I've been playing guitar for some 48 years and currently have 12 guitars. I was always worried about tweaking the truss rod, and somewhat embarrassed to say that I never properly understood what it did. When I came across this video a little over two years ago it was literally a revelation that made everything crystal clear and simple, and I've been setting up all my own guitar necks ever since. Thank you my friend, you've changed my (guitar set-up) life for ever!
You are very informative and not only say what to do, but explain the science behind it and the consequences of doing it incorrectly. Thank you so much sir. My Strat has never played better and the fact that I did the work myself makes me wildly happy!
Hey Galeazzo. Your videos about truss rod adjustment, set-up and intonation are so helpful. I know you uploaded them years ago, but please never take them down! Every now and then I come back to remind myself what to do, so I'm glad they're always here. Cheers!
Found your channel a few years ago Frudua, and it's my go-to to remember all sorts of things. I've been back to this video four or five times now, 'cos I can never remember which way to turn the truss rod, and you're the only person I've found who is clear about from which side you're looking when you're talking about clockwise and anti-clockwise. So, thank you!
The step by step procedure is (better if frets are dressed): 1) neck (truss rod) relief 2) string's height at bridge 3) srtings height at nut (VERY IMPORTANT for both comfort and INTONATION) 4) intonation For the Gretsch just buy a bridge with roller saddles and lube the nut slots :)
man,you became a legend for me.When I need a trust rod adjustment, I watch this video over and over again.Thanx for everything and a clear,valuable briefing..!
Hi Galeazzo, I wanted to add a floating Tremolo bar with high and low range to my daughter's new (or new to her) electric guitar as well as give it a good tune-up. So, I reviewed all of your videos several times, ordered the needed parts to do the upgrade, and preformed all the mods and tricks including notching the 6 screws. In all, it took about 3 hours, beginning to end, including fixing a grounding problem causing hum and noise. Before the mod, there were issues with it staying in tune and several strings arbitrarily buzzed. Afterward, It tuned up very nice, has held tune for 4 days straight without even a tweak, and it returns to in-tune after repeated use of the Tremolo. :))) Thanks, Galeazzo, for making these videos. Between your knowledge of guitars and my mechanical and electrical skills, we have played a significant role in my 15 yr old daughter's musical talent. Seeing her play with a happy smile says it all! JP
Over the last couple of days I've been going through all your videos, using your tips to tweak the settings on my guitars. They sound and feel better than ever. Thanks a lot!
He is absolutely The Best. I set my 4 guitars-up ( and they stay-in-tune & play incredible ) just by watching Mr. Frudua Videos over-and-over. oNe LovE from NYC
It's amazing how much more confident I am setting up my guitar after following your videos. I might be a decade or so late but sending all the thanks your way!
think this was the simplest straight forward explanation on truss rod adjustment I've come across. for me & in my opinion anyhow helped me out alot thanks.
Finally! A real good explanation on how to adjust your truss rod. I've seen so many idiots try to explain it. Only problem is, it seems so simple, that people won't want to believe. But, BELIEVE IT. It really is this simple.
Just found this site. You made this like 9+ years ago. Very informative. Getting back into playing again and just bought a used strat and your videos helped make it sing. Thanks.
good tip, first time someone really explained what exactly to do besides look down the guitar and look for relief. Eyes get tricky with various light sources especially after playing all night
Whether it's instruction on playing certain tunes, singing harmony to Beatles' songs, or throwing Valve amplifiers out of 2nd story windows, your videos are very informative and entertaining. The real plus is that I always come away having learned something. Thanks much!
In my opinion this guy explains things clearly and it is very very easy to understand and follow what he's saying (despite his accent). Best part is he uses simple house hold items/tools (mostly) to help setup guitar unlike others I have seen (they use more special guitar based tools which you would specifically need to buy an instrument shop. It seems to me that he also covers everything you need to know in his videos unlike some other I've watched. Very good tutorial.
I do this by ´eyesight´ I can´t explain but I can somehow just look at the strings then adjust and it´s perfect... Year after year it´s just something I have a feel of. As usual your ´tips ´/ advice is simply great . Im pretty shure you help out a lot of guitar players with your videos. Keep up the nice work .
I got a new Telecaster and the high e string was buzzing, without any knowledge I turned some screws and suddenly everything was kinda buzzing in on strange frets and stuff, nothing really worked out until I saw your easy tutorials with everyday materials as a help. Thanks mate, I really appreciate your work here, made my day!
Thanks, that really helped me. I built a strat for my son but know nothing about music myself. We did some fine tuning and it seems ok but I will be following what you did here!
Dude, I love your candor and how you just say it like it is. My guitar was never set up right and the action was so high that the pitch would change when I used the higher frets! You emboldened me to mess with my truss rod. I've got my old guitar back! It plays better, sounds better, and is easier on the fingers too. Thanks man. Subscribed for sure!
