Official Luthiers Forum!

You know those truss rods with one steel rod that is enclosed inside a U shaped steel channel with plastic inserts inside to keep the rod there, usually covered with masking tape to prevent glue from getting in. I can't seem to find any instruction regarding these truss rods. Do I install them with the masking tape side down or up or it doesn't matter? I plan to make them head adjust.

these are what I am talking about:

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Truss+Rods%2FNeck+Parts&NameProdHeader=Truss+Rod+%2D+Martin%99+Style+Truss+Rod

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

The tape goes down.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

What Pat said....

Here's a link to the instructions on Stew Mac's web site.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Truss_rods/Adjustable_truss_rods/1/Martin-style_Adjustable_Truss_Rod/Instructions/I-1177.html#details

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

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

Yep what Pat said - the tape goes down.

I'm curious, does the U-channel on this syle truss rod help stiffen the neck? Enough to help sustain?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

I believe it does, though I have not done any real testing. The u-channel type feels quite a bit stiffer to me.

Whether it helps sustain, well, that is grounds for a whole 'nuther discussion.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

you know on mines (the ones from LMI) the curved side are on the flat side and the channel is made from steel not aluminum. But it still doesn't matter the open side (covered by the tape) still faces down right?

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

If you're not sure which way it goes, why don't you ask the truss rod? Stick a wrench in it and tighten it. Which way it bends should make it obvious which way it goes in.

They go open side down not for any stiffening motivation, but it's just how they are made. Try to imagine how you would design it to curve ends toward the flat side as you tighten it. Solid bar on one side, tensioning bar on the other - even without a spacer under the center of the rod pushing it in to a curve as they are, it would still obviously want to curve ends toward the open face.

Just take a moment to reason through how the design works. Once you can picture the dynamics, it becomes pretty obvious how and why they work like they do.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.