How to adjust neck on Fender 1960 CS

bassgrackle

bassgrackle

Gold Supporting Member
Aug 17, 2010
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#1
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i just got my hands on a new Fender 1960 CS. And the neck seems to need to come off to be adjusted. Is that correct? If so which way do I turn the screw head to straighten the neck?
 
#2
From the manual: "To adjust the truss rod, use either a large Phillips or flathead screwdriver (for most vintage style basses), or the hex wrench supplied with your bass (for modern basses). Note that for vintage-style basses with the truss rod adjustment at the neck heel, you must remove the strings and loosen the neck mounting screws and/or remove the pickguard to gain access to the truss rod adjustment nut"

You may have access by removing just the pickguard but don't count on it. I would recommend removing the pickguard & neck and carve (...gotta love me some Dremel!) an access for future adjustments. It may alter authenticity but it's a RI for cryin' out loud.

Riis
 
#3
Zooberwerx said:
From the manual: "To adjust the truss rod, use either a large Phillips or flathead screwdriver (for most vintage style basses), or the hex wrench supplied with your bass (for modern basses). Note that for vintage-style basses with the truss rod adjustment at the neck heel, you must remove the strings and loosen the neck mounting screws and/or remove the pickguard to gain access to the truss rod adjustment nut"

You may have access by removing just the pickguard but don't count on it. I would recommend removing the pickguard & neck and carve (...gotta love me some Dremel!) an access for future adjustments. It may alter authenticity but it's a RI for cryin' out loud.

Riis
Click to expand...

I was afraid of that, but I will give it a try.
It is an RI but it's a custom shop RI. I would have expected the custom shop to modify these RIs to be more user friendly.
 
#6
Hey it was the 1950s. It wasn't crappy then. It was well engineered. It was years before others began refining and improving design. It works. Therefore not crappy; merely adequate by today's standards. It still works very well, an INCONVENIENCE, yes but it works just fine. There's always a starting point in engineering followed by refinement.

People like reissues. So they keep them accurate. Why some insist on dropping poop at every opportunity..... jeepers.
 
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#7
A relic from an era when cheaper electric guitars and basses simply didn't have adjustable rods. Maybe a steel bar if you were feeling lucky! If the rod needs frequent work then maybe carving an access route under the pickguard is the way to go. Had Fender done this out the gate then people would be upset at them for trampling all over historical accuracy. Damned if you do....
 
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#8
It can be done with a narrow (but thick) flat head screwdriver without removing anything if you're careful. The pick guard already has a slight notch. Take the narrow flat head screwdriver and insert it into the part of the truss rod nut slot that's visible. To remove relief turn clockwise. To put relief in, turn counter-clockwise. That's the way I adjust my '68 Precision, and I've never put a scratch on it using this method.
 
#9
96tbird said:
Hey it was the 1950s. It wasn't crappy then. It was well engineered. It was years before others began refining and improving design. It works. Therefore not crappy; merely adequate by today's standards. It still works very well, an INCONVENIENCE, yes but it works just fine. There's always a starting point in engineering followed by refinement.

People like reissues. So they keep them accurate. Why some insist on dropping poop at every opportunity..... jeepers.
Click to expand...

This gives me the opportunity to use this quote: "It's not a bug, it's a feature." ;)
 
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