Official Luthiers Forum!

So, for my first build I chose this rod

http://cgi.ebay.ca/BLUE-DOUBLE-STYLE-GU ... 270wt_1139

It does not have double action, it just bows in one direction when tightened.

When this is installed, can the flat part of the rod just lay flush to the fretboard, or do I have to route deep enough to place a spline of wood over it? Without the spline, the nut will lay directly on top of the rod.

Also, how to keep the rod from just 'sliding' out of the groove. Should I use a bit of bathroom caulking to hold it in place?

Thanks.

J

Jeff, I always route a bit deeper and add a wooden spline on top of the rod. You could probably do without, but my thinking is that the spline will help take some of the pressure off the underside of the fingerboard once you start engaging the rod. Although, a well glued FB shouldn't come flying off, I prefer to take the extra little bit of time and add the insurance.

The rod should stay in place just fine without further help. The rods I've used are always a bit wider at the nut/weld business end. I always have to dig and channel a little wider in that area, which ensures the rod won't be moving. Some try caulking around the rod to reduce possible buzz, but your rod is insulated already, and I find that introducing caulk or any silicone type substance near a glue joint is a recipy for disaster. At any rate, if your channel is nice and snug, you shouldn't have any problems.

I also always test my rods before installing them in a guitar. Clamp it in a vise and engage that sucker for all it's worth. If it's going to break, here is where you want it to happen. Also, you can learn how to turn to engage it, because they're not always the same. Usually, it's clock-wise for single action rods (where you counter the up pull of strings), but for a double action like Stew-Macs hot rod, you have to go counter clock-wise for the same effect.

I don't know about your rod there, but I always engage it about 1/4 turn when it's installed, just to make sure the nut won't loosen and fall inside the guitar.

Hope this helps,

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Thanks Alain.

I'm not sure why the wood strip would take any pressure off the fretboard, unless it were wider than the truss rod itself. I am going to have enough trouble, with my limited luthier skills, getting the channel routed well enough to install the rod. I'm not sure I could fabricate a wood strip thin enough and accurate enough to cover the truss rod. However, I think it will work (and I did test the rod just to see how the darn thing works, pretty neat concoction) but I just find it weird mounting the nut right on the flat face of the rod.

J

I use a similar rod. I route just deep enough for it to sit flush, then glue the board over it. To keep it in, I cut a small piece of wood to glue in front of it(under the nut). FYI, there will be a little glue overflow when you glue the board on. This is usually enough to keep the rod from finding it's way out. If you want to test this, try to remove it .

Thanks both. I will be experimenting with this over the March break.