A problem I encounter is string/fret buzz whenever I try to get the action at lowest possible setting. I can't be the only one running into that problem ?
@@jimcamp2423 He recommended a fret dressing for this. There are most likely differences in heights of varying frets, so some play cleanly while others buzz. A fret dressing should even them out so the string is the same distance from every fret.
Hello!My name is Fabien and thanks a lot for your help.I'm a french people and my english is poor, but you speak very slowly and no accent!!Wonderful!!I had all understand!!Musically. Fabien CAURIER.
Adjusting the truss rod - and I was pleased to find I had just clicked on a Galleazzo Frudua video. I've watched many of his Beatles vocalization tutorials and love the excellent explanation and demonstrations.
This theory is completely correct. But the problem is that lots guitars come from the factory (even expensive guitars) with a snake neck. This means " There is too much space between strings and neck around 6th-7th-8th frets, and buzzing strings from 12th to higher frets.After adjusting the truss rod , the first problem is gone, and the second is worser. Fret leveling will help, but not solving the problem completely. Great videos , thanks SIR.
Sorry, I will apologise first, But I just have to say, There is no such word as "Worser". Its just "Worse". "and the second is worse" not "and the second is worser". Sorry, I just had to point this out.
You are the great wise one my friend! I just put together a Strat for my daughter from spare parts and I have followed your instructionals and it actually sounds as good if not better than my $3000 PRS's and $4,000 custom that I have. Thank you sooo much!
THanks, I had to turn the trussnod 3 milimeter clockwise and already the quite annoying buzzing noise was no longer anymore! really better to watch a video about how its done then an enormous text about it without pictures of any kind :D
Means the neck is warped BUT if the BASS has a bigger space it's in some way ok because lower strings has a wider vibration pattern. Eventually you have a comfortabe feel on the higher strings (low action) and less buzzing on the lower ones The opposite would be a BIG problem instead.
I watched all of your videos and tried your techniques. My guitars have never played better! You have made a great contribution to all guitar players. Thank You.
MR. FRUDUA! I sincerely hope you are well and ok. I know that you are an Italian Luthier and I can't help but think that you may have been affected by Coronavirus considering the situation that was in Italy in March-June. You should make an updated version of all of your videos. Keep all of the valuable info you have provided in these vids too. For many months I've been dealing with various guitar problems. I have an ESP guitar that had a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge on it and I bought a new Floyd Rose original. Since then, I've had numerous problems with open string buzzing and weird sitar like sounds from the 1st two strings. I watched this video years ago and just recently stumbled on it again. THE MOST VALUABLE INFO in this video is using the card from a D'addario string set and using it on the 1st thinnest string! This tip made all of the headaches I've had over the past several months worth it! Thank you so much! My Truss Rod was actually very very tight. Not so tight that it broke but it was very hard to turn. When all is said and done and I followed your advice in this video exactly, the truss rod had virtually little to no tension on it...I thought it was broke because it was so loose but that was just enough to fix my string buzz and the sitar strings and now my action is very low and I now have a very playable guitar. What really threw me off was how loose the truss rod on this particular guitar needed to be. It's extremely loose but it fixed all of my problems...THANK YOU FROM AMERICA -December 2020!
I have a 1976 Fender Stratocaster and I was afraid I might make a mess of things by adjusting the truss rod, but the action is low and it still seems kind of stiff to play. My friend recommended that I adjust the truss rod, and with the information your video provided I'm building up my courage to give it a try. Your video is very helpful. Thank you!
Frudua, Thank You very much for the very valuable information. At times I fell we tend to over think adjustments and which and when to make them. You have simplified this and made it very easy to understand. Again Thank You!
As a foreigner I understand some of the analogies he does while trying to translate to english since Spanish is a bit like Italian. I thought it was very funny when he advises to take the guitar to a guitar doctor.
For anyone interested ,this guy is absolutely RIGHT !!! !!!! !!!!! Most guitar manufacturers give a guide about truss rod adjustements which is .008" to .012"....The D'Addario package is about .011" thick !!!
This is great but instead of something completely variable like paper or a business card, would a feeler gauge reading not have been better when referring to the distance between the string and the fret when the action is correct?
Yes, sir. That is correct and as any Warwick owner will attest, an operation one tends to do fairly regularly. My point is that the direction of truss rod adjustments are not all the same, so it is imperative to find out and...well...observe the movement after each small adjustment if you can't happen to find out. For some guitars, moving the truss rod clockwise actually moves the head stock forward not backward.
Some say relief is checked at 8th fret... some say at 10th... some say hold fret at neck/body joint... some say hold fret at 24th fret.... some say hold it at 16th/17th... One word... Confusion :)
infoowetrust Thanks. Yes, of course. He is an expert. No doubt about that. About the truss rod... I think one can get a good idea from the feel of the guitar; feeling the action and listening for fret buzz. And adjusting accordingly. Thanks.
