How often do you have to adjust the truss rod on your Custom 24?

[Permanent Waves]

I've been playing CE 24's for 20 years and never so much as looked at the truss rod. They play exactly the same as the day I got them, through the seasons/years without needing any adjustment. Along the way I picked up a Custom 22 and though it did need a setup at first, it never shifted since.

I recently picked up my first Custom 24 (1993) and I can't put it down. However, a week ago I noticed the strings choking and buzzing in the lower frets, and a noticeable back bow. Following all guidelines, a simple 1/8 turn loosening of the truss rod fixed the issue and it plays great once again.

I am assuming the guitar is adapting to a change of environment from the previous owner, but I have not had it long enough to know if this will be a seasonal thing or not. My question is, how often do you need to tweak the truss rods on your Custom 24's and is it a seasonal thing?!?

 

[Boogie]

In the 20 years of owning my CU24, I’ve had to adjust the truss rod twice. None of my others even come close to this stability. It’s seen action in 110F and 20F weather, zero to 100% humidity. It’s life outside of gigs is pretty cushy in my living room, but it has seen some hazardous duty.

 

[Black Plaid]

I think it really depends on how sensitive you are to changing string height.

I used to adjust it twice a year, but I don't seem to care as much any more.

 

[Herr Squid]

I touch the truss rod if it's needed shortly after a new one arrives. Then I forget about it. FWIW, I'm not picky about super low action.

 

[Sybo]

It seems weather has been so crazy here lately, that I was talking with the manager of our largest GC, and he said most the guitars were showing big signs of big humidity changes…I hate string buzz, so tweaks may be needed ……

 

[dogrocketp]

My S2 custom 24, & my 03 ce24? Never. My Johnny Hiland? Every time there is a temperature change of 40 degrees. By the way, the JH has the best intonation of everything except my triple soapy, which has the best neck of any guitar I ever played.

 

[bodia]

I don’t think I’ve tweaked a truss rod on a Core guitar in at least 5 years

 

[BrianC]

I have completely changed - I now adjust all the time and here's why....

Before I never messed with the TR, everything seemed fine and I would need to pay $$$ to get it set up.

Then, I learned how to do set ups and adjust the TR . My level of skill has gone up a lot. Now I am much more aware of exactly what I like in how my guitars are playing and I know how to fix it.

Because of this I now am tweaking all the time. Its a good news bad news situation. They all play great!


Another VERY BAD side effect of this is it makes me want to have LESS GUITARS!!! A big change if weather may mean I need to do 5 set ups which is not hard but time consuming. I am thinking maybe I need to sell a few.

 

[ViggoP]

I have two Cu24s, one mahogany neck and one flame maple and I live in a place with fairly substantial seasonal climate changes. I adjust their truss rods, and pretty much all my other guitars truss rods, once every season so four times per year. I have two Fender style guitars with quartersawn maple necks and they never move. Both do feel a little stiffer than my other Fenders with flatsawn necks so maybe there is a trade-off.

 

[Permanent Waves]

Thanks for all the comments, it helps a lot!

I am not very fussy with string height and probably play through seasonal changes without noticing, but this was extreme - strings 2 to 5 choked when any note was played on the first 5 frets, a complete change from when I got it 2 months ago. I originally did a quarter turn loosening but scaled it back to an eight and the issue was fixed without affecting the action.

I'll keep an eye on it over time to see...

 

[alantig]

Another VERY BAD side effect of this is it makes me want to have LESS GUITARS!!! A big change if weather may mean I need to do 5 set ups which is not hard but time consuming. I am thinking maybe I need to sell a few.

I’m sorry, but this is just madness. You just need to become more efficient.

