Do you guys typically adjust action with the truss rod or the saddles?

Just had a guitar in the shop for a new nut and setup but still have a little fret buzzing.  Before I take it back in I may be able to fix it myself (like I used to do back in the day).  My first thought is to give the truss rod a turn but don't want to get the neck too bent out of shape.
Was just curious, what do you guys usually do for an adjustment?  Nut, saddles, both?

I always start with the truss rod and get the neck curve how I like it. I like it with a little relief in mine, not perfectly straight.

Then I adjust the saddles or bridge to get string height how I like.

If there is still a problem I start messing with nut files, but make sure everything else is right first before messing with the nut. Don't want to mess the nut up.

I'll find a good video on youtube I followed when I started adjusting my own guitars.
https://youtube.com/user/FruduaTv
Check his videos out.



Where is it buzzing? Near the nut? Near the neck pickup? Everywhere?

What type of bridge? Strat style?

Truss rod is to adjust neck relief. Action height is controlled by bridge/saddles.

Is this an electric guitar, or acoustic?

I start by measuring it.  

You need to know the string height (action height) at the 12th fret (both bass and treble E), and you also need to know the actual neck relief. Only then, do I start adjusting things.

You can check for proper depth of the nut slots by using the Frank Ford method.

It is also necessary to make sure the saddles are set up with the same radius as the neck. If this is an electric guitar, is it a Les Paul, by chance?

It's an electric (PRS SE) with a floating bridge (not Floyd Rose).
Most of the buzzing seems to be coming from the first couple frets near the nut.

I should gave mentioned the new setup included a new lower tuning from standard to C.  The difference in tension is probably what's causing the buzzing.  You'd think a professional tech would account for that and adjust accordingly.  This was one of the most highly regarded shops in Nashville.

Great. I have a PRS SE so I am familiar with the bridge.

I would loosen the truss rod a 1/4 turn at a time and see of that helps. You are correct on the tension thing. What guage strings did the tech put on it?

I would deff mess with the truss rod before anything else. Do not mess with the 6 bridge screws to adjust bridge height unless you are very sure they are all equal height. You can really mess up the PRS bridges knife edges if done wrong.

Whan you release the neck tension the string tension should pull the head stock up(guitar laying on bench, not in playing position). If the bridge does not stay level you may have to tighten the screws holding the springs to pull the bridge back down(back of guitar trem cavity).

I hope I am explaining this ok. Off to find video where they set up a PRS floating bridge for you.

And yes, the tech should have caught that. If they are close and you don't want to mess with it, I'd take it back and have him fix it while you watch, but once you learn to do it, it's really not that hard and will save you time and money in the future.

Forgot PRS has their own line of videos about set up. This one is good.

What is your neck relief measurement?
What is your current action height? (And what was it prior to being set up in the new tuning?)
Is the fret buzzing audible only acoustically (unplugged), or does it come through your amp?

Thanks for all the replies!!

Will have to check all the metrics,  haven't measured yet.

There were super slinky strings on prior but now is has "light top/heavy bottom" 10 - 52 gauge.

There was a time I did all this stuff myself with no hesitation.  All were on pre-owned guitars and I just tinkered until it became what I wanted.  This is the first guitar purchased new and it came from the factory in the goldy locks zone.  Two setups later and a new nut it's not quit what I want.
These days I'm preferring a professional level job with the right balance of bridge, saddles, nut and truss rod.  

Ain't got time fo that no mo but will make a couple adjustments if need be.

I'll definitely check out the videos you guys recommend.

Hm, interesting. I've always raised/lowered the bridge first as it's the easiest thing to do and 90% of the time it fixes the issue. Try not to mess with the truss rod unless I need to... which I have many times.

Sometimes it makes me nervous to do the truss rod because I don't know how far I can turn the thing without damaging something. There have been times where it felt a little too resistant in getting it where it needed to be. So far so good, though.

The key thing to remember is that the truss rod controls neck relief. While this can have an impact action height, it is not the job of the truss rod to manage action height. Action is managed by the bridge and nut (and most of the time, only adjustments at the bridge are necessary to achieve desired action).