***** Thank you. Maybe they are all valid measurements and different techniques are used by different manufacturers. All are good ways and, after all, you can tell by the feel.
pathfinder55 explorer Thanks for the comment. Yes, definitely get a professional guitar tech to set up your guitar if you're new to it or don't set it up often. These techs are pros and practice it on a daily basis and it's obvious that they do a better job than a guitar player that primarily practices playing rather than technical stuff. Maybe some players may set up their guitars roughly and don't mind if the action turns out high or there's some buzzing. As long as they can play. But they can practice much better on a professionally-set up guitar, right?
First change strings , tune and lower the pickups then: (1) Adjust the truss rod (2) Adjust the action (3) Adjust the nut - this is the most important and impactful part for your playing comfort and tone (4) Adjust the intonation (5) raise the pickups again (6) Clean the instruent (7) Drink to my health (for the nut especially ;)!
Thankyou for your excellent advice. I have taken your advice and adjusted the truss rod on my Yamaha Pacifica 612V which always felt uncomfortable. Only 1/3 of a turn has made it so much more playable now. With your advice with using a credit card to set the action I now love this guitar. Thankyou for the very pleasantly presented and detailed video.
I really like the look of that semi-hollow body guitar, the color, the shape, the hardware. It look like it is a very comfortable guitar to play. Where do you sell these?
Thanks this is the best tutorial I have seen online. These days the dealers are supposed to setup the guitar before it ships but I have found that they generally have very buzzy setups so the truss adjustment is very necessary. thanks for the great advice and good luck on the website.
I'm embarrassed to say it, but I never knew this. I used to use super slinkys back in the day, and have now been using d'addario jazz strings, but i plan to switch to d'addario regular lights. if i've never changed the neck tension before, do i need to worry about that if i'm just going back to a standard gauge? or do you think the Jazz strings have changed my neck tension over time, thus i'll have to reset it for lighter strings?
queerp Technically you are supposed to check your relief every time you change strings. Even if you are changing them to the exact same brand and gauge strings. Differences in manufacturing can cause different tensions, and thusly cause a back bow, or too much relief. And you only check for relief after you have stretched your strings properly, and completely setup your intonation. Guitar needs to be perfectly in tune prior to setting your relief. And some food for thought. A lot of guitar players will check and adjust their truss rod, before each gig. Because the change in Humidity from your house to the gig, can sometimes cause a back bow in your neck.
Thank you Mr.Frudua for the tutorial on truss rods.I have always been reluctant to touch the truss rod on my Strat for fear of damaging the guitar,but after watching your video I did the adjustment using the business card method, on the tenth fret, and now my guitar sounds great.Best Wishes,Barrie.
I just bought a new guitar and it had pretty bad fret buzz on the first and second fret. I watched your video and could adjust it while being totally relaxed even though it was my brand new guitar. Now it plays perfect -- thank you so much -- you saved my day :)
This little trick of putting a capo on the first fret and pushing down on the last fret while measuring the backbow at the 10th fret finally got rid of some buzzing strings that were driving me crazy....thanks a bunch.
Ma una cavolo di versione in italiano ( di questo e degli altri tuoi video) ,no ? Non si poteva fare in italiano e poi mettere una finestra con scritto " click here for the English version" ? Possibile che noi italiani dobbiamo sempre adeguarci agli altri ? Il video è molto interessante ma non è sfruttabile da noi che, per jella e/o sfiga siamo nati in Italia. Essendo anche tu italiano (tu voi fa l'americano,ma sei nato in Italy...come canta Carosone) ,penso che la totalità della tua clientela sia tutta italiana (non credo che un americano ti spedisca la sua chitarra per farsi fare la "messa a punto" alla sua chitarra),che senso ha questo video (ma anche gli altri tuoi video ) in inglese ? Per far vedere che conosci la lingua inglese ? Ho letto che fai corsi di liuteria,li fai in italiano o bisogna presentarsi con la cerrtificazione IELTS per la lingua inglese?
Thank heavens for that i've found your videos. I followed your advice years ago now and my guitar sounded awesome but after not touching my guitar for over a year the intonation is out again so it's back to watching your videos. :)
PLEASE when your not to busy give us a video on fret crowning, dressing, etc. Possibly something with basic at home tools? Whatever you show though will be helpful and thanks for all the previous vids!
Honestly, there's so much bullshit going on around the internet with different methods of adjusting and measurements, totally unreliable and only creates confusion that it's refreshing to see someone do it properly.This video has helped me TWICE to adjust the truss rod on TWO DIFFERENT GUITARS. If you want to properly adjust it, listen to this guy, ignore the rest.
@FruduaTv yes, a luthier did it. He also filed the bone-nut. One fret is 2mm in height, the height between fretboard and the nut-cut is 2,5mm. It doesn't buzz now (2-1,6mm on 17th fret), even when I play really hard. But when I lower the height on the saddles or change the truss rod - which is more confortable to me - the lower E and A will buzz when played without a pick.
