SETUP AND ADJUSTMENT MADE EASY
Weather, specifically temperature and humidity, may have a dramatic
impact on the way your instrument plays. All instrument woods
expand and contract with seasonal fluctuations in temperature and
humidity, and naturally, string height and playing action are affected.
Depending on the climate where you live, your instrument may need
routine adjustments a few times a year. Fender®/Squier®/Olympia™
instruments have several points of adjustment which are there to
control the effects of these environmental changes, and more impor-
tantly, these features allow you to tailor the action of the instrument
to your own personal playing style.
Note:
The following factory specifications are minimum specs, and
are meant only to guide you. They should not to be taken as hard
and fast rules. If you want your action higher, set it higher!
Truss Rod Adjustment
String tension exerts a tremendous bending force on the neck of
the instrument. The adjustable steel truss rod in the neck employs a
counter-force to the pull of the strings. If these two opposing forces
are not in harmony with each other, the result will be a poorly play-
ing instrument.
Note:
A truss rod that is too loose will result in a concave neck bow
and high action
(Figure A)
. A truss rod that is too tight will result in a
convex neck bow and buzzing strings
(Figure B)
.
Figure A.
Concave “Bow” (Exaggerated View)
Figure B.
Convex “Hump” (Exaggerated View)
Figure C.
Measuring relief with feeler gauge
To check the adjustment of the truss rod, first tune your instrument
to pitch. Next, install a capo at the 1st fret. For electric guitars and
basses, depress the “E” string at the last fret. For acoustic guitars
depress the “E” string at the 14th fret. With the feeler gauge, check
the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the 8th fret
(Figure C)
.
Note:
Itʼs a good idea to loosen the strings prior to making any truss
rod adjustment. If you donʼt have feeler gauges, donʼt give up. You
can approximate the gap, which is about the thickness of a regular
business card and a piece of paper put together.
Instrument
Fingerboard Radius
Relief at 8th Fret
Electric Guitars
9.5”
.010” to .012”
Acoustic Guitars
12”
.008” to .010”
Electric Basses
9.5”
.014”
To adjust the truss rod, use the hex wrench supplied with your
instrument. If neck is too concave
(Figure A)
, turn the truss rod nut
clock-wise. If neck is too convex,
(Figure B)
turn the truss rod nut
counter clock-wise. Check your tuning, then re-check the gap with the
feeler gauge.
Note:
Adjust in small increments of only ¼ turn at a time, and allow
time for the wood to settle before adjusting again
(Figures D and E)
.
Figure D.
(Electric Guitar or Bass)
Figure E.
(Acoustic Guitar)
If you meet excessive resistance, if your neck needs constant
adjustment, or youʼre not comfortable adjusting it yourself, take
your instrument to an authorized Fender Service Center.
String Height Adjustment (Action) for Electric Guitars & Basses
First, check your tuning. Next, using your ruler, measure the distance
between the bottom of each string and the top of the 17th fret. Using
the appropriate hex wrench, adjust the bridge saddles to height
according to the recommendations of the chart below, then re-tune.
Donʼt be afraid to experiment with the height a little bit, until it feels
right
(Figures F and G)
. If you play with a light touch, you can get
away with lower action. If you play hard, youʼll need a little higher
action to avoid fret buzz and rattles.
Instrument
String Height Bass Side String Height Treble Side
Electric Guitars
4/64”
4/64”
Basses
6/64”
5/64”
Figure F
.
Figure G.
If you are not comfortable performing any of these adjustments to
your instrument, take it to an Authorized Fender Service Center for a
“setup.”
Note: Setups and adjustments are considered to be routine
maintenance, and as such, are not covered under warranty.
Electric Bass saddle
height adjustment
Electric Guitar
saddle height
adjustment
Tighten
Loosen
Tighten
Loosen
FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
8860 E. Chaparral Road • Suite 100 • Scottsdale, AZ 85250-2610 • USA
Tel.: 480 596-9690 Fax: 480 367-5262 www.fender.com
