Truss Rod Adjustment on your Fender Ultra Lux Telecaster?

[Rick53]

My Ultra Luxe Tele's String Ht feels way to low for me. I loosened my Truss rod 1/4 turn . It actually sounded like it popped when I released it just that little bit . I had to use more force then I figured I would .

I like a low action , but this one seemed way to low . Actually not so much low as tight for lack of a better word . I don't usually measure string ht . I just go by feel . But if I were to guess a number I would say between 3/64 -4/64 on the higher strings and 4/64 on the lowest 2 . That's with the 9's . Which was what it came with .

Also wondering if anyone has went from 9's to 10's

Thank you

 

[Cosmic Cowboy]

Truss rod not so much to adjust action as much as it changes the neck geometry. If you are fretting out too low or high on the neck...the truss rod has too much relief.

Action is set at the saddles.

 

[KokoTele]

It has medium-jumbo frets, which are usually about .045" tall after leveling. (It depends on what they're calling "medium jumbo" that day, though. If you're used to taller frets, that .045" could make bending feel "tighter" to you.

But like Cosmic Cowboy said, the truss rod is not to adjust the string height, it's to adjust neck straightness. See other threads on this, but you want way less relief than you think for clean playing and low action. If you're not measuring your string height, you really should. A 6" rule is cheap, and Harbor Freight has them graduated in 64ths of an inch. HD and Lowes have them in 32nds.

The break angle over the saddle also has a lot to do with how bendy a guitar feels. Shallower break angle = more bendy. Sharper break angle = less bendy.

You can adjust the break angle with shims. Sometimes the production stickers in the neck pocket and on the heel act as a shim, forcing a sharper break angle over the saddles. Removing those stickers might solve the problem for you. You could also reverse shim at the headstock end of the pocket. Something the thickness of 1 or 2 business cards will do it for you.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I'm not good enough to do anything by feel so I measure things like relief and action and nut slots and the condition of frets.....