so how do they get the truss rod into a one peice neck?

[atrapp]

yup, that is todays question.

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by atrapp

yup, that is todays question.

They're installed before the fingerboard is glued on.

Ken...

[Hugh Jass]

they strap trussrods to the maple trees while they are saplings and then the tree grows around them. Takes a really long time.



Ok Ok, What Ken said is the real answer.

It is hard to tell on the ones with maple fingerboards because they cut the board off of the neck, install the trussrod and then glue the same piece of wood back on. On my L2000 all the grains line up and you have to look very close to see the seam.

[fender3x]

It's hard to tell with the pre-CNC necks too. Mine neck was once three pieces, but you'd never know.... Excellent lutherie resembles magic ;-)

Originally Posted by Hugh Jass

they strap trussrods to the maple trees while they are saplings and then the tree grows around them. Takes a really long time.



Ok Ok, What Ken said is the real answer.

It is hard to tell on the ones with maple fingerboards because they cut the board off of the neck, install the trussrod and then glue the same piece of wood back on. On my L2000 all the grains line up and you have to look very close to see the seam.

[Johnny Alien]

If you glue the fingerboard on than it is not really a one piece maple neck anymore.

One piece maple necks get the truss rod installed through a skunk stripe route.

The whole point of a one piece is saying that the neck and fingerboard are one connected piece.

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

If you glue the fingerboard on than it is not really a one piece maple neck anymore.

Of course, that is technically correct for any neck.

One piece maple necks get the truss rod installed through a skunk stripe route.

And then the contrasting skunk stripe, of walnut IIRC, makes it two pieces again?

The whole point of a one piece is saying that the neck and fingerboard are one connected piece.

Actually, I don't believe that is correct. One piece refers to the main structure of the neck, less fingerboard.

Very early G&L necks were one piece with a skunk strip. Then they went to the "two piece" Bi-Cut neck where the rough-shaped neck blank was cut longitudinally, routed for the trussrod, the trussrod was installed, then the whole thing was glued back together. Now we're back to one piece necks where the trussrod rout is cut from the top, the trussrod gets installed, and the fingerboard is glued on. Maple fingerboards come from the neck itself, but they're still glued back on.

Ken...

[rllefebv]

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

Actually, I don't believe that is correct. One piece refers to the main structure of the neck, less fingerboard.

Very early G&L necks were one piece with a skunk strip. Then they went to the "two piece" Bi-Cut neck where the rough-shaped neck blank was cut longitudinally, routed for the trussrod, the trussrod was installed, then the whole thing was glued back together. Now we're back to one piece necks where the trussrod rout is cut from the top, the trussrod gets installed, and the fingerboard is glued on. Maple fingerboards come from the neck itself, but they're still glued back on.

Ken...

All three of my 'true one-piece' necks, (or what I consider a 'true one-piece', Fender P's), do not have separate fingerboards... They do have the rear-routed skunk stripe, in a single chunk of maple, so I guess in the strictest sense, they are two piece...

Better or worse? The necks feel great and none of them have shifted, but who can say what the next 50 years will bring?

Taking a separate fingerboard as a given and strictly talking about the 'body' of the neck, I've always felt that laminate necks combated warpage, especially three or more pieces... Even a three piece maple, made from laminates of the same board, can have the center laminate reversed and become stronger than the original board, (Also, I always thought that they reversed the G&L necks as well, but I'm willing to be wrong... G&L neck construction has always been of interest)...

If you can find Melvyn Hiscock's book on guitar building, (Fantastic book), he illustrates making a single-piece neck for a Tele... With care, it's very achievable for the home enthusiast!

-robert

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by rllefebv

All three of my 'true one-piece' necks, (or what I consider a 'true one-piece', Fender P's), do not have separate fingerboards... They do have the rear-routed skunk stripe, in a single chunk of maple, so I guess in the strictest sense, they are two piece...

Yup. This is how early G&L and CLF MusicMan was done.

Taking a separate fingerboard as a given and strictly talking about the 'body' of the neck, I've always felt that laminate necks combated warpage, especially three or more pieces... Even a three piece maple, made from laminates of the same board, can have the center laminate reversed and become stronger than the original board, (Also, I always thought that they reversed the G&L necks as well, but I'm willing to be wrong... G&L neck construction has always been of interest)...

Multi-piece laminates will generally be stronger than a single piece of wood of the same dimension. The big difference is in stability, with the laminates being notably better.

G&L's abandonment of the Bi-Cut neck and return to one piece was, in my opinion, a step backward. In their defense, they were having trussrod issues but I'd bet they could have been cured with the re-designed trussrod installed in the Bi-Cut neck.

BTW - G&L did not reverse one piece of the neck when they cut them. This is probably because the blank was already roughed out. A side benefit was a nearly invisible glue line.

Ken...

[rllefebv]

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

BTW - G&L did not reverse one piece of the neck when they cut them. This is probably because the blank was already roughed out. A side benefit was a nearly invisible glue line.

Ken...

See that? Education! I can learn something new everyday... This is why I love this site! Thanks Ken...

-robert

[Johnny Alien]

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

Of course, that is technically correct for any neck.



And then the contrasting skunk stripe, of walnut IIRC, makes it two pieces again?



Actually, I don't believe that is correct. One piece refers to the main structure of the neck, less fingerboard.

Very early G&L necks were one piece with a skunk strip. Then they went to the "two piece" Bi-Cut neck where the rough-shaped neck blank was cut longitudinally, routed for the trussrod, the trussrod was installed, then the whole thing was glued back together. Now we're back to one piece necks where the trussrod rout is cut from the top, the trussrod gets installed, and the fingerboard is glued on. Maple fingerboards come from the neck itself, but they're still glued back on.

Ken...

I am just going by the standard Fender way. A one piece maple neck has the neck all in one piece minus the skunk stripe. As soon as the slap a fingerboard of any kind on it (rosewood or maple) it is considered a two piece neck.

[Templar]

I am just going by the standard Fender way. A one piece maple neck has the neck all in one piece minus the skunk stripe.

Yep, aka "solid maple neck" (back in the day).

As I understand it, while a thin slot is routed for the truss, the neck is still in one piece, never two. The skunk is just a plug.

[atrapp]

took a closer look at the L2500 in question... it was sliced down the center line of the neck.

[bhie_alka]

Originally Posted by atrapp

took a closer look at the L2500 in question... it was sliced down the center line of the neck.

haha,, i just seen it yesterday and that's the answer.
it was sliced down at the center line of the neck..
how do i know this..?? because my gnl L-2500 neck cracked (little crack) at the "sliced down" part...