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Truss rod??

I am really diggin this site and I had no idea that CBGs has a whole cutlure of interesting people behind them. I can see that the sky is the limit and nothing can hold you back.

That being said ......I stated over the weekend how i plan a Lefty 4 string build for my talented nephew. I spent a few hours with two friends over the weekend who are excellent players....I mean damn good.... and they both rolled their eyes a little when i told them about CBGs.......thats is till they both saw my enthusiasm about it. As of tonight both are really curious about having me build them custom CBGs. They both have quite a few pieces of furniture I have made for them over the last 30 years.....so they know how bad ass it would be to have some CBGs by me in their stock. .........both have called me twice and talked at length about resonators verses regular acoustic etc. Both have mentioned the use of a truss rod in the neck.......that they would want the security of the strength involved.

My question is whether its neccessary to use a truss rod.....I mean to me it goes against the whole idea of a CBG.....you can bet Son House didn't worry about a damn truss rod......Anyway how important are they.......or should I chuck this idea in the trash can ?

thanks

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 4, 2014 at 4:33pm

Nope, don't need a truss rod for 3 or 4 bangers.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on March 4, 2014 at 6:45pm

The truss rod doesn't really affect the strength of the neck, it's there to allow you to adjust the relief in the neck. If the neck is well built in the first place, straight and free from twist then it will be fine without a trussrod. Important factors of ensuring a decent neck for a cigar box guitar are using stable timber, making it deep enough and gluing on a good hardwood fretboard with an accurate thin glueline. For extra long term stability you can laminate the neck from 3-5 pieces, which will make it more resistance to warping and twisting, and can also make the whole neck stiffer and more resistant to bending due to string tension.

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Permalink Reply by popsomatic on March 5, 2014 at 10:16am

thats what I was thinking....3-4 pieces with opposing grain laminated together......how thick a neck for a 4 string......I am seeing all kinds of sizes. My other friend flipped me a telecaster kneck that had never been used...as a reference.

Whats a comfortable width and height for a 4 string neck?

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Permalink Reply by Craig Howard on March 4, 2014 at 6:55pm

If they want the truss rod...they dont quite get the whole vibe of the CBG.

I have one (on loan) that has such a high action due to string tension...but wow does it resonate and sing and make an amazing sound thru my big amps..

Hopeless for fretting but awesome for slide (in the right hands of course).

Your friends maybe need to have a noodle with one of these before getting too "precious" and rigid in their paradigms.