Official Luthiers Forum!

Any one out there buying these rods ? If so, how would you compare them to the others being made on the market by others LMI , etc , I looked at their online website and their prices for classical and steel string seemed vy reasonable .Opinions ?/ thanks.

They are excellent rods and really well priced.

Fred

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I've never used one (I build mostly classical) but from what I've gathered from past threads they sound like they're more reliable than most of the other options out there. If you do a search you should be able to find several threads that discuss the Martin vs LMI vs Allied vs StewMac.

I have been using them. They are beefier than most and price is good.

Chuck

_________________
_________________

Having had failures on both LMI and Stew Mac I have been using Martins 2 way rods and won't use any other. I tried to make on fail and while I managed to destroy my allen wrench the rod worked fine. Welds never broke. It is a total different design .
In all the failures on the LMI and Stew mac rods , all broke on the spot of the weld.

_________________
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

Is everyone talking about rods purchased from the 1833 Shop...........???
Tom

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

Yes from 1833 shop guitar makers connection of from John Halls

Fred

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I haven't seen or heard of a Martin 2 way rod failing, but I'd recommend removing the shrink wrap on one and looking at it if you're going to use them. I've never had a failure with any kind of rod, but I've quit using 2 way rods of any kind. Anyway, pictured from top to bottom, Martin 2 way, Maritn 1 way, LMI 2 way, LMI 1 way.




To me the welds on the Martin 2 way rod don't look much better than the Allied rods I've seen pictures of. I've never had a neck with a back bow in any of my guitars. The only way a future repair man will have a back bow is if he does a re fret using fretwire with a tang too wide. With a double adjustable rod the rod itself has to turn. There's no other way to do it.(edit, I had a brain sneeze there. the rod doesn't turn on the Martin 2 ways) With a 1 way job the nut is all that turns. A 1 way rod can be fitted and glued securely into the neck, eliminating the chance of a rattle. For me a one way rod is a way to keep things simple.


Again, I've never had or heard of a failure with a 2 way Martin rod. I just don't like the way the welds look on the one I removed the shrink sleeve from.

_________________
I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I like them for the reasons Todd gives!! plus it's hard to beat the price....

_________________
MK5acoustics.com

Woody, are the second set of pictures sequenced the same as the first set? If they are, the 2 way Martin rod does not have the rod turning, looks like a captured nut is turning on a threaded rod that is welded in place, thereby increasing or decreasing its length. Unlike the other 2 way rods. Thanks for showing the pics, I never removed the shrink wrap.

Chuck

_________________
_________________

You're right. I had a brain sneeze. (or something like that.)

_________________
I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Of the 4 rods Woody shows,the only one I've never used is the Martin 2 way. The large number used by Martin speaks to it's reliability. To me I'm not sure why it would be any stronger then then the LMI 2 way. Do we know the extent of problems (percent of errors)and reasons for failure. Is it material,process,use,etc.? I mainly use the 1 way Martin by Stew-Mac and find it ideal for me.
Tom

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

there is a difference
You are not being shown the mechanics of the martin style rod. It is different, The failure point on the LMI and Stew mac is that the barrel nuts are welded on , this can change the metallurgic properties of the steel making them brittle , and this was the failure point on the rods I had an issue with.

_________________
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

John,I realize we can have problems due to welding with improper materials and process. The supports for the Martin 2 way rod nut are also welded and can be subject to the same problems. I was just wondering the problem with the LMI 2 way rod and was it defined,that's all.
Tom

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

No Tom
The Martin design has a mechanical end where the barrel nut is inside a cylinder that works the rod. The weld on this assembly is never in a torque condition. You are only seeing a side comparison and not one of the mechanics. The stresses applied on the martin rod only put the weld in a shear force condition , the LMI and HoT rod since having the barrel nut welded on the threaded end , There is a 2nd weld on the threaded rod , this is the failure point. Since the martin rod isn't welded at that point there is no weld failure possible.

_________________
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

John: If the failure point is on the rod to nut weld it's much clearer now.Thanks for that. Now I wonder how prevalent was the problem.
Tom

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

I had 6 lmi rods and the first one I used broke , I checked the other 6 and they snapped off at the weld. I suspect the welding overheated the steel . The Stew mac rod is actually brazed I think . but they also broke . I agree if you are familiar with the martin tube 1 way and know how to put forward bow in it. you won't need the 2 way 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

And that right there is the bottom line. I've had failures on others truss rods. I won't mention who because I don't like bad mouthing other distributors. That said, I don't use them myself, but it's hard to argue against this kind of track record.

Is martin the only one to use aluminum?

_________________
"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

martin doesn't use that one anymore .

_________________
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

Millions of Asian guitar have been, and still are, built with the one-way aluminum U channel rod that Martin used to use. I still use it, also. It's a dead-simple, uber-reliable, and predictable rod system.

Which Martin rod do you mean, they use several styles. I use the steel U channel rod that LMI calls "Martin Style" and its simple and reliable. I doubt you will ever break it during the course of its normal operation. It's a one way rod, but I seem to have managed to adjust it to put an underbow into the neck without any string tension on the guitar, so I guess it works 2 way as well...

_________________
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

that isn't even close to the martin rod. This is similar to the old 1 way rod. They took some liberty on that add. I am sure Martin will be speaking to them about it once they see it.

_________________
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

Martin's one way rod was always the aluminum U channel rod.

Yes but the 2 way is not .

_________________
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