Old Fender Truss Rod Still Perfect?

[DanyoSound]

I have a Squier Vista Series Jag-Master that I bought brand new around 1995 (21 year old). I never had it professionally set up, and I've only used youtube videos to learn how to set the intonation.

This guitar has always had strings on it, even when I haven't played it for a few years. Today I was looking at youtube videos to have a look at the truss rod, since I've never adjusted a truss rod before. Truss rods scare the hell out of me.

I looked at a few videos, and both said to put a finger on the first fret and the last fret, and said that around the 11-13th frets there just be just a little bit of gap, about the size of a credit card (but not a dime).

The Jag-Master has exactly that! After more than 20 years of constant strings (Hybrid Slinky 9s), it's exactly what it should be.

Is that possible? Is it really possible that a guitar can be perfect without needing adjustment after so many years? Maybe I performed the test incorrectly? Should the rod be wiggled a little, just to make sure it's even operational? I love this guitar. I'm about to put 10s on it. Will it need adjustment then?

[spacecadet]

It's not unusual. It depends a lot on climate, string tension (9's are pretty light), and a lot of it's just random, things like how dense the particular piece of wood you have is and what the grain's like. But I've rarely had to adjust the truss rod on any of my guitars; basses are a little different, but regular guitars, not often.

Wouldn't surprise me if you need to adjust it after putting 10's on, but it also wouldn't surprise me if you didn't. They'll have more tension than your 9's, though, so might bow it just a little. Wait a few days before checking to make sure; there's no point doing any adjustment right after putting them on, since it takes a little while for a neck to really settle into a new configuration. You might have to do it again if you do it too early.

[David_Maas]

I think it was Aristotle who said "If it ain't broke.."

In all seriousness, if you're happy with the relief you have now (the small amount of curvature that is made visible by the trick you used) then don't mess with it. I've screwed up many a set-up thinking that what I had wasn't good. Then you can spend a week trying to get it close again, in my experience...

[Lozboy]

I think it was Aristotle who said "If it ain't broke.."

In all seriousness, if you're happy with the relief you have now (the small amount of curvature that is made visible by the trick you used) then don't mess with it. I've screwed up many a set-up thinking that what I had wasn't good. Then you can spend a week trying to get it close again, in my experience...

I agree with this.I would put the 10's on play the crap out of it.Then check out any adjustments needed.Just play through any buzzing or fret outs until the neck is settled.Very often they go away anyway.
Always make very small adjustments & remember what you did & log how it was before the change ie action height,neck relief etc.

[Mad-Mike]

Those old Fender Japan necks are something else. I have 2 (CIJ Jaguar, and a 95' Jag-Stang), those two almost never need more than maybe a saddle or two moved in the 10-15 years I've owned them. Granted, they have a pretty low-stress life for offset guitars, they only run .009's