Which Style Truss Rod?

[allpoopedout]

Well im getting ready to begin work on my first neck. Im going to make it a 2 piece and non angled headstock. I would like the adjustment from the head side and am going to have a floyd locking nut on it. I am trying to decide which truss rod I should do for my first neck. I was looking at the hod rod but it requires you to route 7/16 beginning at the bottom of the fingerboard. THis seems to deep for a non angled headstock. Maybe better for a heel adjustment. I was tempted by the martin truss rod as I can route a single flat channel. Im not worried so much about routing a curve but I just am stuck on my decision on martin style, vintage style, or double action ones.

What would you guys suggest as a first run? This is why ive chosed to do a 2 piece neck as itll be easier to route for me then glue on the fingerboard.

[Mattia]

Hot Rods work fine (see GuitarFrenzy's strat building tutorial), or get one of LMI or Allied Lutherie's dual action rods if you want something a little thinner/want a skinny neck profile.

[Desopolis]

the hot rod is fine

its actually two rods with the adjusting nut on top.

[fryovanni]

I like the Allied/LMI rods. The design is compact and nice to install.

Peace,Rich

[allpoopedout]

the hot rod is fine

its actually two rods with the adjusting nut on top.

According to stew macs web site you are supposed to install the hot rod with the adjusting nut at the bottom. That was the whole reason i was vearing away from that. If i have to go 7/16 from the bottom of the fingerboard that would put me down to low into the headstock or so i assumed. On my squier the center of the adjustment nut appears to be closer to 3/16 so it made me a little nervous. If you guys are saying itll be fine then ill buy one as it seems like the best way to go.

[fryovanni]

the hot rod is fine

its actually two rods with the adjusting nut on top.

According to stew macs web site you are supposed to install the hot rod with the adjusting nut at the bottom. That was the whole reason i was vearing away from that. If i have to go 7/16 from the bottom of the fingerboard that would put me down to low into the headstock or so i assumed. On my squier the center of the adjustment nut appears to be closer to 3/16 so it made me a little nervous. If you guys are saying itll be fine then ill buy one as it seems like the best way to go.

LMI style are a bit shallower and you can use a 1/4" route(nice for install). Here is a link to LMI-click and here is Allied-click

I have been using the Allied for a quite a while now and have been very happy. I do have a few Hot Rods sitting on my shelf, but prefer the flat bar style.

Peace,Rich

[ryanb]

You CAN mount the Hot Rod in that application "upside-down", with the adjusting nut on top at the headstock. The down-side to this is that adjustments will be reversed from normal ... i.e. clockwise for more relief, counter-clockwise for less relief. If you can live with that restriction, then it is a nice way to package it in a straight headstock. (I will be doing a number of those myself.) Otherwise, you could always go with a traditional single-action rod, with more work. The LMI, etc. rods are a LITTLE less deep, but they still have the same issue in your case.

I've already "suggested" to Stew-Mac that they make a left-hand thread version of the Hot-Rod for those of us who want to do that very installation. So far no luck. Maybe if we all complain they will get the idea. I guess I should just make my own ... it wouldn't be that hard.

[brian d]

According to stew macs web site you are supposed to install the hot rod with the adjusting nut at the bottom. That was the whole reason i was vearing away from that. If i have to go 7/16 from the bottom of the fingerboard that would put me down to low into the headstock or so i assumed. On my squier the center of the adjustment nut appears to be closer to 3/16 so it made me a little nervous. If you guys are saying itll be fine then ill buy one as it seems like the best way to go.

LMI style are a bit shallower and you can use a 1/4" route(nice for install). Here is a link to LMI-click and here is Allied-click

I have been using the Allied for a quite a while now and have been very happy. I do have a few Hot Rods sitting on my shelf, but prefer the flat bar style.

Peace,Rich

Rich, do you use a filler strip as allied suggests with their rod? LMI say you don't need a filler if the rod is placed with the adjusting nut down....does that mean that you do need it if you put the square bar down?

thanks,

brian.

[fryovanni]

According to stew macs web site you are supposed to install the hot rod with the adjusting nut at the bottom. That was the whole reason i was vearing away from that. If i have to go 7/16 from the bottom of the fingerboard that would put me down to low into the headstock or so i assumed. On my squier the center of the adjustment nut appears to be closer to 3/16 so it made me a little nervous. If you guys are saying itll be fine then ill buy one as it seems like the best way to go.

LMI style are a bit shallower and you can use a 1/4" route(nice for install). Here is a link to LMI-click and here is Allied-click

I have been using the Allied for a quite a while now and have been very happy. I do have a few Hot Rods sitting on my shelf, but prefer the flat bar style.

Peace,Rich

Rich, do you use a filler strip as allied suggests with their rod? LMI say you don't need a filler if the rod is placed with the adjusting nut down....does that mean that you do need it if you put the square bar down?

thanks,

brian.

Brian,

I have not been putting a filler strip in. They say that it reduces the chance of vibtration noise, but it has never been an issue. LMI and allied are basically the same design. Allied may be a finer thread count, but I am not sure of that. For me the flat bar makes good sense because it is easier to keep glue out of the truss slot, and it puts a flat bar against the back of a flat fretboard(not to say a round bar will not work, I used to use Hot Rods and they worked fine).

Peace,Rich