I keep loosening, and loosening, and loosening my truss rod but my string height won't increase at all.
I have a student Fender, a Squier (maybe that's why it won't work). What is the cause of this? Maybe I am doing it wrong somehow!
Some help would be appreciated.
Thank You!
I am not trying to be a jerk, but are you sure you are turning the truss rod in the right direction? You should be turning the wrench toward the thin strings to increase the neck bow. Squiers a re good guitars, I own two and have had no problems with the truss rods. You can also adjust string height at the bridge saddles.
The correct way to adjust string height or action is by raising or lowering the saddles. The truss rod is used to adjust relief or the curvature of the neck. It is true that loosening the truss rod will cause the neck to upbow which will raise the strings above the frets, but that can cause fret buzz just like overtightening the truss rod.
If you overtighten the truss rod your neck will backbow, shaped like a frown. When you fret in frets 1-5 the strings will often touch in the middle of your neck causing fretbuzz.
If you loosen the truss rod too much your neck will upbow like a smile. Now when you fret in the middle of the neck (usually frets 5-12) the strings can touch a fret higher up the neck and buzz.
Good relief is usually about .025" at the 7th fret. Fret your guitar at the 1st fret or use a capo. Now also fret at the 14th fret. Look at the bass E string at the 7th fret. You should have just enough clearance between the string and the 7th fret to slide a business card inbetween. You can go a little higher or lower, but this is a good starting point.
As CFB said, turn the truss rod counter-clockwise to loosen it, clockwise to tighten it.
Always detune your strings a little slack before adjusting the truss rod. Then retune and check the relief.
Once you have good relief, then use your saddles to raise or lower your string height.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
or the other way around. I get the string height right at the 12 fret and then I adjust the relief.