Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on February 26, 2010 at 5:00am

IMHO ....
Do you have a fretboard? If so , I would remove the board and put the slot and rod under the fretboard.
If not, do ya wanna add a fretboard?
I would think this is preferrable.


BUT....
The way you state would work, just give a bit of extra time for the glue to dry.
A "c" channel piece of aluminum or steel would work best, (other than a real trussrod)
I would use steel tubing instead of a straight non-adjustable rod, but a rod should work.
The flat steel would be last choice.

Google "homemade truss-rod" not to hard to make.


Matt

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ken farmer on February 26, 2010 at 5:27am

I thought that the truss rod is primarily used for adjusting the angle of the neck.

If your neck is bowing, then it sounds like you need more wood.

Perhaps the truss rod could do both, or maybe it would be a bunch of work and still not do the job.

Sounds easier to make it a three stringer. :-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on February 26, 2010 at 6:22am

I thought about making it a 3 stringer, but I really wanted a 4 stringer for this one.

I may just make a new neck and make it laminated so it is stronger, or maybe put a reinforcing rod in it. I dunno...just looking for ideas right now.

I have a laminated neck blank sitting in the shop, so I may just redo the neck.

ken farmer said:

I thought that the truss rod is primarily used for adjusting the angle of the neck.

If your neck is bowing, then it sounds like you need more wood.

Perhaps the truss rod could do both, or maybe it would be a bunch of work and still not do the job.

Sounds easier to make it a three stringer. :-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on February 26, 2010 at 6:46am

Actually, upon further consideration, maybe I will do both. I will make the new, laminated neck, AND cut the slot and put a rod in the old neck. If I hose up the old neck, then I have another neck, nothing lost. If the old neck comes out good, then I either have a spare neck that is laminated, or has a reinforcing rod in it. Sounds like a win/win, no?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Grizz on February 26, 2010 at 7:15am

A truss rod is used to add or subtract bow in the neck as well as stiffening. Martin guitars in the 60's, I think it was, used square channel steel for truss rods for stiffening. They were not adjustable.
I agree with Matt, if you have a fretboard take it off and route a channel, insert the rod and reattach the fret board. If not, inserting it at the bottom would also work.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 26, 2010 at 2:42pm

... which is why I use hide glue for gluing fretboards on. Makes for easier removal of them thangs.....

-WY

Grizz said:

A truss rod is used to add or subtract bow in the neck as well as stiffening. Martin guitars in the 60's, I think it was, used square channel steel for truss rods for stiffening. They were not adjustable.
I agree with Matt, if you have a fretboard take it off and route a channel, insert the rod and reattach the fret board. If not, inserting it at the bottom would also work.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Grizz on February 27, 2010 at 3:18am

Exactly.

Wes Yates said:

... which is why I use hide glue for gluing fretboards on. Makes for easier removal of them thangs.....

-WY

Grizz said:

A truss rod is used to add or subtract bow in the neck as well as stiffening. Martin guitars in the 60's, I think it was, used square channel steel for truss rods for stiffening. They were not adjustable.
I agree with Matt, if you have a fretboard take it off and route a channel, insert the rod and reattach the fret board. If not, inserting it at the bottom would also work.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on February 27, 2010 at 3:25am

Just a thought here, from a newbie, have you tried lighter strings to see if you get less bow? How thick (thin) is your neck? Mine are a full inch and I get no bow at all with 3 strings and I don't think one more string would do much to it. If you used a piece of 1x lumber it will be 3/4" thick maybe adding the finger board on the top and thickening the neck is all it needs.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on February 27, 2010 at 5:59am

I use the standard 1x2 from Home Depot for all my necks, so it is 34 inch thick.

I used light gauge strings, and in fact, I use light gauge strings on all my builds.

I have some tests I want to perform in the next day or so. I want to be sure that the structural support "beam" I glued to the inside of the box, the one that the neck and tail piece bolt to, are not causing the problem. If that is the problem, then I may have to reinforce the box itself rather than the neck.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on February 27, 2010 at 6:17am

Try to find some 5/4 lumber, it works out to 1 inch when done, for your next neck. I like the feel of a 1" neck and the extra 1/4 inch really makes a difference.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Christopher Call on February 27, 2010 at 1:11pm

Martin did have that square steel tube like thing. Stew-Mac sells them fairly cheep should you go that way. that is the only way I would go other than an actual truss rod!

Grizz said:

A truss rod is used to add or subtract bow in the neck as well as stiffening. Martin guitars in the 60's, I think it was, used square channel steel for truss rods for stiffening. They were not adjustable.
I agree with Matt, if you have a fretboard take it off and route a channel, insert the rod and reattach the fret board. If not, inserting it at the bottom would also work.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by soulpatch29 on February 27, 2010 at 4:00pm

If the neck isn't doesn't go thru to the bridge part of the box, It maybe the box that needs support and not the neck.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page