Understanding guitar truss rod adjustment 

Finally! A video that not only shows WHAT a truss rod does, but HOW it does it. Thanks Dan!

Dan is the grandpa every guitarist dreams of.

This video is the model for how a tutorial should be done - no infuriating intro, no hype, just really helpful, to the point information delivered by a friend. Thank you!

This is the best truss rod video I’ve ever seen. Not only is it so simple and well explained, but I’ve learned so much in these 5 minutes that I’ve been searching for for a very long time. The visuals (both pictures and him showing us) were absolutely perfect. Thank you so much.

Dan’s knowledge is pure gold. Man, I’d be his apprentice for free.

I feel like I can really truss him.

Man, who ever is editing these videos together is doing a fantastic, top-level job. I need to watch these videos and whoever you are has made the educational task as pleasant as imaginable.

Dan is a living treasure to the guitar world! Beautifully explained!

I feel like I wanna learn more because of how calm he looks and talks.

I think a lot of people fear adjusting the truss rod because they don't know what it does and they worry they'll make a bad situation worse. This video finally clears it up in a way any noob should understand.

Dan Erlewine is an institution! This man worked on some of the most legendary guitars in the world and his contributions are unmatched! Dan should be give an honorary induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Fantastic content. The way Dan delivers the tips ( simple , clear and concise) he makes novice people confident in making their own adjustments. I wish they had a shop near me so that I could give them my guitar for more in depth customization work.

Dan Erlewine - a National Treasure

Great video. Thanks, Dan, for displaying all your great knowledge and experience on guitar repair for the rest of us to learn.

I want to take this moment to thank you Dan for sharing your insights and wisdom regarding guitar care and maintenance. Hats of to you Dan !! :))

Been playing for 51 years. VERY good and informative instructions for beginner guitar techs!

I like the way he talks. It’s kinda relaxing 🙂👍🏻

The truss rod has always been the final frontier for me with doing guitar maintenance. 5 and a half minutes later upon finding this video, I know feel I have a pretty good grasp on the idea. I think I'm ready to start doing setups.

This really helped a lot. I did some adjustments on my bass that I'd been afraid to adjust for years and it fixed the issues I wasn't even fully sure my bass had. Thank you for the simple and clear explanation of what to do and how it works.

I don't even own a guitar nor I play a guitar, yet I am here and watched the entire video and amazed listening to such a soothing instructions and I can feel his passion on guitar coming through. I wish he was my next door neighbor; I would go there everyday to just talk and help him on whatever he is upto. God bless

This is the clearest, most concise guide I've been able to find for this. Thank you so much, now I can fix my bass tonight!

Thanks sir, can't thank you enough for this amazing lesson on guitar truss rods, been looking for a tutorial to really understand how trus rods work and the only one that really dig into the concept was yours, thanks a million

One of the best video tutorials I've ever seen. Short, straight to the point, contains diagrams which make the matter extremely clear, and a clear, nice sounding voice.

I gotta tell you this is probably the best how-to video I've ever seen. I wish they were all this easy to follow and to the point. Plus, it reminded me how much I love this instrument. Thank you.

>StewMac uploads video without Dan >Tons of dislikes >StewMac uploads video with Dan >Zero dislikes

started following Dan in 1985-86. I retired from lutherie work 11 years ago and he is still going....super star

Brilliant, thanks Dan. I just took a bit of relief out of my 2007 Tele neck. I used a 3/16" hex key and it worked really well. I eased the neck back a bit then tightened the rod (so as not to compress the wood too much) as mentioned it your "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" book.

Dear Dan, thank you for this, two years on I still come back here every time I adjust a truss rod.

I've been playing guitar / bass for 15 years now. I was always afraid to make adjustment to the truss rod, because I had a wrong idea on how it works apparently. Got a new bass yesterday which was not set up correctly and I was about to take it to a store to get it fixed. With this video I adjusted it myself in 5 minutes. Thank you!

Thanks a lot! Having had no guitar teacher ever, I love it when such kind people share their knowledge! 😃

I'm new to the channel. Congratulations on the highly informative content; straight to the point, no long introductions and no frills.

I like the magic marker tip. Half turn to the left, fret buzz solved. Thank you so much Dan

The strings on that SG are also from 1960!

This was the video I've needed to see for years. Thank you!

Thank you grandpa dan! I was finally able to adjust to a low action! For a year of owning my guitar my fingers were tormented by the high action and I was really scared of the chance of breaking my trust rod, this vid gave me the courage to just go for it. God I'm so thankful!

You're a champ man...taking the time to impart your wisdom and confidence is the gesture of a "legend" !!!

What a great short and simple explanation! Thanks for putting this out there, very appreciated

If you can use your guitar as a bow and arrow, you may need a truss rod adjustment.