Thank you so much! Idk if you even use this account still but both my guitar and bass feel so much better to play and it fixed the feet buzz on my new bass guitar. Perfectly explained everything!
Have set guitar up as you instructed Frudua.....................So accurate. 12th note position with and without harmonics are bang on. Left turn release gave the top E that movement thanks again really appreciated. Regards-John.
I've noticed ,on my own doing,some guitars take a night or so to see a difference,then they were some that made a difference sooner.Thanks for explaining the reason why, and , everything else so very well.i hope to see all,more from you👍
oh my god THANK YOU SO MUCH DUDE. these terms were so confusing to read on the internet!! who ever knew that a "BACKbow" refered to the neck bending FORWARDS? really counter-intuitive and vague wording on the internet. you cleared it up very well. thanks a lot =)
thanks for this very informative and money saving video, I didn't realize it was that easy, after seeing this I was confident going into my truss, as before I was hesitant, now no fret buzz on a 600 dollar guitar I got for 100. due to buzz....ready to rock my friend, thanks again
Cheers from Brazil Mr. Frudua👍😃!!! Your videos and your tips help me a lot with my new Tagima Strat T635. Hope you can reach more and more success with your luthier career. Great hugs Elias Figueroa (Viamao City / RS Brazil)
I can't get enough of your videos It's mind blowing how much advice you have. You've single handedly stopped me from hurting my guitar and saved me tons of money. Keep up the great work if you lived nearby I'd give you a beer :)
I love the thick binding on your guitar. It's also a beautiful design! I never understood why certain luthiers install such a thin binding that is hardly noticeable, but yours is great!
Try loosening the TR a bit and lower the action at bridge but most probabyl you need a fret dressing in any case. Tell the guitar docetor to check that the frets are not moving unglued.
I believe this guy has a good education in physics, if not, a degree in it. He has thorough knowledge of the physics behind guitar setup, and can, thus, both, predict, and correct problems. Bravo!
Thank you, Frudua, for your videos on strat setup. Your explanations of relief and truss rod adjustments are very clear. You took the fear out of this ever-important part of guitar setup and maintenance.
Very cool video i was taught to look down the neck and if the strings are even space from side of neck to string all the way up the neck then you are golden.
Very good. I'm having issues with my Gretsch Tenn. Rose. I will try the neck adjustment. My Gretsch was perfect when I put it away. A month later and the the action was way high. I thought it was the bridge but lowering the bridge still doesn't lower the action enough. So I'm convinced it's the truss rod after seeing your video.
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I've been playing guitar for some 48 years and currently have 12 guitars. I was always worried about tweaking the truss rod, and somewhat embarrassed to say that I never properly understood what it did. When I came across this video a little over two years ago it was literally a revelation that made everything crystal clear and simple, and I've been setting up all my own guitar necks ever since. Thank you my friend, you've changed my (guitar set-up) life for ever!
You are very informative and not only say what to do, but explain the science behind it and the consequences of doing it incorrectly. Thank you so much sir. My Strat has never played better and the fact that I did the work myself makes me wildly happy!
Thank you!
Hey Galeazzo. Your videos about truss rod adjustment, set-up and intonation are so helpful. I know you uploaded them years ago, but please never take them down! Every now and then I come back to remind myself what to do, so I'm glad they're always here. Cheers!
Found your channel a few years ago Frudua, and it's my go-to to remember all sorts of things. I've been back to this video four or five times now, 'cos I can never remember which way to turn the truss rod, and you're the only person I've found who is clear about from which side you're looking when you're talking about clockwise and anti-clockwise.
So, thank you!
The step by step procedure is (better if frets are dressed):
1) neck (truss rod) relief
2) string's height at bridge
3) srtings height at nut (VERY IMPORTANT for both comfort and INTONATION)
4) intonation
For the Gretsch just buy a bridge with roller saddles and lube the nut slots :)
man,you became a legend for me.When I need a trust rod adjustment, I watch this video over and over again.Thanx for everything and a clear,valuable briefing..!
SAME
Hi Galeazzo,
I wanted to add a floating Tremolo bar with high and low range to my daughter's new (or new to her) electric guitar as well as give it a good tune-up. So, I reviewed all of your videos several times, ordered the needed parts to do the upgrade, and preformed all the mods and tricks including notching the 6 screws. In all, it took about 3 hours, beginning to end, including fixing a grounding problem causing hum and noise.
Before the mod, there were issues with it staying in tune and several strings arbitrarily buzzed. Afterward, It tuned up very nice, has held tune for 4 days straight without even a tweak, and it returns to in-tune after repeated use of the Tremolo. :)))
Thanks, Galeazzo, for making these videos. Between your knowledge of guitars and my mechanical and electrical skills, we have played a significant role in my 15 yr old daughter's musical talent. Seeing her play with a happy smile says it all!
JP
Over the last couple of days I've been going through all your videos, using your tips to tweak the settings on my guitars. They sound and feel better than ever. Thanks a lot!
