2 Truss rods

[Mittens]

Im having a bit of difficulty getting my neck straight what with the 2 truss rods and all! Im getting fret buzz at the first fret and dead notes way up at 21, 22, 23rd frets. This is the closest ive gotten to nice low action. Any one have any tips on how they set their guitars up etc? The guitar is an Agile Intrepid pro 828, 28 inch sclae neck and 10-74 strings. Any help would be much appreciated!!

 

[Explorer]

Two different factors at work.

If using your first fret causes buzz at your second fret, it's possible that you first fret is low compared to the rest, or the second fret is high. Look on the internet for instructions in diagnosing uneven fretwork.

Normally, one sets relief (bend of the neck) and then action. There are good tutorials on doing this, and I have no doubt you'll find several. Follow them to the letter.

You should be able to do these things easily, and you don't have to alter the guitar, just adjust it. If the fretwork isn't all it could be, you might consider returning it, supposing you bought it new.

Let us know how things turn out when doing things by the numbers!

 

[Mittens]

Thanks for the response, yes ive done some research on this. I usually do quite well setting up my guitars, but the 2 truss rods has thrown me off a bit! Today i found that having the bass end truss rod looser and mainly using the treble end to make adjustments seems to get me closer to a straightish neck. Oddly enough, the fret buzz whilst fretting the first fret only happens on the A string! But then up beyond the 19th fret all the higher strings are dead except the D string, all notes are clear. Sounds like ive twisted the neck actually...
Oh, im asking on this forum because ive not found anything regarding 2 truss rods on the rest of the internet!

 

[Poparad]

Here's my general rule of thumb for figuring out what to adjust.

(This is all assuming you don't have any problems with the frets themselves, which if that's the case, it will usually only be one note on the string that is affected)

If the first few frets feel too high (or if the open string buzzes, but none of the frets), then it might be the nut that needs adjusting.

If the middle range of the neck is too high or too low, then the truss rod(s) affect this the most.

If the highest range of the neck has issues, then the bridge saddles will affect this the most.

 

[Explorer]

...(T)he 2 truss rods has thrown me off a bit! Today i found that having the bass end truss rod looser and mainly using the treble end to make adjustments seems to get me closer to a straightish neck. Oddly enough, the fret buzz whilst fretting the first fret only happens on the A string!
...Oh, im asking on this forum because ive not found anything regarding 2 truss rods on the rest of the internet!

My suggestions would be to set up relief for the two outer strings using the appropriate nearby truss rod.

The goal isn't to have a straight neck, but to have an appropriate amount of relief so that you have no buzzes. You're setting up the equivalent of stadium seating on your neck.

I'm going to disagree that buzzing while pressing the first fret has anything to do with the nut. Open string, yes, but first fret only means that fret is lower than the second, either because the first fret is lacking...

o O O O

...or because the second fret is high.

o O o o

It's also not impossible to have a fret which is high in only certain areas. Imagine a fret which hasn't been hammered all the way in, for example, so that only one string is affected. I've found that on more than one instrument.

Anyway, set up the outer strings' relief with the appropriate truss rod. Check for high frets along each string (using a credit/bank card, as described on so many websites) and keep notes of where the high frets are. If you find frets which are high and which aren't completely in, don't just wail upon them with a steel hammer; do some reading on how to hammer them in without damaging your frets and your fretboard.

Generally, the relief on my 8-strings is a little greater on the bass side than the treble, due to the greater amount of string travel for a thicker string. You'll probably have the same, without it being a complete twist.

And then you'll set your action at the bridge, and assuming the nut is fine, you'll be ready to go.

Good luck!

 

[Poparad]

I'm going to disagree that buzzing while pressing the first fret has anything to do with the nut. Open string, yes, but first fret only means that fret is lower than the second, either because the first fret is lacking...

You would be correct. I was thinking more if the action feels really high on the first few frets, then it's the nut, and when I typed that I just sort of lumped it in with open string fretbuzz due to a low nut.

 

[Rap Hat]

Im having a bit of difficulty getting my neck straight what with the 2 truss rods and all! Im getting fret buzz at the first fret and dead notes way up at 21, 22, 23rd frets. This is the closest ive gotten to nice low action. Any one have any tips on how they set their guitars up etc? The guitar is an Agile Intrepid pro 828, 28 inch sclae neck and 10-74 strings. Any help would be much appreciated!!

I recently found out the Agile 8's have two dual-action truss rods. This means that you can go either way, to give the guitar a bow or relief. Someone asked Kurt about this a while back, and he said that there will be a "loose" spot in the middle, when you're between the two. You just continue turning it the way you were going and it will tighten up again.
This gave me some confusion when I first started messing with it, since the factory had it set up with them tightened in opposite directions, so I thought my guitar had opposite facing rods (if that makes any sense).

 

[HyperShade]

I'm completely lost on this whole double truss rod thing, and I also can't find any tutorials... Anyone have any advice? I'm having basically the same issue.

 

[vansinn]

It would be handy knowing:
. which guitar
. if a professional fretdress has been done

If the dress isn't 100% perfect, adjustments can be done into eternity but the desired playability wil never acomplished.
Of course, if a neck simply isn't made correct, there's always a chance it'll give in in ways making a perfect setup mission impossible.

However, by far most good qulity affordable guitars have quite decent necks, and yet will need a professional fretdress.

This doesn't mean the instruments isn't good, or the producer jumped the low fence; rather simply that the perfect fretdress, which is so important to playability, takes quite some time, which translates to higher costs, which can hardly be justified if the instrument is going to be sellable to a sufficiently wide audience.

My term "professional fretdress" simply means done 100% correct, whether this is by a skilled luthier or any musician who's taken the time to learn it

 

[Thrashman]

you have too much relief and too low action.

the relief makes it playable up until where the neck is straighter towards the neck bolts(neck joint), where the action is too low for the strings to actually have room to vibrate.

 

[EQGuitars]

If you are getting fret buzz at the first fret, the problem is either a high second fret, or that your neck has too much backbow. Essentially the string is trying to vibrate uphill and is contacting something in the process.

An easy way to check the relief of your neck (if you're not used to using a side-of-neck sightline) is to hold down the lowest string on the first fret either with your fretting hand or a capo. Use your other hand to hold down the same string at the fret where the neck meets the body. Since the truss rod doesn't affect the frets post-heel, doing this also takes the nut height and the bridge action out of the equation. By touching down on the string in between both "anchor points" you can read how much bow the neck has. If you have decent relief (upbow) and the first fret position is still buzzing against the second fret then you have a high fret on your hands. If there is no motion of the string in the middle of the neck, then you have tightened the truss rod(s) a bit too much and need to loosen it (them). Once you have set one side of the neck to the correct relief, use the other truss rod to set the highest string to this measurement.

Generally I like to see the string have a little motion but not more than half the thickness of the low string when reading the middle of the neck.