The best truss rod adjustment video on RU-vid. Simple explanation, graphical information with a bit words of encouragement. The confidence level to set the truss rod is high right now. Thank you. 🙂

Thanks Dan, Its amazing how many truss rod videos do NOT give clear visuals of direction to tighten, yours does! My 72 Les Paul started backbowing and this got me up and running again!

I’m a grandfather. I bought my grandson a Les Paul a year ago...guess what we’re doing when he comes over this weekend? THANK YOU SO MUCH! Maybe I’ll get my Fender Strat back...maybe ;) Comprehensive, crystal clear, communicative, concise, conscientious, compelling, and complete, and all of those c’s earn an A+. First RU-vid channel to which I’ve ever subscribed.

There’s a lot more to learn here, apart from the string’s action and rod adjustment. Some of them are: genuineness, benevolence, teaching and communication skills, simplifying and briefing the subject, and many more! Sir,...thanks a lot for your gracious, well prepared and absolutely professional video! Salute

Thank you Dan. I have to say, I was always under the impression the there should be a slight up bow, how wrong was I - I’ve just followed your instructions to straighten the neck and all of a sudden, my guitar is playing like a dream. I can’t thank you enough!

This is the 7 video on truss rods I have watched. He was the most informational and clear. Thank you

I know the following story does not go with this video but worth telling a luthier as you . I have a Martin D-35, 1970 year. It has been played a lot. A few years back I needed to have some work done that I did not know how to do. There were a couple of braces inside that were loose. The neck was bowed and I hate strings a mile from the frets. The tuners needed to be replaced. I took it to an authorized Martin Luthier in my town, Columbia, South Carolina. He kept my guitar for over 6 months. That did not bother me a lot but after awhile I began to question if he was even working on my guitar. I went by his shop unannounced and he was still not finished. He said he would finish it by the next two weeks. He called mw and told me to come by and pick it up. It looked pretty good. The bow was out of the neck, new tuners, a couple of new frets and of course new strings. I picked it up and played it for a moment. I was better but still a little high on the tenth fret. I told him that the strings still needed to be lowered. He took it back, and a few minutes come back and said that was about a low as they would go. It was ok but not like it was new. He charged me $1,300 for the work. I was a little shocked but being stupid as I was, did not question it. I got home and began playing it and the more I played the more pissed off I became. After a few days, I called his shop and he had moved out of town somewhere in North Carolina. I wrote a letter to Martin and of course, NO reply. After doing some research of my own and watching video's like yours, I figured out just what the problem was. The neck needed to be re-set to get the action back where is was supposed to be. The bridge bone was cut so low the strings could not be lowered without a neck re-set. I don't play the guitar anymore as it really makes me angry as to what happened to me and a great guitar. I hope one day that SOB gets what is coming to him.

Even though I know this already I just like watching Dan

This is by far the best and number one video I've seen for explaining the truss rod and how it works. The old boys do it the best.

Thank you thank you thank you, I am so happy I came across this channel, I immediately subscribed. I have been playing guitar for 25 years, but I always avoided doing very much adjusting and tech stuff myself. As I'm now starting to do more, the truss rod was still a scary thing for me. I watched your great explanation and in 5 minutes I feel like I know more than I have learned in 25 years, thank you! I'll be checking all your videos out.

Something I like to do is to first set the intonation at the 12th fret. Sometimes, I like also setting it at the 14th vs an open string. Then, if my 7th fret note is playing sharp compared to an open string, I'll know that the neck has too much bow. This helps me nail down the exact best setting for the rod.

I have done a lot of reading about adjusting guitar necks and still couldn't get it down. Thank you for this video I Now understand it totally. This was a Godsend. Thank you lots.

This was such a concise, no filler video, and honestly oddly relaxing lol.

Thank you.. I hope all is well and your rocking out as much as possible

"Don't be afraid to adjust you're own trussroad" This is the best advice we can say to a beginner!

I didn’t know I’d need this, but I did. You got yourself a subscriber.

I really enjoyed your method of teaching. Relaxed, down to earth, and friendly. Bravo, and please keep it up!

Dan is the reason I started setting up my own guitars and now others. Fabulous advice I'm so thankful for. I'm amazed how many guitars I've bought that just needed some TLC.

Sounds like an advice from my father. Love u, sir.

Thanks for sharing, that was really educational. I've had to make a few truss rod adjustments on my acoustic guitar that requires an allen key right by the sound hole.

For a long time I was wondering why my Taylor was so difficult to play. I just adjusted the rod and now my action is so smooth. Thank you!!

I love Mr. Dan teaching us about our guitars, he does it with passion. Greetings.

Great video!!! Saved me a whole Benjamin while increasing my guitar mechanics comprehension!

Literally the best educational video about truss rod I’ve ever seen. Simple and precise.

