Official Luthiers Forum!

I have finally done it - NO. 2 is almost completed - and what an odyssey it was - many mistakes (and I learned a lot). During what I hoped to be final setup, I noticed another silly mistake I made.
I pretty much followed the bracing pattern of the LMI OM plan. I just like the idea of adjusting the truss rod through the sound hole, so that's what I did. Turns out that I can't adjust the truss rod now with the neck installed, because the upper transverse brace and the spruce patch under the fingerboard is in the way and I can't get the allen key into the nut

Can I just turn the truss rod, and then install the neck, and if so, what would be a good starting point in terms of turning the rod (like 1/4 turn clockwise?) I know it would be a cumbersome way for setup, but the guitar is for myself, and once it's setup it'll hopefully stay like that for a while.

I know I could take of the fingerboard again, route the truss rod slot through the headplate, turn the rod, make a cover and live happily ever after, but in a way I'd really like to play the guitar now

thanks for any advice,
Christian

Hello,
Have you ever seen a Larrivee style truss rod wrench? It is shaped somewhat like a letter 'L' and is designed to go around the UTB. With a little patience you could probably gouge a hole in the popsicle brace to fit it in. May look a little unsightly inside afterwards, but it would likely be easier than removing the fingerboard. Just a thought...
Cheers

I wasn't aware of the Larrivee style rod wrench...I might look into that in the future - thanks for the suggestion. Since I couldn't wait I drilled a hole through the brace and chiseled away a bit of the popsicle - worked really well (except that I chiseled into my finger and can't play the guitar now ).
Thanks a lot for suggesting that.

Christian

If your neck is not yet glued onto the guitar (if you can still take it off), you should be able to do all the drilling and cutting that you need to by removing the neck and going from the top of the guitar where the neck was.

You already cut a slot out of the top for the truss rod right? You'll use that slot that you cut to drill the hole in the transverse brace. Of course be careful that you're straight and not drilling through the top.

Or if it's already glued on........as others have said, just use a special wrench and don't put a hole and/or use a special drill to get a hole through the sound hole.

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

You might be able to get a ball-end hex wrench in there as it is. They allow something like a 15 or 20° angle between the wrench and the bolt.

Pat

_________________
formerly known around here as burbank
_________________

http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Thanks Blain and Pat for the new answers.

I had already done the repair by drilling through the transverse brace and chiseling away part of the popsicle brace. The results can be seen here:

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=23069

Christian