Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey Everyone,
Here's my first guitar I built, and I owe alot to you guys for your helpful advice. I'm grateful for this forum, because along with Cumpiano's book and other sites, I'm an internet learned luthier.

Pics aren't great, and it was farrr from perfect, but it sounds great and I learned a ton. Just go to my blog and scroll all the way down for the couple of pics.

http://www.coffeybuilds.blogspot.com/

Specs: L-00 with a deep body(4.5") and a 12 fret neck. Ovangol body, carpathian spruce top, walnut binding and honduran rosewood fingerboard, bridge, and headplate.

My new question is about neck relief. I have read in Cumpianos book, and seen on Froggy Bottom's website, that these guys use the truss rod to first put a bow in the neck, then plane flat, and then radius and fret the board. They say that after it is strung up, the neck relief is usually pretty close to perfect, and that if you don't do this step, you won't be able to make an adjustment in one direction. I don't understand this, and didn't do it to my first one, so I was wondering if someone could clarify?

Thanks again to everyone for your advice.

Sean

_________________
change isn't synonymous with improvement
instagram.com/bucketguitars/

Preloading the truss rod is important if you're using a one-way rod and you think that back bow will be a problem. On a guitar that develops back bow you can't correct it with a one-way rod if you have skipped this step. With a preloaded one-way rod you can get some relief back by loosening the rod. With a two-way rod you can take out the back bow by turning the nut counter clockwise or reduce relief by turning the nut clockwise. Usually back bow is not a problem because the string tension wants to add relief rather than take it away.

_________________
Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Thank you Todd and Ken. Ken that's kinda what I thought, since I'm using a two way truss rod, I won't worry about it.


By the way Todd, your videos on pore filling with Zpoxy were very helpful THanks.

Sean

_________________
change isn't synonymous with improvement
instagram.com/bucketguitars/