 

[Ovibos]

I hate string buzz, so tweaks may be needed ……

By doing my own setups, I’ve learned I like lower action and so I am living with a little buzz

 

[Sybo]

Hanging your guitars, air conditioning, lack of, Tennessee summers, Tennessee winters, my hardwood floors even shrink in winter and expand back in spring. Wood moves, it just does, quarter sawn, maple, rosewood, veneered, its the nature of the beast. I don’t care who makes the neck, body, whatever…..it’s gonna move. Some more than others. Learn YOUR guitars, do as much of your own work as you can, if you understand the physics behind such wonderful instruments, you , will be a better guitarist, if nothing but from an understanding standpoint. The more you know, the more you are……

 

[jak3af3r]

My custom 24 shipped from coastal Virginia to south-central Kentucky with snow on the ground. I opened the case and it was in tune. I set the action and didn't have to touch it until about a year ago and that was only a matter of personal preference. My older McCarty is the same way.

The only PRS I own that requires seasonal attention is my Hollowbody and it's never that far out if it does move.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

My necks are always pretty consistent...I recently adjusted/"tuned-up" a couple older PRSi, and both needed Truss rod adjustment,
but they both went from standard sets (one 9-42, and one 10-46) to light top, heavy bottom sets. (10-54, 10-56)
1 was 22 fret, 1 was a Cu24.

 

[László]

I've never had to adjust the truss rod on my 2015 CU24 30th PS. However, I keep it cased when not in use, and I've been using one D'Addario humidipak in the case for several years.

It's possible that keeping it cased with the humidipak helps. Or maybe I'm just lucky.

I'll take either one, cased, or lucky.

 

[Ovibos]

TBH while I appreciate stability and well-dried woods, I don't think of TR tweaks as a failing (which is sort of inferable from the convo here). They're there to be used. The guitar is, as Paul puts it, a machine - and the TR is just a way to optimize how the machine works.

 

[Permanent Waves]

I've never had to adjust the truss rod on my 2015 CU24 30th PS. However, I keep it cased when not in use, and I've been using one D'Addario humidipak in the case for several years.
It's possible that keeping it cased with the humidipak helps. Or maybe I'm just lucky. I'll take either one, cased, or lucky.

That is a very interesting point. I usually keep my guitars cased (a habit most parents learn early!) but my obsession with this one requires me to keep it within arm's reach at all times and the weather's been crazy here just like every where else lately.
Record temps and humidity through the roof. I was just trying to figure out if this was a more common thing on CU24's (and maybe more on the short heels like on this 93).

Funny Story: I have a Norman B18 12-string acoustic that I only use live on a walk-up stand. Our band has a rule that we do one rehearsal a week before a show with all the gear. All was good but the day of the show was unseasonably cold with freezing rain. Took the Norman out of the case, set it on the stand and tuned it at soundcheck, all good. We get to "Closer to the Heart" in the show, could not get a single note to ring out, neck completely out of whack, had to switch to electric.

Some guitars are more temperamental than others...

 

[Deleted member 5962]

My Custom 24 is 10 years old now. It's been used with 10s, 9s and 9.5s, and I've never had to touch the truss rod.

 

[László]

That is a very interesting point. I usually keep my guitars cased (a habit most parents learn early!) but my obsession with this one requires me to keep it within arm's reach at all times and the weather's been crazy here just like every where else lately.
Record temps and humidity through the roof. I was just trying to figure out if this was a more common thing on CU24's (and maybe more on the short heels like on this 93).

Funny Story: I have a Norman B18 12-string acoustic that I only use live on a walk-up stand. Our band has a rule that we do one rehearsal a week before a show with all the gear. All was good but the day of the show was unseasonably cold with freezing rain. Took the Norman out of the case, set it on the stand and tuned it at soundcheck, all good. We get to "Closer to the Heart" in the show, could not get a single note to ring out, neck completely out of whack, had to switch to electric.

Some guitars are more temperamental than others...

The Humidipaks remove excess moisture if the RH exceeds 45-50%, and add moisture when the humidity is insufficient. It's a pretty good value; when I asked about it at PRS a few years ago, I was told they keep the factory at 45% RH.

So maybe that's why the humidipaks have been so good to me - all of my 6 strings are PRS! However, it seems to work well with my Music Man Sledge bass also.

You're right about temperamental guitars, too!