What is the height of your strings on the 12th fret?

That's the reason why a NASA Mars probe crashed on Mars in 1999.
One party was talking in SI units (metric) and the other in imperial....
 
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After the strings had been back on for a couple hours, action was still way high, 3/32 at the 12th both sides. I was able to tilt the neck enough to try tightening the truss rod some more, just by loosening the strings, not taking them off.

However, I don't have a real truss rod tool, just a long handled Phillips screwdriver, and I wasn't able to move it that much. Back up to pitch, action's still high.

Is it normal that a Phillips wouldn't be effective for this, or is the neck f-ed? I could take it to a tech, but I don't want to wait as long as the typical turnaround time around here if I can help it. What size would a strat adjusting wrench be?
As been said, try lubing it. Otherwise, loosening it before tightening it can work in general. On necks with a regular Philips head truss rod screw, I've just used regular tools. There is nothing special about what's needed.

I do prefer hex screws though, since it's easier to get leverage with L-shaped tools. But you shouldn't need more force than you can get with a screwdriver anyways.
 
It's on the end of the neck closest to the body. Poor design choice IMO.

To provide access to the truss rod adjuster without removing or at least tilting the neck, I'd have to take a good hunk out of the body, as well as the pickguard. Don't think I want to do that on a more or less stock EJ strat.

Wonder if I could tilt the neck {and also put it back!) with the strings still on, just loosened a bit.
What I do for changing pup loaded pickguards without removing the strings :
  • Loosen all strings
  • place a capo on the first fret (close to the nut)
  • unscrew and carefully remove the neck out of the pocket (this would be a good time to adjust your truss rod)
  • replace the loaded pickguard
  • reverse order back to normal

This doesn't take much time for me and strings are left untouched and remain in the nut slots via Capo
 
What I do for changing pup loaded pickguards without removing the strings :
  • Loosen all strings
  • place a capo on the first fret (close to the nut)
  • unscrew and carefully remove the neck out of the pocket (this would be a good time to adjust your truss rod)
  • replace the loaded pickguard
  • reverse order back to normal

This doesn't take much time for me and strings are left untouched and remain in the nut slots via Capo
Ah, a fellow Motie.
 
Let me open up another can of worms. How deep do you cut your nut slots? Other than Floyds, I've never bought a guitar, regardless of price, that I didn't have to deepen the slots for best playability.
 
The low E on my archtop is around 0.8mm with a flat radius. When I commissioned it I was concerned an archtop might be more difficult to play than my electrics, so I asked the luthier for a low action. He did not disappoint!
 
Let me open up another can of worms. How deep do you cut your nut slots? Other than Floyds, I've never bought a guitar, regardless of price, that I didn't have to deepen the slots for best playability.
Ideally, the same height as the first fret. Or as close to it that I can get without going below that.
 
Have you tried removing the TR nut and lubing the threaded rod? Also note if the nut is compressing the maple and has run out of thread. This may be another reason it is hard to turn.
This is an EJ strat. There's no externally exposed nut. Do you mean removing the truss rod from the neck by unscrewing it all the way? In all my years of playing I've never done that.

As been said, try lubing it. Otherwise, loosening it before tightening it can work in general. On necks with a regular Philips head truss rod screw, I've just used regular tools. There is nothing special about what's needed.

I do prefer hex screws though, since it's easier to get leverage with L-shaped tools. But you shouldn't need more force than you can get with a screwdriver anyways.
Adjuster looks like this:
oldSchoolRod.jpg
Pic is hard to see, best I found, but it's not an Allen, just a cross-shaped double slot that goes all the way across the rod in both directions.

But you've also answered my question about whether a screwdriver should be able to exert enough force, and the answer is yes, I shouldn't need a special tool. If that's the case, and it doesn't move any further, is the neck trashed?

What I do for changing pup loaded pickguards without removing the strings :
  • Loosen all strings
  • place a capo on the first fret (close to the nut)
  • unscrew and carefully remove the neck out of the pocket (this would be a good time to adjust your truss rod)
  • replace the loaded pickguard
  • reverse order back to normal

This doesn't take much time for me and strings are left untouched and remain in the nut slots via Capo
Just curious, why remove the pickguard?
 
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What you see there is just the head that screws onto the truss rod. If you turn it enough anti clockwise, it will come off. The truss rod itself isn't something you can remove without removing the fretboard. It's attached to the insie of the neck on the opposite side of where you adjust it. The truss rod doesn't rotate, only the screw that you tighten it with does that.

http://www.timeelect.com/54-neck.htm
 
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What you see there is just the head that screws onto the truss rod. If you turn it enough anti clockwise, it will come off. The truss rod itself isn't something you can remove without removing the fretboard. It's attached to the insie of the neck on the opposite side of where you adjust it. The truss rod doesn't rotate, only the screw that you tighten it with does that.

http://www.timeelect.com/54-neck.htm
So I should unscrew it until it comes off, then lube what's exposed?

I didn't think the rod could come out without removing the fretboard, which is out of my league.
 
So I should unscrew it until it comes off, then lube what's exposed?

I didn't think the rod could come out without removing the fretboard, which is out of my league.
Exactly. Lube the inside of the screw/nut and the threads on the truss rod. Sometimes, the reason why the truss rod is hard to tighten, isn't that the rod is at the end of its range, but that the screw/nut has trouble going further on the threads due to dirt, oxidation etc.
 
This is an EJ strat. There's no externally exposed nut. Do you mean removing the truss rod from the neck by unscrewing it all the way? In all my years of playing I've never done that.


Adjuster looks like this:
View attachment 77427


Just curious, why remove the pickguard?
Removing the pickguard was only for swapping out different loaded/prewired pickguards c/w whatever pots and 5 way switching that it required. Kind of a no fuss no muss quick change arrangement.
eg. Kinmen pup sets with their K5 K7 & K9 harnesses.
I just thought that my procedure might allow a somewhat easier access to the adjustment rod without removing the strings.
 
Removing the pickguard was only for swapping out different loaded/prewired pickguards c/w whatever pots and 5 way switching that it required. Kind of a no fuss no muss quick change arrangement.
eg. Kinmen pup sets with their K5 K7 & K9 harnesses.
I just thought that my procedure might allow a somewhat easier access to the adjustment rod without removing the strings.
Got it.
I didn't do the capo thing, was able to tilt the neck enough to get to the adjuster just by loosening the strings; they didn't come off the tuner posts.
I'll do that next time, which will be shortly, since I need to go again.
 
Exactly. Lube the inside of the screw/nut and the threads on the truss rod. Sometimes, the reason why the truss rod is hard to tighten, isn't that the rod is at the end of its range, but that the screw/nut has trouble going further on the threads due to dirt, oxidation etc.
Any lube recommendations? Straight up light oil like 4 In 1? Silicone spray?
 
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