Official Luthiers Forum!

What is the minimum thickness of wood you want to leave between your truss rod and the back of the neck? I understand that may vary for the type of wood, in my case its a maple/rosewood laminate where the rod is and mahogany on the sides.

Thanks

I asked the same question a few years ago & the general consensus was 1/8" minimum.
I like to leave more.
When I am shaping the neck, I keep a vernier calliper handy & check the thickness often. It's easy to sand away too much material when you are refining the shape & blending the shaft into the peghead.

I had a truss rod break through the neck once and it really ranks high on the suckometer list of things I don't want to repeat. The others probably have more experience than I do but I like 0.150" or more.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The deeper in the neck you place the rod, the better it works, until you put it too deep... (I've done it too, early on ). About 3 mm (1/8") of wood under the rod is pretty safe, and seems to be a good compromise. The higher up (closer to the neck's "natural axis") you put it, the harder it has to work, it gets harder to turn the nut etc. BTW, because of the geometry of the cross section of a common neck profile, the natural axis is close to the fingerboard / neck shaft glue line, or so I've been told.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks fellers. I have had a breakthrough but on an electric with a skunk stripe. Interesting observation Arnt, never heard of that and something I will consider.