I’ve been playing for decades, but I always shied away from doing any adjustments on my own, and that includes tweaking the truss rod. Last year I bought a pair of SE Custom 24s, and they’re some of the best playing guitars I’ve ever had my hands on. I play my Whale Blue most often, and it’s the one on the stand in my living room. Well, winters in Pennsylvania can get very cold indeed, and the barometric pressure and humidity can fluctuate wildly.
I noticed recently my SE Custom was not quite as comfy to play as it had been. Nothing crazy, just a slightly less silky feel. So, following a very basic YouTube video, I depressed the first string at the first and last fret. Sure enough, there was just a bit more clearance at the 7th-8th fret than I remember when I first got the guitar. I decided to tighten the truss rod about an eight of a turn. That helped! I retuned, turned it another eighth, and it is once again PERFECT. The culprit was just a seasonal change, I guess.
I know it possible to really screw things up with the truss rod, but as long as you’re careful and patient, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll leave intonation and action to the pros, but I’m glad I gave this a try.
I noticed recently my SE Custom was not quite as comfy to play as it had been. Nothing crazy, just a slightly less silky feel. So, following a very basic YouTube video, I depressed the first string at the first and last fret. Sure enough, there was just a bit more clearance at the 7th-8th fret than I remember when I first got the guitar. I decided to tighten the truss rod about an eight of a turn. That helped! I retuned, turned it another eighth, and it is once again PERFECT. The culprit was just a seasonal change, I guess.
I know it possible to really screw things up with the truss rod, but as long as you’re careful and patient, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll leave intonation and action to the pros, but I’m glad I gave this a try.