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TRUSS ROD: The truss rod is used for achieving a relatively flat playing surface on the fret-
board. We don’t want it perfectly flat, however, because that can cause some string buzzing.
Remember that the truss rod works in two different directions, you can use it to put a slight
hump in the middle of the neck or to put a slight dish in the middle. You’ll want the latter, and
here’s how to test it:
The most playable fretboards have a very slight dip in the middle. If you press a string down
against the first fret with one hand, and the same string against the last fret with the other (at
the same time), you should see a slight gap between
the string and the fret located about at the mid-
point. This gap (known as “relief”) can be adjusted
by turning the truss rod with the allen wrench pro-
vided. Just be careful not to force the truss rod too
hard -- you don’t want to break the rod! Your goal
is to have about 1/32” to 1/16” space under the string
in the middle when the string is held down against
the 1st and last frets at the same time.
ADDING A STRAP: You may add a shoulder
strap to this instrument to make it easier to
play while standing or walking. We like a stan-
dard guitar strap with two mounting buttons
that are placed at approximately the “2 o’clock”
and “8 o’clock” positions on the body as illus-
trated at right.
FIG. 33
NOTES
