Bass Truss Rod

[Dean Reeves]

I hope this is the right place to pst this, don't want to step on any toes...

I am planning my "dream bass" (mind you it's really the "budget version of my dream bass" lol) and I've been learning about truss rods. I know I don't know much, and this is probably a misconception, but shouldn't the truss rod run the entire length of the neck? My design has a 27 or so inch neck (36" scale) and the longest truss rod that I've seen is 24". Is that long enough?

Also, while I know it's not a requirement would any of you suggest using carbon fiber neck rods?

The neck will be laminated maple>walnut<maple (1 1/2" > 1/2" < 1 1/2"). Also a Cocobolo fingerboard. Do you all think that this setup would be strong enough to handle 5 strings without the carbon fiber supports?

Thanks in advance for the input!

-Dean

[dpm99]

Dean,

You're definitely in the right place, and if you were to step on any toes, you certainly wouldn't be the first! I'll let someone else answer the truss rod question, but I can speak to the other ones. I would say that you don't need carbon fiber rods, but it's better to have them than not to have them. I put them in all my necks. They're cheap, easy to install, and they lend a lot of confidence.

All in all, sounds like you're approaching the project thoughtfully, which is great. Sounds like it'll be a good neck.

-Dave

[Dean Reeves]

Thanks for the tip, I will definatly take it under advisement. It's just that while carbon fiber supports are relatively cheap, an extra $40 in my pocket seems pretty great. Arkansas (where I live) just added new taxes to cigs to compund the fedral tax, and a carton is between $60 and $70 dollars now. The rub is it's gonna cost me over $200 to TRY Chantix

Anyway, the cheaper I can build the better.

Now I just need to figure out how to do the truss rod and I'll be golden :o)

[dpm99]

$40?! You should be able to get cf rods for under ten. They're cheap!

[dugg]

I stopped using the big 'beams' of CF like stewmac sells and switched to installing three thinner CF rods at the three (cross section) 'corners' of the neck. I get the thinner CF rods at my local hobby shop and they're nowhere near as 'spensive as the stewmac ones. Besides model airplanes and helicopters, people use CF for kites. Heres a link to a good kite site;

http://www.goodwinds.com/merch/list.shtml?...solidflatcarbon

Edited May 1, 2009 by dugg

[erikbojerik]

I have a standard bass truss rod in a 36" scale neck (neckthru) and it works fine. Mine adjusts at the headstock.

There's no reason to not go with CF bars - you'll spend way more on the rest of the hardware. They will keep the neck stable over time, and because they are stiffer than any equivalent amount of wood, you can make the neck a little thinner if you like (just be careful to plan the bar thickness and the back contour carefully so that you don't carve into the bars when carving the neck).

[Dean Reeves]

Thanks for the tip on the kite parts, sounds like a deal! I was looking at sewmac and their c--f supports were $18 each