He is absolutely The Best. I set my 4 guitars-up ( and they stay-in-tune & play incredible ) just by watching Mr. Frudua Videos over-and-over. oNe LovE from NYC
It's amazing how much more confident I am setting up my guitar after following your videos. I might be a decade or so late but sending all the thanks your way!
Best video on TH-cam regarding truss rod adjustment.... great work!
think this was the simplest straight forward explanation on truss rod adjustment I've come across. for me & in my opinion anyhow helped me out alot thanks.
Finally! A real good explanation on how to adjust your truss rod. I've seen so many idiots try to explain it. Only problem is, it seems so simple, that people won't want to believe. But, BELIEVE IT. It really is this simple.
Just found this site. You made this like 9+ years ago. Very informative. Getting back into playing again and just bought a used strat and your videos helped make it sing. Thanks.
The illustrations you do on the white board in your videos really make it easy to visualize what your talking about. Well done and very informative.
Vi muchos videos acerca del ajuste de alma. Finalmente me quedé con éste debido a su sencillez y utilidad. Dejé de lujo mi Epiphone es335. Gracias!
10 years after watching youtube, this is the most promising lesson i have learned. Thank you for such a great tutorial, good luck and have a good day.
good tip, first time someone really explained what exactly to do besides look down the guitar and look for relief. Eyes get tricky with various light sources especially after playing all night
Whether it's instruction on playing certain tunes, singing harmony to Beatles' songs, or throwing Valve amplifiers out of 2nd story windows, your videos are very informative and entertaining. The real plus is that I always come away having learned something. Thanks much!
I like this guy. He knows his stuff and is very talented.
In my opinion this guy explains things clearly and it is very very easy to understand and follow what he's saying (despite his accent). Best part is he uses simple house hold items/tools (mostly) to help setup guitar unlike others I have seen (they use more special guitar based tools which you would specifically need to buy an instrument shop.
It seems to me that he also covers everything you need to know in his videos unlike some other I've watched.
Very good tutorial.
I do this by ´eyesight´ I can´t explain but I can somehow just look at the strings then adjust and it´s perfect...
Year after year it´s just something I have a feel of.
As usual your ´tips ´/ advice is simply great .
Im pretty shure you help out a lot of guitar players with your videos.
Keep up the nice work .
💚Please keep these online. I have came back to it hundreds of time over 5 years.
Thanks for the info. I like the way you emphasis the most important points. Nice job, it helped a lot.
I got a new Telecaster and the high e string was buzzing, without any knowledge I turned some screws and suddenly everything was kinda buzzing in on strange frets and stuff, nothing really worked out until I saw your easy tutorials with everyday materials as a help. Thanks mate, I really appreciate your work here, made my day!
Thanks, that really helped me. I built a strat for my son but know nothing about music myself. We did some fine tuning and it seems ok but I will be following what you did here!
Thank you for being so thorough, for not skipping details when you are showing how to do it.
Great help. Thanks again.
Dude, I love your candor and how you just say it like it is. My guitar was never set up right and the action was so high that the pitch would change when I used the higher frets! You emboldened me to mess with my truss rod. I've got my old guitar back! It plays better, sounds better, and is easier on the fingers too. Thanks man. Subscribed for sure!
A problem I encounter is string/fret buzz whenever I try to get the action at lowest possible setting. I can't be the only one running into that problem ?
@@jimcamp2423 He recommended a fret dressing for this. There are most likely differences in heights of varying frets, so some play cleanly while others buzz. A fret dressing should even them out so the string is the same distance from every fret.
Mr. Frudua is an Absolute Master. I Appreciate all-you-do, to Educate the Music community.
Awesome job .. simply put .. accurate, yet easy to understand ..
Thanks for your contribution
Hello!My name is Fabien and thanks a lot for your help.I'm a french people and my english is poor, but you speak very slowly and no accent!!Wonderful!!I had all understand!!Musically. Fabien CAURIER.
Good video. Once you adjust your truss rod, be sure to intonate again as the last step.
Have a great day!
#trussrod
DUDE ,,, WITHOUT A DOUBT .... "BEST" video on the web for instructions on how to adjust truss-rods
EXCELLENT ...
I really like your videos and you explain the process in extent. I have learned alot from you thank you!!
I’m watching this video ten years after you made it, it’s still a great video! Nicely done!
Thanks so much for this video. I can now adjust the truss rod on my guitars with confidence. :)
***** Very good :)
Adjusting the truss rod - and I was pleased to find I had just clicked on a Galleazzo Frudua video. I've watched many of his Beatles vocalization tutorials and love the excellent explanation and demonstrations.
This theory is completely correct. But the problem is that lots guitars come from the factory (even expensive guitars) with a snake neck. This means " There is too much space between strings and neck around 6th-7th-8th frets, and buzzing strings from 12th to higher frets.After adjusting the truss rod , the first problem is gone, and the second is worser. Fret leveling will help, but not solving the problem completely. Great videos , thanks SIR.
