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Truss Rod Length


Bygde

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Hi all.

I've ran into a problem that I hope you guys can help me with. I'm currently planning my new project, a 7-string 27" Baritone guitar. My question is, do I need longer truss rods, or could I use a standard length rod? The answer feels kind of obvious, but you never know...

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You can use a longer one way truss rod, cut to length and retap the end.

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You can use a longer one way truss rod, cut to length and retap the end.

Thanks for the tip! I just realized that I can take a U-beam style bass rod (second build, so a one-way feels like a little too much work), and just chop it down. Why didn't I think of that? :D What length should I go for?

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I've done some calculating and I've come up with the length 471mm (18.5" I think). Does that make any sense at all, or have I misscalculated?

For a 27" scale length that is...

Well, it looks like a standard truss rod is 18" in length, for a normal scale. I don't really know what you based calculations off of, though...

I based it off a strat-style rod which was 445mm long, and in some way I came up with 471mm...but it seems a bit short....

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I just finished a long-scale instrument, and I opted to use a standard 18" double-action rod and have the adjustment nut accessible from the neck pickup rout (I went with EMGs so I could just unplug and remove the pickup without having to pop the solder joints). This means the other end of the rod ends just upstream of the first fret. You don't get much neck bow along the first 2-3 frets in my experience, so far it works fine.

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I just finished a long-scale instrument, and I opted to use a standard 18" double-action rod and have the adjustment nut accessible from the neck pickup rout (I went with EMGs so I could just unplug and remove the pickup without having to pop the solder joints). This means the other end of the rod ends just upstream of the first fret. You don't get much neck bow along the first 2-3 frets in my experience, so far it works fine.

Ok thanks! But where should the rod end if it were of the perfect length?

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Define 'perfect length'.

I mean, on acoustics, most folks use 14" rods that only run to about the 14th fret. Works fine, usually. You want to put relief in around 7th to 9th, not at the nut, not at the bridge end, so keep that in mind. Generally I line my rods up so the blocks are equidistant from the ends of the fingerboard and the adjuster is easily reached.

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Define 'perfect length'.

I mean, on acoustics, most folks use 14" rods that only run to about the 14th fret. Works fine, usually. You want to put relief in around 7th to 9th, not at the nut, not at the bridge end, so keep that in mind. Generally I line my rods up so the blocks are equidistant from the ends of the fingerboard and the adjuster is easily reached.

Is it possible to do this with a spoke adjuster rod?

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Define 'perfect length'.

I mean, on acoustics, most folks use 14" rods that only run to about the 14th fret. Works fine, usually. You want to put relief in around 7th to 9th, not at the nut, not at the bridge end, so keep that in mind. Generally I line my rods up so the blocks are equidistant from the ends of the fingerboard and the adjuster is easily reached.

Thanks! So the center of the rod should be around 7th-9th fret?

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