Musical instruments need to be tuned regularly. If you have just purchased, for example, an electric guitar, you will need to tune the scale, tremolo, string height and anchor rod. This process is quite painstaking and long. But, first of all, it is worth understanding what an anchor is and how it is set up.
Inside the guitar neck is a rod, which is called an anchor. Its upper end is rigidly fixed from above under the overlay at the head of the neck. And the anchor head comes out from the bottom of the neck, so it is available in the cavity opening. An anchor is needed to support and tension the neck, for example, so that it does not bend from the tension of metal strings. The need for his lift arises if the middle of the neck is below its ends. In the opposite situation, when the bar sticks out like a hump, the anchor must be released. More often, it “bends” the deflection in waves. Anchor tuning is necessary if, when playing a guitar at a moderate pace, the strings touch the frets. With a significant deflection, the adjustment of the tool anchor is carried out by the master, and with a small problem, you can figure it out on your own.
To configure, you will need an anchor hex key. If the adjustment is made perfectly, then it allows you to get a relatively flat, with a slight and imperceptible bend of the neck. You can check it by holding the sixth string in the first and around the twentieth fret, while you should look at the gap that arises between the seventh fret and the string. It should leave no more than 0.2 millimeters. An anchor does not require adjustment if everything is in order.
When rattling strings, their height should be adjusted. In the event that the problem lies in the deflection of the neck, then you will need to configure the anchor to adjust it. First, to avoid breaking the strings, they must be loosened. Unscrew the bolts on the curtain that closes the anchor nut. Install the Allen key as far as it will go. To reduce the deflection, tighten the anchor, for which the key must be rotated clockwise. And vice versa, to bend the anchor is weakened, and the tuning tool should be rotated counterclockwise. In the event that the anchor is strongly released, it can rattle strongly inside the neck. It is normal if he is slightly tightened in the new guitar.
Keep in mind that the adjustment process can be extreme. You can’t rush when the guitar anchor is tuned, you should turn the key slowly. In order not to spoil the neck, only half a turn of the key per day is necessary. You should wait from five to ten minutes for the bar to take its final shape, and the bend should be checked each time by making a half turn of the anchor nut. In order to avoid nut breakdown, it is better to consult a specialist if you can not cope with the setting yourself. After completing the adjustment, you need to re-tune all the strings, and it is better not to touch the guitar during the day.
Various positions of the anchor make it possible to experiment with strings having different thicknesses and tension, adjust the neck depending on the wear of the frets and the weather. When replacing thin strings with thick ones on a guitar, setting the anchor is required. If it is adjusted correctly, then the neck from the first to the fourteenth fret must certainly be straight. At the same time, the strings for adjusting the anchor should be tensioned as usual, and the neck should always have a slightly concave shape. Musicians who have mastered the tuning method described above share the results. Their instrument began to sound beautiful, the lower notes - deeper than before, the higher - cleaner and sharper. Anchor can be configured both on an electric guitar and an acoustic instrument.
It happens that the root of the problem lies in defects, cross-cut wood, uneven torsion of the braid of the string or uneven bending of the neck. Then the anchor setting will not solve it, there will be no improvement in the sound of the instrument even after its completion; it is necessary to seek the advice of a specialist.