Jos Comartins exactly bro...im facing the same problem with my guitar
Sorry, I will apologise first, But I just have to say, There is no such word as "Worser". Its just "Worse". "and the second is worse" not "and the second is worser". Sorry, I just had to point this out.
You are the great wise one my friend! I just put together a Strat for my daughter from spare parts and I have followed your instructionals and it actually sounds as good if not better than my $3000 PRS's and $4,000 custom that I have. Thank you sooo much!
Correct, consider I put the neck a bit straighter than the Daddarios package on my guitars but this is my own taste.
THanks, I had to turn the trussnod 3 milimeter clockwise and already the quite annoying buzzing noise was no longer anymore!
really better to watch a video about how its done then an enormous text about it without pictures of any kind :D
Means the neck is warped BUT if the BASS has a bigger space it's in some way ok because lower strings has a wider vibration pattern. Eventually you have a comfortabe feel on the higher strings (low action) and less buzzing on the lower ones The opposite would be a BIG problem instead.
I watched all of your videos and tried your techniques. My guitars have never played better! You have made a great contribution to all guitar players. Thank You.
Which fret should I check for a 21 fret guitar and a 24 fret guitar?
MR. FRUDUA! I sincerely hope you are well and ok. I know that you are an Italian Luthier and I can't help but think that you may have been affected by Coronavirus considering the situation that was in Italy in March-June. You should make an updated version of all of your videos. Keep all of the valuable info you have provided in these vids too. For many months I've been dealing with various guitar problems. I have an ESP guitar that had a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge on it and I bought a new Floyd Rose original. Since then, I've had numerous problems with open string buzzing and weird sitar like sounds from the 1st two strings. I watched this video years ago and just recently stumbled on it again.
THE MOST VALUABLE INFO in this video is using the card from a D'addario string set and using it on the 1st thinnest string! This tip made all of the headaches I've had over the past several months worth it! Thank you so much! My Truss Rod was actually very very tight. Not so tight that it broke but it was very hard to turn. When all is said and done and I followed your advice in this video exactly, the truss rod had virtually little to no tension on it...I thought it was broke because it was so loose but that was just enough to fix my string buzz and the sitar strings and now my action is very low and I now have a very playable guitar. What really threw me off was how loose the truss rod on this particular guitar needed to be. It's extremely loose but it fixed all of my problems...THANK YOU FROM AMERICA -December 2020!
The Covid situation here with new variants is very serious. Keep safe folks this think is DANGEROUS!
Thanks, great video!
Hey. It is Johan! Go to his channel. Great videos.
I have a 1976 Fender Stratocaster and I was afraid I might make a mess of things by adjusting the truss rod, but the action is low and it still seems kind of stiff to play. My friend recommended that I adjust the truss rod, and with the information your video provided I'm building up my courage to give it a try. Your video is very helpful. Thank you!
fantastic, very detailed and specific. Thank you!
Frudua, Thank You very much for the very valuable information. At times I fell we tend to over think adjustments and which and when to make them. You have simplified this and made it very easy to understand. Again Thank You!
As a foreigner I understand some of the analogies he does while trying to translate to english since Spanish is a bit like Italian. I thought it was very funny when he advises to take the guitar to a guitar doctor.
For anyone interested ,this guy is absolutely RIGHT !!! !!!! !!!!!
Most guitar manufacturers give a guide about truss rod adjustements which is .008" to .012"....The D'Addario package is about .011" thick !!!
This is great but instead of something completely variable like paper or a business card, would a feeler gauge reading not have been better when referring to the distance between the string and the fret when the action is correct?
Yes, sir. That is correct and as any Warwick owner will attest, an operation one tends to do fairly regularly. My point is that the direction of truss rod adjustments are not all the same, so it is imperative to find out and...well...observe the movement after each small adjustment if you can't happen to find out. For some guitars, moving the truss rod clockwise actually moves the head stock forward not backward.
Some say relief is checked at 8th fret... some say at 10th... some say hold fret at neck/body joint... some say hold fret at 24th fret.... some say hold it at 16th/17th... One word... Confusion :)
No confusion...pick one...this guy too me knows what he is talking about
infoowetrust Thanks. Yes, of course. He is an expert. No doubt about that. About the truss rod... I think one can get a good idea from the feel of the guitar; feeling the action and listening for fret buzz. And adjusting accordingly. Thanks.
According to Fenders Strat set up support page, you check the 8th frat for strats.
***** Thank you. Maybe they are all valid measurements and different techniques are used by different manufacturers. All are good ways and, after all, you can tell by the feel.
pathfinder55 explorer Thanks for the comment. Yes, definitely get a professional guitar tech to set up your guitar if you're new to it or don't set it up often.
