Official Luthiers Forum!

Does anyone cut their truss rod slot so that it runs parallel to the bottom of the neck? Is there any advantage/disadvantage to doing this? I'm thinking that most necks have somewhere between .075-.125 taper in them from the neck block to the nut. So why not the slot for the truss rod?

Tim

Tim: Just a few thoughts. It will be a bit more work to do it that way. But it will put the rod a bit deeper in the neck which may or may not be more effective. It also may make it easy to adjust the rod without drilling a hole through the UTB.
Tom

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Benedetto in his video talks about having more control with a slightly bowed truss rod slot. The measurements in the book are 7/16" depth from the heel to about halfway up the neck, then gradual bow to 3/8" at the nut.

_________________
Keith Lally
http://krl-guitar-building.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the replys guys.

Tom, Really shouldn't be that much more of a problem doing it that way as I am running it on a mill. As long as I can indicate the top to the dimension I am shooting for it should cut just fine. My feeling is the same as yours in that it will eliminate the hole in the UTB, which I don't put in anyway, and make the access for adjustment easier.

Keith, That is one of the things I was hoping to hear.

I would also hope that the pressure would be equally ditributed through the neck rather than find the path of least resistance.

Thanks
Tim

running the truss rod slot parallel to the spine of the neck will make you cut a tapered shim to fill the slot. Another thing is how the truss rod will react with the wood. . I never did it that way and it may be fine , let us know the results . You will need to be careful of weakening the neck in the areas where the truss rod will push against the neck. I have seen necks crack from thinned areas under the truss rod .

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I make my truss rod slot deeper at the body end than at the nut end. I'm not sure it's any better that way but it hasn't caused any problems either.

M

Just being nosy, but why, Mark? Better leverage?

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars