Double Action Trussrod

[screwdelulu]

Hi all,

I found this post:

Hi there. I just installed a stew mac hot rod into an angled headstock mahagony neck (1/8" adjuster) the way I routed my slot was such that the adjustment nut is recessed right under (and very slightly behind) the top nut. One tip that I got (and followed) was to install the truss rod upside down (with the adjustment nut up) since theis means that much less wood needs to removed from the headstock, thus weakening it. The only thing to remeber is that the rod adjust backwards at this point. I wonder why stew mac doesn't just reverse thread the things....Anyway, hope this helps

Sounds reasonable...

What do you think?

Should i place the trussrod with the adjusment nut right under the string nut?

[fryovanni]

Hi all,

I found this post:

Hi there. I just installed a stew mac hot rod into an angled headstock mahagony neck (1/8" adjuster) the way I routed my slot was such that the adjustment nut is recessed right under (and very slightly behind) the top nut. One tip that I got (and followed) was to install the truss rod upside down (with the adjustment nut up) since theis means that much less wood needs to removed from the headstock, thus weakening it. The only thing to remeber is that the rod adjust backwards at this point. I wonder why stew mac doesn't just reverse thread the things....Anyway, hope this helps

Sounds reasonable...

What do you think?

Should i place the trussrod with the adjusment nut right under the string nut?

I usually have the end block stop just short of the nut. I route to the nut area and stop. Then drill from the headstock back to the truss slot (keeps the area under the nut in tact, and is a bit cleaner @ the headstock). I guess it is a small thing but it always makes me feel like it is a little cleaner.

Peace,Rich

[Mattia]

I've done a few upside down installs, and...I won't do them any more, honestly. Main reason being idiot-proofing it for potential future users; the rod adjusts backwards, and there's no way to guarantee people won't crank it the wrong direction and potentially break it. It's also not always that easy to install upside-down, because the nut is actually deeper than the blocks, so requires a tiny bit of extra recess.

My adjustment nuts tend to stop at the end of the fingerboard, or a little in from there.

[screwdelulu]

Just routed the channel, it is a bit off (1 mm left from the center). No big deal, I just wish I could work more precise.

Done it with a rail guide, how would you align it so the channel is excatly centered?

Another thing is the truss rod nut a bit larger than the rod itself, what a cheapo .

[Mattia]

Practice makes perfect, pretty much. I just adjust until it's spot on. Adjustment nuts are quite commonly a little wider and go a little deeper than the rod itself.

[screwdelulu]

Practice makes perfect, pretty much. I just adjust until it's spot on. Adjustment nuts are quite commonly a little wider and go a little deeper than the rod itself.

Yes, but deeper in round objects also means wider. a little pain but i'll get it done with chisels.

[Mickguard]

Just routed the channel, it is a bit off (1 mm left from the center). No big deal, I just wish I could work more precise.

Done it with a rail guide, how would you align it so the channel is excatly centered?

Another thing is the truss rod nut a bit larger than the rod itself, what a cheapo .

I think all truss rods have a larger nut --you just route a little larger at the top. Although, having pulled the fretboard off of three guitars now, ALL of them are routed for the width of the nut, not the truss rod. It's much easier to manufacture that way, than to take the time to tailor fit the channel to the truss rod.

I've only routed two truss rod channels, using the edge guide on my router... I had the same problem the first try, I was off by about a millimeter.

But since I hadn't shaped the neck yet, the solution was simple-- I redrew my center line for the actual truss rod route, then shaped the neck accordingly.

For the second neck, I was much more careful (I had less margin of error because the blank was narrower) --I spent a lot more time lining up the bit to the line.

To do this, I lowered the bit to the surface of the wood and locked it in place. Rotated the bit by hand (with the router unplugged of course...you never know) in order to line up the blades so they hit the line exactly. Then adjusted the edge guide accordingly. Then checked it again at a different point on the line. And again at the end of the line.

Then I started with an extremely shallow pass at the NUT end (because that was going to be wider, so if my initial adjustment was off, it wouldn't show). After routing a few millimeters, I measured the route to see if it was indeed centered.

All that took an extra five minutes to do. Maybe there's a better way to do it, but that worked for me.

Oh yeah, and for the nut end, I did basically the same thing, only this time I only routed long enough to fit the truss rod nut.

[Mattia]

Practice makes perfect, pretty much. I just adjust until it's spot on. Adjustment nuts are quite commonly a little wider and go a little deeper than the rod itself.

Yes, but deeper in round objects also means wider. a little pain but i'll get it done with chisels.

I freehand it with a router, some cleanup with a chisel. But mostly the router. While I'm at it anyway.