These techs are pros and practice it on a daily basis and it's obvious that they do a better job than a guitar player that primarily practices playing rather than technical stuff. Maybe some players may set up their guitars roughly and don't mind if the action turns out high or there's some buzzing. As long as they can play.
But they can practice much better on a professionally-set up guitar, right?
Mr. Frudua , this is very comprehensive. The word concise is the most fitting.
HI Galeazzo: One very basic question...what order would you do the following:
(1) Adjust the truss rod
(2) Adjust the action
(3) Adjust the intonation
+James Tu Initially the order you've mentioned. Thereafter, if you don't change the caliber of strings, adjust the truss rod then the intonation.
Thanks! SteelyGlow
First change strings , tune and lower the pickups then: (1) Adjust the truss rod (2) Adjust the action (3) Adjust the nut - this is the most important and impactful part for your playing comfort and tone (4) Adjust the intonation (5) raise the pickups again (6) Clean the instruent (7) Drink to my health (for the nut especially ;)!
Thankyou for your excellent advice. I have taken your advice and adjusted the truss rod on my Yamaha Pacifica 612V which always felt uncomfortable. Only 1/3 of a turn has made it so much more playable now. With your advice with using a credit card to set the action I now love this guitar.
Thankyou for the very pleasantly presented and detailed video.
I really like the look of that semi-hollow body guitar, the color, the shape, the hardware. It look like it is a very comfortable guitar to play. Where do you sell these?
Geo B HI so sorry I no longer sell these Geo!
+Zai D'Mouline Actually the guitar is a Frudua; Galeazzo Frudua makes them.
Thanks this is the best tutorial I have seen online. These days the dealers are supposed to setup the guitar before it ships but I have found that they generally have very buzzy setups so the truss adjustment is very necessary.
thanks for the great advice and good luck on the website.
This eliminated my fear of "Don´t over adjust your truss rod or your guitar will explode"
Great explanation. This man is pure knowledge. His site frudua.com is the most complete information I've seen in 10 years of business. Hats off.
Did you mention that the frets need to be leveled as a prerequisite?
Without leveled frets, it is pointless to adjust the trussrod you know!
Took a few min to tighten the truss rod and LOWER my action. Plays snd sounds great! Thank you!
Every time you put different strings on a guitar it will change the tension on the neck so you will have to change the truss rod tension
Get some feeler guages and measure the relief instead of just making a blanket statement. Weather will affect the neck relief as well as strings.
This I know dude. Been working on them well over a decade.
I'm embarrassed to say it, but I never knew this. I used to use super slinkys back in the day, and have now been using d'addario jazz strings, but i plan to switch to d'addario regular lights. if i've never changed the neck tension before, do i need to worry about that if i'm just going back to a standard gauge? or do you think the Jazz strings have changed my neck tension over time, thus i'll have to reset it for lighter strings?
queerp Technically you are supposed to check your relief every time you change strings. Even if you are changing them to the exact same brand and gauge strings. Differences in manufacturing can cause different tensions, and thusly cause a back bow, or too much relief. And you only check for relief after you have stretched your strings properly, and completely setup your intonation. Guitar needs to be perfectly in tune prior to setting your relief.
And some food for thought. A lot of guitar players will check and adjust their truss rod, before each gig. Because the change in Humidity from your house to the gig, can sometimes cause a back bow in your neck.
Oh I know. Been working on them for over a decade.
Thank you Mr.Frudua for the tutorial on truss rods.I have always been reluctant to touch the truss rod on my Strat for fear of damaging the guitar,but after watching your video I did the adjustment using the business card method, on the tenth fret, and now my guitar sounds great.Best Wishes,Barrie.
“Guitar Doctor” LMAO
Can you explain?
I just bought a new guitar and it had pretty bad fret buzz on the first and second fret. I watched your video and could adjust it while being totally relaxed even though it was my brand new guitar. Now it plays perfect -- thank you so much -- you saved my day :)
I’m sorry... what?
“Hey there this is futheuwnsi fcnsk furyh .com” 😂
This little trick of putting a capo on the first fret and pushing down on the last fret while measuring the backbow at the 10th fret finally got rid of some buzzing strings that were driving me crazy....thanks a bunch.
Ma una cavolo di versione in italiano ( di questo e degli altri tuoi video) ,no ?
Non si poteva fare in italiano e poi mettere una finestra con scritto " click here for the English version" ?
Possibile che noi italiani dobbiamo sempre adeguarci agli altri ?
Il video è molto interessante ma non è sfruttabile da noi che, per jella e/o sfiga siamo nati in Italia.
Essendo anche tu italiano (tu voi fa l'americano,ma sei nato in Italy...come canta Carosone) ,penso che la totalità della tua clientela sia tutta italiana (non credo che un americano ti spedisca la sua chitarra per farsi fare la "messa a punto" alla sua chitarra),che senso ha questo video (ma anche gli altri tuoi video ) in inglese ? Per far vedere che conosci la lingua inglese ?
