Where do you like your nuts?

astro · Post by **astro** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:11 pm

...truss rod adjustment nuts, that is.

Every Fender I own has the truss nut at the heel of the neck, vintage style. I find this to be a huge pain in the ass. Doing a setup means having to take the whole guitar apart every time I want to adjust the neck relief. This means that I get fed up after a while and settle for a "good enough" neck adjustment, because I don't feel like repeatedly disassembling and reassembling the instrument until it's perfect. I have a couple of non-Fenders with the nut at the headstock, it makes doing a setup easier and much, much quicker. At the very least, Fender should put a small routed cavity on the body in front of the neck pocket, so that you only have to remove the pickguard to adjust the neck while it's still bolted to the guitar.

I was surprised that the new MIM Jags and Jazzies have the old vintage style nut at the heel instead of the headstock. They modernized all the other specs, why not the location of the truss rod nut? Is there any functional or structural advantage to putting the nut in one place instead of the other, besides what I've mentioned? Or is it just a "vintage mojo" kind of thing?

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:14 pm

It looks better at the heel, and obv it's easier to adjust the headstock ones....so.... I'm happy with them at the heel. After all you don't really need to adjust it after initial setup unless you regularly do crazy string changes.

I think they kept it this way fo the mojo.

chisa · Post by **chisa** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:25 pm

looks - heel

practicality - head

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:05 pm

Head end for sure. Of course, my U1 doesn't have a truss rod. That's almost better.

william · Post by **william** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:02 pm

DuoSonicBoy wrote:Head end for sure. Of course, my U1 doesn't have a truss rod. That's almost better.

+1

why doesnt fender consider other designs?

best truss rod- hagstrom "I beam"

better than a truss rod- dano double beam reinforcement

my silvertone has that, and the neck is perfect. it is super straight, and then the string tension gives it juuust enough relief. and then when im playing i know its as good as it can get, which is pretty damn good, so im not going "this is good, but i bet i could lower the saddles a mm if i just loosen the rod a 1/8 turn..." while im playing. glad to see that someone else does this, too.

whats so bad looking about a truss rod hole?

"OMG, i almost bought it until i noticed that there is a hole so i can adjust the relief without dismantling the entire guitar. PHEW. i knew the mids were a touch more scooped and it lacked that vintage bark of my '55."

DaveB · Post by **DaveB** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:49 pm

Cut away some of the pickguard material and you have instant access to the nut. My Bronco looks more like it has been chewed away. Works slick though.

astro · Post by **astro** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:54 pm

DaveB wrote:Cut away some of the pickguard material and you have instant access to the nut. My Bronco looks more like it has been chewed away. Works slick though.

My '76 P-bass can be adjusted this way, a screwdriver just squeezes in with the pickguard removed. But my Japanese Fenders need the neck to be removed to have access to the truss nut. If I had a router I would just route a small cavity in the body in front of the heel for access. But I don't have a router.

MaMo · Post by **MaMo** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:55 pm

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:12 am

comedy bump.

MaMo · Post by **MaMo** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:15 am

Glad you saw it for what it's worth, Zaphod

On a serious note, I'm curious about the side truss rod adjustment that Mike has on his warmoth stang. Seems to be the best of both worlds, no?

Jagermeister · Post by **Jagermeister** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:35 am

Honestly? I'm glad Fender keeps/kept them on the heel.

I wonder how many idiots have been thwarted from messing with them unnecessarily by not having them there accessible, tempting them.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:09 am

edited

wrong thread

william · Post by **william** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:31 am

Jagermeister wrote:Honestly? I'm glad Fender keeps/kept them on the heel.

I wonder how many idiots have been thwarted from messing with them unnecessarily by not having them there accessible, tempting them.

Fuck 'em. Why inconvenience yourself just to save some idiots' mexican strats?