Thank you for posting! I love how detailed and simply you explained things; made it very easy to understand.

this is one of the cleanest, clearest, most concise channels ive found for working on any kinda guitar stuff. sique

Great video. Just what I was looking for. A++++

This video in 2 words: "Righty tighty". It works for me

This this channel and the Dr Z channel are my favorite on youtube! I never fail to learn something really valuable and I just adjusted the trust rods on all five of my guitars and they play wonderfully! Thank you very much sir!

A few years ago I went to my local library and took out every book I could find on electric guitar repair, in doing so, I learned how to do all my own adjustments and repairs, probably saved me hundreds on repairs over the years:-)

Great video! I am going to share this with a lot of people. Most people I do work for are the same - afraid to try adjusting the truss rod or are simply confused about the way it works. Also, those strings on that sg! Oof, my fingers feel gross just thinking about playing that 🤣

This is an excellent video. Great explanation of the truss rod. Marking the nut with a sharpie is a great idea.

I used to teach my customers how to do this but many still did not want to do it. Nothing wrong with that. But sometimes, it's necessary to have a little up bow to provide string relief and get rid of buzzing. Or be prepared to have some fretwork done to level high frets with a very straight neck. Dan is the man and knows best. I've learned a lot from him and his articles in Guitar and Bass player mags, his books and it's terrific that all these videos are now available for people to learn from. 👍👍

I’ve owned your book Guitar Player Repair Guide for years. Wealth of knowledge there. Thank you!

I felt that when he said "don't be afraid to adjust your own truss rod".

Great video. Tell Dan Erlewine we’re still waiting for another visit to Red Wing!

This is the greatest and most relaxed video ever. All that i want to know is here. I can`t say thank you enough . Video is not too short and not too long, just perfect. Thank you, god bless you.

Thanks for the explanation, after watching this I've adjusted the truss rod on my Les Paul and it's been a massive improvement on playability and sound.

I've been setting up my guitars for over 20 years now, and I've learned most of the trade secrets and specs for whatever guitar I'm playing. Saved myself a lot of money by doing it myself. I just purchased the correct tooling for setting up guitars, now all of mine are near perfect for me using manufacturer's specs. Thanks Dan for the info...

The one thing I've noticed, over the years, is that Gibson truss rods are really sensitive. Even 1/16 of a turn can make a world of difference, hence the .012 feeler gauge used at around the 5th, 6th or 7th frets for proper neck relieve. I have one guitar that I got down to .010 on the neck relief and it plays fine with no buzz.

Taught me all I needed to know, adjusted mine after a string gauge change with no problems - thanks!

THANK YOU. Out of the last ~100 vids on this, yours is the first to tell & show which bow direction tightness of the truss rod makes on the neck. Most just say right to tighten but never say witch bow direction that is. LOL. You rock in more ways than one! ❤️

Great video! One question: should I do this while the guitar is in tune, in tuning I play in, or should I loosen the strings first? Truss rod is accessible from the headstock in my case. Thanks in advance!

'Everybody i know gets one for Christmas' :D

I greatly appreciate this knowledge you have shared here. Because of inclement weather I find this helpful and it gives me confidence to make necessary adjustments if I need to to maintain good action. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for this awesome video! I was one of those afraid to break my truss rod - you inspired me to try and I managed to do it... The explanation is excellent, easy to understand, calm and clear. Keep up the good work..

I'm Peter. Now you know me, so send me that tool this Christmas plz

Dan seems like a “truss” worthy guy! 😂

I watch a lot of YT videos and Dan is absolutely one of the best teachers anywhere.

He seems like a great grandpa, just have a nice chitchat with him with a cup of coffee....

I fear adjusting my truss rod for the same reason l fear changing a string... I'm a drummer. 😬

Dan's my favorite of so many great stew mac reps

How do you know if a neck has a single or double action rod?

I'd buy a guitar from this man. Back when he started playing, everything only cost a nickel.

I'm adjusting the truss now I'm not afraid of it just don't want to mess up the neck. Thank you for the information and God bless you for your help and support.

Wow excellent advice I didn't know about that special tool for adjusting the truss rod on a Strat from the body end. I have a 61 Strat and that tool will make life a lot easier when it's time to adjust the truss rod.

"Come home to the impossible flavor of your own completion. Come home to Simple Rick's."

Just one warning - with the old (60's) Framus it is easy to break/strip the rod. Guess how I know.

By far, the best video on this subject I have seen.

Thank you for this video. I bought a Mighty Mite neck from you guys- Strat neck with a compound radius. While it feels great, as soon as I strung it, I had terrible amounts of fret buzz. I’ve never adjusted a truss rod before, so I was so nervous that I was about to seek professional assistance. Thank you for demystifying the process- I will do this tonight.

See I had a guitar teacher that when he taught me how to set up my guitar he told me not fear the truss rod

Dan, it looked like you tightened the truss rod with full tension on the strings. I thought that was a no no.