Challenges of Beginning Guitar & Bass, Part 4
by Rick Cittar, Arcadia Music Studio
Neck Contour
The contour of the neck is also a critical factor in the set-up. When a string vibrates, it moves in all planes, both up and down, side to side. If the neck is perfectly straight, the string will touch the top of the fret and “buzz”. String buzz causes a loss of sound and clarity of tone.
Ideally, you will want some “relief” (a slight concave contour) in the neck to allow the string to vibrate freely. For example, here are the Fender factory specs for relief on Miss Clarissa, my American Standard Stratocaster. Put a capo on the first fret and press the low E string down at the fifteenth fret. Standard relief is a gap of .010″ between the top of the eighth fret and the bottom of the low E string.
If the strings pull too tightly on the neck, a severe concavity, or “bow” will result, causing very high action in the middle of the neck. Conversely, if the tension of the strings is not high enough, a convex contour, or “hump” will result, causing buzzing and some dead notes on the upper frets.
Most guitars and basses have a “truss rod” in the neck, which can be adjusted to get a balance between string tension and neck rigidity. A classical guitar will usually have no truss rod, and will rely on the thickness of the neck for stability. Turn the truss rod clockwise to tighten the neck and remove a “bow”; turn the truss rod counter-clockwise to loosen the neck and straighten out a “hump”.
