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Thread: Neck relief

  1. #1
    Registered User Lane Pryce's Avatar
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    Default Neck relief

    When adjusting the truss rod for neck relief how much of the neck does the truss rod move? From the 12th or 13th fret back or less? I assuming everything from the dovetail. My preferred relief is dead flat. My mandolin is 12 years old. I noticed quite a bit of relief or up bow during a routine wipe down. I loosened up the strings, put a machinist rule on the frets adjusted the relief to my preference. A week later I can see a few high and low frets under the straight edge. There are no buzzes from the frets. The mandolin plays and feels great. Maybe time for fret leveling and recrown? May sound picky but I want optimal playability. Thanks in advance.
    J.Lane Pryce

  2. #2
    Registered User
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    Default Re: Neck relief

    Frets can lift so before you level them make sure they are seated correctly and don't move.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  3. #3
    Teacher, repair person
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    Default Re: Neck relief

    The truss rod neck moves from the "public" end of the heel back towards the nut. The largest change should be near the midpoint of the neck.
    Over the dovetail itself, it has little or no effect.

    Although I make part of my living from instrument repair, my counsel on levelling frets in most cases is to leave them alone if they play ok, unless they have deep grooves or you are going for the lowest action possible.

    If you do want optimum playability, make sure that you seek out a repair man who specializes in precision fret work, rather than a person who just gets out a file and digs in. The latter will often grind the frets too low, and then the instrument will be harder to play than it was before, even if you lower the action.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Neck relief

    "There are no buzzes from the frets. The mandolin plays and feels great"

    Your words and rcc's advice answer your question. "Optimal playability" is always a trade off IMO. Can you get the action lower? Yes. Will it sound as good? No.

    Lower action past the sweet spot on a mandolin, even without buzzing, will have be quieter and have a pinched tone in my experience. I've been doing set up work for bluegrass musicians lately, both mandolin and guitar. Most of them play with monster high action because they need the volume for playing in acoustic ensemble.

  5. #5
    Registered User
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    Default Re: Neck relief

    My mandolins are quite loud and can always be heard in a jam, no matter how many are playing. I have extremely low action. I don't think high action is necessary for volume at all.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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