Ho letto che fai corsi di liuteria,li fai in italiano o bisogna presentarsi con la cerrtificazione IELTS per la lingua inglese?
ma imparare quattro parole di inglese?
Very useful information, especially the part about putting the capo on the first fret, fretting at the 21st, then checking at the 10th.
Thanks so much for posting this. I come back to this video anytime my truss rod slips. Very well done!
I think you are one of the most helpfull guys when it comes to guitar videos on youtube. Thanks a lot for the effort you put in!
Thank heavens for that i've found your videos. I followed your advice years ago now and my guitar sounded awesome but after not touching my guitar for over a year the intonation is out again so it's back to watching your videos. :)
PLEASE when your not to busy give us a video on fret crowning, dressing, etc. Possibly something with basic at home tools? Whatever you show though will be helpful and thanks for all the previous vids!
Honestly, there's so much bullshit going on around the internet with different methods of adjusting and measurements, totally unreliable and only creates confusion that it's refreshing to see someone do it properly.This video has helped me TWICE to adjust the truss rod on TWO DIFFERENT GUITARS. If you want to properly adjust it, listen to this guy, ignore the rest.
this is the best video of how to adjust the truss rod on the guitar!thank you very much!
@FruduaTv yes, a luthier did it. He also filed the bone-nut. One fret is 2mm in height, the height between fretboard and the nut-cut is 2,5mm. It doesn't buzz now (2-1,6mm on 17th fret), even when I play really hard. But when I lower the height on the saddles or change the truss rod - which is more confortable to me - the lower E and A will buzz when played without a pick.
Thank you so much! Idk if you even use this account still but both my guitar and bass feel so much better to play and it fixed the feet buzz on my new bass guitar. Perfectly explained everything!
Looked through a few different truss tutorials, yours was easily the best. Thank you.
Have set guitar up as you instructed Frudua.....................So accurate. 12th note position with and without harmonics are bang on. Left turn release gave the top E that movement thanks again really appreciated. Regards-John.
hands down one of the best videos on here. very informative and easy to follow. thank you!!
Thanks Luthier! Great job on instructing the intonation and adjusting truss rod!
Well explained. It seems this is the one thing most people are very reluctant to do, but his should take away any fears about adjustment. Good job!!!
ive watched his videos & he's more than a pro --just follow this guy around
Grazie, maestro! I've taken all 8 of my guitars back to square one with your various videos and I now have a much more playable group of guitars.
I've noticed ,on my own doing,some guitars take a night or so to see a difference,then they were some that made a difference sooner.Thanks for explaining the reason why, and , everything else so very well.i hope to see all,more from you👍
This was the easiest explanation of the truss rod I've seen, thanks.
One tiny adjustment and it already feels MUCH better... again, MANY thanks, man \,,/
oh my god THANK YOU SO MUCH DUDE.
these terms were so confusing to read on the internet!! who ever knew that a "BACKbow" refered to the neck bending FORWARDS? really counter-intuitive and vague wording on the internet. you cleared it up very well. thanks a lot =)
thanks for this very informative and money saving video, I didn't realize it was that easy, after seeing this I was confident going into my truss, as before I was hesitant, now no fret buzz on a 600 dollar guitar I got for 100. due to buzz....ready to rock my friend, thanks again
Cheers from Brazil Mr. Frudua👍😃!!!
Your videos and your tips help me a lot with my new Tagima Strat T635.
Hope you can reach more and more success with your luthier career.
Great hugs
Elias Figueroa (Viamao City / RS Brazil)
I can't get enough of your videos It's mind blowing how much advice you have. You've single handedly stopped me from hurting my guitar and saved me tons of money.
Keep up the great work if you lived nearby I'd give you a beer :)
I love the thick binding on your guitar. It's also a beautiful design! I never understood why certain luthiers install such a thin binding that is hardly noticeable, but yours is great!
Ciao Galeazzo, thx for the Video. Now i understand more how it works inside my Guitar. Happy to find you here. Ciao.
Try loosening the TR a bit and lower the action at bridge but most probabyl you need a fret dressing in any case. Tell the guitar docetor to check that the frets are not moving unglued.
your videos are the best guitar adjustment tutorial videos on the internet... thank you man :D
I believe this guy has a good education in physics, if not, a degree in it. He has thorough knowledge of the physics behind guitar setup, and can, thus, both, predict, and correct problems. Bravo!
Thank you, Frudua, for your videos on strat setup. Your explanations of relief and truss rod adjustments are very clear. You took the fear out of this ever-important part of guitar setup and maintenance.
Very cool video i was taught to look down the neck and if the strings are even space from side of neck to string all the way up the neck then you are golden.
Very good. I'm having issues with my Gretsch Tenn. Rose.
I will try the neck adjustment.
My Gretsch was perfect when I put it away. A month later and the the action was way high. I thought it was the bridge but lowering the bridge still doesn't lower the action enough. So I'm convinced it's the truss rod after seeing your video.