Adjusting Truss Rod on Sadowsky Bass Metroexpress

To get the strings as low as possible on your Sadowsky MetroExpress, set neck relief first with the truss rod, then lower the bridge saddles, then set intonation. The truss rod mainly controls relief (neck bow), not final string height—the bridge does that. Excess relief is a common reason strings feel high.

Target Relief

Official MetroExpress guidance aims for a slight forward bow (up-bow). With the bass in tune, capo or hold the lowest string at the 1st fret and the last fret, then measure the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the 7th fret. Target roughly 0.4 mm (1/64"). Roger Sadowsky has also said he has best results with the neck essentially dead flat. For lowest possible action, stay at the minimal end of that range (almost flat) without first-position buzz.

Truss Rod Adjustment

The MetroExpress uses a spoke wheel at the base of the fretboard. Use the supplied tool (insert it through the wheel).

• Looking from the body toward the neck:

- Clockwise (toward the G string / bottom horn) = tighten = reduces up-bow / flattens the neck. - Counterclockwise (toward the E or B string / top horn) = loosens = adds relief.

• Make only ⅛–¼ turn at a time (manual suggests ¼–½ turn max per day in some cases). Retune to pitch and recheck after every adjustment. The wood needs time to settle—recheck the next day.
• Optionally loosen the strings slightly before turning to reduce tension, then retune before measuring.
• Don’t force it. If it feels extremely stiff, stop and consider a tech.

If strings are currently too high and you see a clear gap at the 7th fret under the fretted-string straightedge, tighten (clockwise) in small steps until you reach the slight-relief or nearly-flat target. Too little relief (back-bow) causes buzz on the first few frets—loosen slightly if that happens. Buzz around frets 7–12 usually means too much relief—tighten.

After Relief: Lowest Action + Intonation

1. Bridge action (hold string at 1st fret, measure at 12th fret): Sadowsky low specs are roughly G 1.59 mm (2/32") and B/E 2.38 mm (3/32"). Lower the saddles with the 1.5 mm Allen key, keeping each saddle level. Go as low as you can without objectionable buzz for your right-hand attack. The Just-A-Nut III (0.9 mm Allen) also lets you fine-tune nut height—check open-string clearance by fretting at the 3rd fret; aim for roughly a business-card thickness or less at the 1st fret.
2. Intonation last: With a good tuner (strobe preferred), compare the open string (or 12th-fret harmonic) to the fretted note at the 12th fret. Sharp → move the saddle away from the neck; flat → move it toward the neck. Retune and recheck each string.

Work in that order (relief → nut if needed → action → intonation). Small, iterative changes and playing tests between steps give the lowest clean action with solid intonation. If the neck won’t settle or buzz persists after proper relief and low action, fretwork or a tech setup is the next step.