# Qestion regarding truss rod(s)



## Dwellingers (Feb 9, 2011)

Hello.

Got an 5 string tobias growler - it intonates like shit so I decided to givet and adjustment. Inside the neck there are not one, but two truss rods. I have only encountered one in each bass/guitar I have adjusted - anybody know why there are two rods in the neck of the tobias? Perhaps a link with a bit of information...


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## angus (Feb 9, 2011)

Adjustability- you can set the relief on the two sides of the neck slightly different if you prefer. Similarly, it allows finer adjustment of the two sides of the neck settle differently over time (which I've had an instrument do). 

I have a Tobias with double truss rods, too, and it's a bit of a pain to adjust because you have to make sure that both of the neck have the relief- or lack of relief, in my case- that you like.

It isn't going to help you intonate better, though, unless you had a TON of relief in the neck.


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## deevit (Feb 9, 2011)

angus said:


> It isn't going to help you intonate better, though, unless you had a TON of relief in the neck.



My thoughts exactly. First try some new strings... Is the neck set right? Then just leave the rods alone.


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## Dwellingers (Feb 10, 2011)

deevit said:


> My thoughts exactly. First try some new strings... Is the neck set right? Then just leave the rods alone.



Year I Know it wont change the intonation problem, but the strings are so far away from the fretboard so an adjustment should be in place

Thanks for the info guys. Angus - do you know which size truss rod tuner i should aquire? The one I have is a tad big...


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## angus (Feb 10, 2011)

Yeah, it's a pain to get the right one- it needs to be 1/4" and not deep. It can't be the deep truss wrenches because they don't fit into the recess cut in the Growlers. 

Get the right tool, though, because the brass nuts on these Tobias basses are known to strip out if you aren't careful, so don't halfass the job.


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## Dwellingers (Feb 10, 2011)

angus said:


> Yeah, it's a pain to get the right one- it needs to be 1/4" and not deep. It can't be the deep truss wrenches because they don't fit into the recess cut in the Growlers.
> 
> Get the right tool, though, because the brass nuts on these Tobias basses are known to strip out if you aren't careful, so don't halfass the job.



Will do my best. Btw - I dont think the Bartholini PU is set up right. I should be able to split/blend to coils but nothing seems to happen - is this i know problem? I bought it used a couple of years ago...


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## angus (Feb 10, 2011)

You shouldn't be able to blend the coils, but you should be able to split from single/series/parallel. There should be two switches on the face of the instrument- do neither do anything?


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## Dwellingers (Feb 11, 2011)

angus said:


> You shouldn't be able to blend the coils, but you should be able to split from single/series/parallel. There should be two switches on the face of the instrument- do neither do anything?




No switches - only knobs - and it looks like this:
http://www.guitarsite.com/news/images/guitar/TBG5NSBC1-1.jpg

Really weird


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## angus (Feb 11, 2011)

Er, weird. The older Growlers- I used to have one- had a different 4 configuration with 2 switches (series/single/parallel and mid selection or something...I forget what the latter was). 

I have ZERO idea of what they are running there. If they are running the two outs of the quad coil into a blend, it wouldn't ever be a true humbucker (er, quadbucker). Same if vol/vol. That's the weirdest thing I've seen in a while. I wonder when they changed.

What year is it? I'll look up the wiring schematic from Gibson.


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## Dwellingers (Feb 11, 2011)

angus said:


> Er, weird. The older Growlers- I used to have one- had a different 4 configuration with 2 switches (series/single/parallel and mid selection or something...I forget what the latter was).
> 
> I have ZERO idea of what they are running there. If they are running the two outs of the quad coil into a blend, it wouldn't ever be a true humbucker (er, quadbucker). Same if vol/vol. That's the weirdest thing I've seen in a while. I wonder when they changed.
> 
> What year is it? I'll look up the wiring schematic from Gibson.



The series number is 10006 - 2006?


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## vansinn (Feb 11, 2011)

With dual trusses a neck can require a little time to settle.
I had the issue with my 7-ply seven that the factory string set weren't too well balanced with too little tension on the low end.
Adjusting the trusses left it a small relief on the high side, but fully flat on low side, couldn't get it equal.
Couple of days, and had leveled itself out..


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## angus (Feb 11, 2011)

That's more of a function of the neck than of the truss rods. Some necks take a day to settle, others settle in 15 seconds. The single/dual truss issue won't affect that.


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