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What do you do to keep your fingerboard perfectly aligned w your truss rod slot ?

For me the truss rod slot gets cut as close to center as I can make it,.. it then becomes the center of
The neck


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I joint the neck blank and use the treble side of the neck blank as the reference for locating everything. I draw the neck layout on the neck blank which establishes the center line relative to the treble side. I rout the truss rod channel centered on that line on my router table with the treble side of the neck blank against the fence. I glue the fingerboard to the neck centered on the same center line of the neck. I use dowel pins to lock the fingerboard in place while gluing.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Same, more or less. I use a dado on the tablesaw for the slot, which becomes the centerline of the neck which aligns with centerline of the body...

Oh, and I use 1/16" rods in four places through the fretslots to keep things aligned when glueing...

Funny how I’m just now getting around to how to do this more precisely


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Cut the truss rod slot and then clamp the slotted-and-tapered fingerboard in place centered over it and drill position pin holes. Then trim the neck to match the fingerboard taper.

I made a surrogate fretboard with 1/4” metal dowel pins in the centerline that key in the truss rod slot and placed 1/8” drill guide bushings in appropriate positions so the jig can be used for both 12 and 14 fret necks.





The jig is placed on the neck blank in the proper position for the nut location and the locating holes drilled. The fretboard is clamped to the other side of the jig lining up the center lines precisely and the fretboard drilled with a stopped drill bit.

I don’t use the stop for the nut or the side stops on the jig anymore. They are unnecessary and actually get in the way when double checking the alignment. I just line up centerline marks on the jig and fretboard at each end and hold with spring clamps while drilling the fretboard.







I use 1/8” wooden dowels for locating pins. Now I usually glue the dowels into the neck with the fretboard temporarily clamped in place being sure the centerlines are perfect. I have used this system on at least 70 guitars and it has performed well.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I do the same. My pins are 1/16 inch stainless. I wax them and then pull them after the glue sets.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I use a five part laminated neck. So, I have to use the center line of the laminate as my neck center line. I cut the truss rod channel as close as possible to that center line. If it is slightly off then so be it. When I think about it it seems that a truss rod sightly moved to the bass side would work better. It would offset the tendency of the neck to twist with slightly more pull coming from one side.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust