Truss rods layout for a 6-string neck

[Dirk Diggler]

Is it too late to vote?
I've done plenty of 6 string basses with single dual action rod and no other reinforcement.
As long as the neck woods are strong and well dried, like Wenge and Maple, you should have no problems.

I agree with the dual rods being problematic for the average end users too.

I'm off to look at Bruce's thread. Since LMI has gone away, I used to get all mine from them.
Nothing better than a little DIY I suppose.

Good luck,
Dirk

 

[Paul_Gaita]

Is it too late to vote?
I've done plenty of 6 string basses with single dual action rod and no other reinforcement.
As long as the neck woods are strong and well dried, like Wenge and Maple, you should have no problems.

I agree with the dual rods being problematic for the average end users too.

I'm off to look at Bruce's thread. Since LMI has gone away, I used to get all mine from them.
Nothing better than a little DIY I suppose.

Good luck,
Dirk

Not too late! I'm with you - the customer is pretty set on having 2 truss rods though. He's claiming his Sire M7 has two, although I've looked at some pictures and it looks like only one to me. I ordered two from Allied Lutherie, so no routing will happen until they actually get here. I'll see if can convince him in the meantime - especially if his Sire has been working fine with one, they use maple and mahogany for 5 piece necks - but he doesn't set up his own instruments so I doubt he's ever actually taken the cover off to look at the truss rod access. I'm gonna have him double-check.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Well I guess you're stuck with the rule, the paying customer is always right.

Personally I don't like Mahogany for necks, my preferences tend to be, Maple, Wenge, and or Purpleheart.
All very dense and stiff, hardly need any seasonal neck adjustments since the wood is so strong.

FYI my Warrguitar Artist 8 string only has 1 rod with no CF reinforcements as well.
I can't recall the last time I needed to adjust it's rod.
And even more curious, it's a Mahogony with Wenge strips neck.
Dirk

 

[Gilmourisgod]

A Mahogany neck with dual rods and headstock adjusters seems like the worst of all options unless it's a really low headstock angle with string trees. Gibson has done more than anyone to prove that out with their Qwik-N-Ezy detachable headstock feature on Les Pauls and T-Birds, though those are all just single rods. Short grain + mahogany = Bad. I suppose the problem would be equally bad with two wheel type adjusters at the heel? That's a lot of wood hogged out at the neck joint. Any chance your customer could be talked into something like one rod, heel adjust, with CF rods? Thats arguably stronger and stiffer than a two rod neck, and no big chunks of wood hogged out at the head or heel. Alembic seems to get away with it, anyone know what their heel adjusters look like under the brass plate?

 

[Zooberwerx]

A Mahogany neck with dual rods and headstock adjusters seems like the worst of all options unless it's a really low headstock angle with string trees. Gibson has done more than anyone to prove that out with their Qwik-N-Ezy detachable headstock feature on Les Pauls and T-Birds, though those are all just single rods. Short grain + mahogany = Bad. I suppose the problem would be equally bad with two wheel type adjusters at the heel? That's a lot of wood hogged out at the neck joint. Any chance your customer could be talked into something like one rod, heel adjust, with CF rods? Thats arguably stronger and stiffer than a two rod neck, and no big chunks of wood hogged out at the head or heel. Alembic seems to get away with it, anyone know what their heel adjusters look like under the brass plate?

Large brass block shared by both rods with longer "sleeve" type nuts on both. Acts as a single rod. IOW, if you tighten one, the second / adjacent nut will slacken so you end-up tightening that one, as well. You can not independently adjust the reliefs on the treble & bass sides. If you could, it would actually introduce a twist in the neck profile.

Riis

 

[Rôckhewer]

On this 7 string I did 2 rods, and (by customers request) a carbon fiber stiffener rod. (Buried & capped in the center ebony).

I splayed the rods out because in my mind it just made more sense.
Not saying anything here is better than anything else... but it works

 

[TerribleTim68]

For what it's worth, my LTD B206 has two dual action rods, running parallel. So they do it too.
I have massive fears of adjusting them incorrectly.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Large brass block shared by both rods with longer "sleeve" type nuts on both. Acts as a single rod. IOW, if you tighten one, the second / adjacent nut will slacken so you end-up tightening that one, as well. You can not independently adjust the reliefs on the treble & bass sides. If you could, it would actually introduce a twist in the neck profile.

Which is exactly why the two independent rods on a Rickenbacker never made any sense to me. They are something like 3/8" apart, and any attempt to dial in different relief on bass and treble sides means you are twisting the neck, which I have always thought was a bad idea. Every tech who ever adjusted my 4001 just dialed equal tension on both rods... after moaning about what a crappy system it was.

 

[Paul_Gaita]

Well I guess you're stuck with the rule, the paying customer is always right.

Personally I don't like Mahogany for necks, my preferences tend to be, Maple, Wenge, and or Purpleheart.
All very dense and stiff, hardly need any seasonal neck adjustments since the wood is so strong.

FYI my Warrguitar Artist 8 string only has 1 rod with no CF reinforcements as well.
I can't recall the last time I needed to adjust it's rod.
And even more curious, it's a Mahogony with Wenge strips neck.
Dirk

I was able to talk him into a single truss rod. It’s a five piece maple/wenge neck so it’ll be plenty strong. I might do carbon fiber rods just to be safe.