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PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 7:47 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:19 am
Posts: 648
Location: St. Charles MO
First name: Karl
Last Name: Borum
State: MO
Zip/Postal Code: 63303
Country: United States
Focus: Build
CarlD wrote:
I just reassembled one of my local wood guitars with a new neck built because of a blowout from a HotRod on the original. Used one from Bitter Creek in the new neck. If I reuse them (got 2), I'll grind off the corners of the brass blocks hopefully to eliminate the stress risers there.


Excellent insight into stress risers- something I need to consider more in the future. I've used a few DA HotRods with the sharp, heavy brass corners and never gave it a thought. I didn't much consider SRs in wood but wow, I will now.

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Karl Borum


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 8:49 am 
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Walnut
Walnut
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Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2025 8:08 am
Posts: 15
First name: Peter
Last Name: Tourin
City: New London
State: NH
Zip/Postal Code: 03257
Country: US
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
A newbie question about Bobʻs early post... Whatʻs the story with rattles and caulk? Since Iʻm just in the process of installing a StewMac double rod, this is the time to ask...


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 9:23 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:10 pm
Posts: 809
First name: Bob
Last Name: Gramann
City: Fredericksburg
State: VA
Zip/Postal Code: 22408
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Some rod designs have spaces between the components that allow them to vibrate against each other or against the channel they are in. When the tension on the rod and the distances are just right, playing particular notes on the guitar can make the truss rod seem to sing. A couple of small dabs of silicone caulk along the length of the rod can help damp that vibration. Just use little dabs, not enough to squeeze out and mess up any glue joints. The soft caulk is flexible and won’t interfere with the action of the rod. Don’t use anything that cures hard.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 10:51 am 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 13706
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
ptourin wrote:
A newbie question about Bobʻs early post... Whatʻs the story with rattles and caulk? Since Iʻm just in the process of installing a StewMac double rod, this is the time to ask...


I'll add silicon is a huge enemy of lutherie and what we do. If your shop gets contaminated with it, say a bench top, etc and that comes in contact with the wood of the guitar you are working on it can result in a finishing nightmare with fisheyes.

So try to contain anything with silicon to only where you want it to be and clean up well after using it and never, ever let it get on wood that you intend to finish.

I elected to not use any silicon in any of my builds and instead to use a file on the sides of my Blanchard truss rods to make for a precise fit in the truss rod channel. All of mine were snug as a bug in a truss rod channel and now nearly 20 years later no issues reported. I did put a top strip over the rod too but that was all I did.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2025 11:41 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:10 pm
Posts: 809
First name: Bob
Last Name: Gramann
City: Fredericksburg
State: VA
Zip/Postal Code: 22408
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
I agree, silicone is the enemy of any finishing process. I’ve never had any problem with silicone escaping from the little bit of caulk that I’ve used. But, if you ever wax your car, change your clothes and shower before you go into your shop. Just a little fingerprint on your wood will ruin your day.



These users thanked the author bobgramann for the post: Hesh (Sun Oct 05, 2025 11:52 am)
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