak it with the side adjust.

Your experience with a 12 string does not seem out of line with this.

 

[BobR55]

Sounds like you should back the sidewinder back to neutral and take up more tension with the butt nut. The adjustment nut at the end of the neck ('butt nut') should be used for your initial set up (gross adjustments) and then use the sidewinder for small seasonal adjustments (fine adjustments). Yes, make all adjustments with the strings slackened. Rock On!

 

[EagleTree]

Thanks. I think the bottom line was that I didn't want to push the neck past flat with the heel adjuster so I was too cautious prior to mounting. You confirm that my first-settled in adjustment will mean a reset and more aggressive heel adjust. I'd seen some reservations about the gotoh side adjust but now that I've had one, it seems pretty slick. The 12 string aspect just created an anomaly in how much to adjust the heel. It needs a LOT before assembly.

 

[tfarny]

Sounds like you're on the right track. My baritone took quite a bit of adjustment to get that higher tension, but it didn't have a side adjuster so the neck went on and off a few times.