neck adjustment
----------------

where is the truss rod nut located? 

that depends on the guitar. some possible locations are:

-at the headstock 
 
 if it's here it may be necessary to remove a small cover to
 gain access 

-in the end of the guitar neck at the side that is attached to
 the body.
 
 if it's in this location on an electric guitar you must take
 the neck off to make the adjustment. 
 
 if it's in this location on an acoustic guitar you must reach
 into the sound hole to make the adjustment.
 

the truss rod is adjusted by using the appropriate tool for
the particular rod you're adjusting. in most guitars
this tool is generally an allen wrench that is included with
your guitar.
 

before going further into this it's important you know how to make
the adjustments. simply put, turning the truss rod nut clockwise
tightens the rod. turning the truss rod counterclockwise loosens
the rod.

***when making adjustments you should only turn the rod in
   SMALL increments.

make a small adjustment, then let the guitar set for at least
a few hours with strings on and tuned to pitch. after this
if adjustment is still necessary make another small turn, wait
again, check again. continue this process until the truss rod
is properly adjusted. patience is key to this procedure
especially.

*the truss rod can only be tightened or loosened to a certain
 point. DO NOT try to force it past that point or you may 
 damage your neck.

once you understand the above procedure for adjusting the truss
rod you can move on to actually making the adjustment if it's
necessary on your guitar.

*do i adjust the truss rod with the strings on or off?
 
 that varies. some people say do it with the strings tuned to
 pitch to get the most accurate adjustments, others may disagree.

 for me personally, if it's a guitar that i can reach the truss
 rod on with the strings on and tuned to pitch i will make the
 adjustment with the strings tuned to pitch. HOWEVER, there is
 one exception. and that would be my custom guitar. it has
 a rod that can be adjusted in the butt end by taking the neck
 completely off and also has the gotoh side adjuster
 (it's down at the neck heel and can be reached without taking
 the neck off) it's specifically mentioned to detune the strings
 before making the adjustment in the instructions for use
 of this system.


the following is the procedure i use:

make sure the guitar is strung and tuned to pitch(in tune).

with the guitar in playing position, put a capo on the 1st fret
and then fret the highest note possible on the low e string with
one of the fingers on your right hand.

now look towards the frets on the middle of your fretboard
(the area around the 7th and 8th frets.) there should be a tiny
space between the bottom of the low e string and the top of those
frets. i like the space to be just large enough so that i can
slide a card about the thickness of a credit card or driver's
license into the space between the bottom of the string and the
top of those middle frets.

if you don't have a capo to capo the first fret then you'll just
have to hold down the low e at the first fret with your left
hand. since both hands will be holding down part of the string
you'll have to judge the gap between the strings and the middle
frets by sight. 

following the directions mentioned earlier for truss rod
adjustment follow these guidelines:

**if the space is too large: the truss rod could probably stand
to be tightened some. 

 a symptom of a truss rod that needs to be tightened is buzzing
  sounds on most every string when playing around the middle 
  frets on the neck.

WARNING: if you are tightening the truss rod and it does not
         move with a reasonable amount of pressure DO NOT force
         it to turn. consult a professional.


**if the space is too small: the truss rod could stand to be
loosened some.

  a symptom of a truss rod that needs to be loosened is buzzing
  sounds on most every string when playing on the lowest frets.


if you get buzzing on random strings and frets, it's likely 
that you have some unlevel frets. a truss rod adjustment will
not fix unlevel frets.