Improper neck relief can indeed cause fret buzz on the low frets (nut end), but it should not be confused with action height. When neck relief is measured, action height is completely removed from the equation - you check the gap between a mid-range fret and the strings with the string against frets at either end (typically, first fret and either last fret or the fret where the neck joins the body). Action height is then checked after neck relief is set, with the strings at rest.

This is my sequence of events whenever I change type or gauge of strings, or make a significant tuning change:

1) String up and roughly tune.
2) Check neck relief - capo first fret and fret the last fret, use feeler gauge between string and 8th fret.
3) Adjust truss rod to bring relief into the desired range.
4) Check action height - measure both bass and treble sides at the 12th fret.
5) Adjust bridge as necessary to bring action to the desired height.
6) Tune to pitch.
7) Check intonation and adjust as necessary.

For all adjustments, the strings are slacked before making the adjustment, then brought back up to pitch before rechecking (just approximately prior to intonation).

If you are paying somebody to do your setup, I would go back to them and ask them to fix it to your liking. Note that it may not be considered their fault if any fret buzz is not audible when amplified and you have a rather low action - this is often considered acceptable. Of course, if you can actually hear the buzz through your amp and not just when you strum it unplugged, that's definitely on them. And if the relief is clearly out of spec, that is also on them. Note that if you find even the slightest acoustic buzz - that is completely inaudible through an amp - to be unacceptable, you need to communicate that to the tech.

Yeah, all of what Walkure said.  About the only thing I do differently, is I use a notched straight edge to measure the neck relief, rather than the string method.

A couple of other things can cause a buzz, too, and that is why it's important to measure things from the start.  If your action and neck relief are set up in a reasonable manor (of course, there is some leeway for the players preference), and you still have a buzz, you probably should look somewhere else, before making adjustments.  For instance, a fret that is not properly leveled can cause a buzz, or perhaps a fret that has popped up a little.  And, an improperly cut nut slot, or rough nut slot can also cause a sort of a buzz (open strings only).  Also, a rough saddle can cause a buzzing sound.  So, some detective work is always a good place to start, when trying to analyze a problem.

It's not an either or thing, they all get adjusted and there's a specificity to the process.

First, you get the truss rod adjusted for level frets, and dial in your relief after having strings at pitch and properly stretched. Then, you look at the nut and make sure the slots are cut correctly and that your first fret intonation is not compromised. Then, you move to the saddles and adjust for preference and minimal buzz.

This is setup 101.

You're absolutely right.   Setup 101.
I always started with the truss rod, right or not, and went from there.

In this case I took the guitar back to the shop and let them take a look.  The neck was back-bowed, probably due to the change in tuning, and was easily corrected.  The tech said it should have not left the shop like it was.
All is well now.  I appreciate all the input, that's a lot more info than I had going into the process.

ETA, This thing sounds killer!!
PRS SE with a 59/custom hybrid in the bridge, sentient in the neck.  The locking tuners definitely help.

I'll put locking tuners on a guitar with a Floyd I like them so much.

Here is your answer. You can set the action pretty crudely with the truss rod, but that is not the purpose of the truss rod. Get the neck flat (tiny bit of concave is okay). Then use the saddle adjustment to set the action. You may need adjustments at the nut, but that can get much more involved than just adjusting set screws.

There are a lot of videos out there that can be really helpful if you want to get in to this.

Maybe I missed it, but did you have the guitar specifically setup for drop C? Are you hoping for a setup that works with drop C and standard tuning? Dropping 4 semitones is a lot for the lower strings. To get that difference, you need either much heavier strings or much lower tension. Both are going to have a big effect, especially with a floating bridge, and even more so if you are looking for a low action. I don't think you can have it all here.

If you took it in to get it set up specifically for drop C, then I would take it back and have them get it right.

Slight bow in neck @ roughly tuning tension you want

Adjust individual action until play height is correct

Adjust intonation

Final tuning check

Adjust pickup height