What exactly are Fender posiflex graphite rods

[Thom Fioriglio]

Hi all, I just bought a Fender American Professional II Precision Bass and it comes with posiflex graphite rods. I searched the internet and could not find clear definition or description on what exactly they are. I imagine they are two graphite rods that run parallel to the truss rod to provide stability to the neck. Is that basically it? Is Posiflex just a fancy name Fender came up with? Does anyone have a photo of what they look like under the fingerboard?

Thanks. I am just curious and want to know more.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Hi all, I just bought a Fender American Professional II Precision Bass and it comes with posiflex graphite rods. I searched the internet and could not find clear definition or description on what exactly they are. I imagine they are two graphite rods that run parallel to the truss rod to provide stability to the neck. Is that basically it? Is Posiflex just a fancy name Fender came up with? Does anyone have a photo of what they look like under the fingerboard?

Thanks. I am just curious and want to know more.

Well, I’m positive they flex or you couldn’t adjust the relief. Hey, wait a second…

Riis

 

[Killing Floor]

Only the richest, most aromatic rods sustainably sourced using fair trade practices. For every Posiflex rod harvested, 2 are planted.

 

[Bozendoka]

I prefer civet rods myself.

 

[Michedelic]

Only the richest, most aromatic rods sustainably sourced using fair trade practices. For every Posiflex rod harvested, 2 are planted.

Only free range rods will do for me.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Only free range rods will do for me.

Yeah, but you gotta make sure they're grass-fed and grass-FINISHED as well...you don't want rods that have been fed GMO corn

 

[El Trueno]

Hi all, I just bought a Fender American Professional II Precision Bass and it comes with posiflex graphite rods. I searched the internet and could not find clear definition or description on what exactly they are. I imagine they are two graphite rods that run parallel to the truss rod to provide stability to the neck. Is that basically it? Is Posiflex just a fancy name Fender came up with? Does anyone have a photo of what they look like under the fingerboard?

Thanks. I am just curious and want to know more.

I think you’ve got it. They basically do the same thing that the 2 layers of mahogany on Yamaha BB and Reverend basses do. Am Pro iii will use a new material developed by NASA in collaboration with an alien species that do not officially exist.

 

[J Wilson]

They're insurance, if you will.

Truss rods are to keep the wooden neck in a relative relief range; outside of that range, the TR can't reel it back in to spec, so then bigger intervention (clamping, heat press, etc.) may be required.

Despite how carefully Fender buys, stores, and mills neck wood (s), it just varies. It's all the way from rock-steady, never move to perpetually flexible flyers as a completed neck. Fortunately, it's far more of the former than the latter in general, and a little extra insurance holds down warranty and pissed-off customer costs.

This is where the PosiFlex rods come in, an engineered polymer or composite material rod with a stiffness/flexibility ratio in line with the neck and truss rods. It's also a lightweight material instead of metal rods other builders use.

It's a big help for new instruments: Any of us who do our own setups have gotten new axes where the new neck just flexes for the first 6 months or a year until it settles down as it aged/dries, and I'm sure this was a consideration for Fender and others.

There is something for the consideration as to taking more wood out of the neck, but to me it's a positive addition.

 

[Killing Floor]

Only free range rods will do for me.

Don’t fall for the marketing. Free Range doesn’t mean Wild Caught.

 

[groooooove]

it's the non-proprietary proprietary thing.

rolex does this a lot too - with finishing, or movement parts, whatever - they're doing effectively the same exact thing as other manufacturers. but it's just different enough that they can re-name it and call it their own secret sauce.

it's just stiffening rods.

 

[micguy]

A lot of high end builders put graphite rods in their necks - they stiffen the neck somewhat, and help with stability (moisture changes). Fender just gives their a name.

I use Warmoth necks with graphite rods in them (Warmoth's standard reinforcements are steel, which is heavier than graphite). Although graphite is heavier than wood, the necks I get have roasted maple (which makes the bulk of the neck stiffer and lighter), and the weight loss in the roasted wood means they weight a bit less than an all maple neck. Adding graphite rods to a regular maple neck will add some weight compared with an unreinforced neck.

 

[micguy]

it's the non-proprietary proprietary thing.

rolex does this a lot too - with finishing, or movement parts, whatever - they're doing effectively the same exact thing as other manufacturers. but it's just different enough that they can re-name it and call it their own secret sauce.

it's just stiffening rods.

I'm not sure they're different at all. There was some info I saw once that led me to believe that the "Posifex" ones were hollow graphite wrapped around a wood core - if so, they'd be less effective than normal solid graphite rods.

 

[Geddaric]

I`ll take a fishing rod over `em all.

 

[CryingBass]

negiflex did not pass the marketing pre-flight

 

[mambo4]

Remember they are only real posiflex if they come from the posiflex region of France.
Otherwise, they're just sparkling graphite.

 

[FullumMusic]

Hi all, I just bought a Fender American Professional II Precision Bass and it comes with posiflex graphite rods. I searched the internet and could not find clear definition or description on what exactly they are. I imagine they are two graphite rods that run parallel to the truss rod to provide stability to the neck. Is that basically it? Is Posiflex just a fancy name Fender came up with? Does anyone have a photo of what they look like under the fingerboard?

Thanks. I am just curious and want to know more.

Pretty sure you already hit the nail on the head. It's just Fender's fancy brand name for their graphite reinforcement rods along the sides of the truss rod.

Like when when the car salesperson uses the official company terminology.
1- Ah. I see this car has traction control.
2- No. Even better. It has ATNAC: Automated Traction Normalization Acceleration Compensation!
1- Yeah. Traction control.
2- It's not traction control. It's ATNAC.
1- Which does what?
2- It's our special technology that senses any differential in slippage between drive wheels under acceleration and cornering, and then reduces power or applies slight braking to those wheels to maintain optimum traction.
1- Yeah. Traction control.
2- PLEASE CALL IT ATNAC OR I'LL HAVE A HEMORRHAGE I ONLY KNOW HOW TO SPEAK CORPORATE!

 

[Kansas]

I have the same bass and the neck took about a year to settle down and it is stable now

 

[Z-Bass]

Hi all, I just bought a Fender American Professional II Precision Bass and it comes with posiflex graphite rods. I searched the internet and could not find clear definition or description on what exactly they are. I imagine they are two graphite rods that run parallel to the truss rod to provide stability to the neck. Is that basically it? Is Posiflex just a fancy name Fender came up with? Does anyone have a photo of what they look like under the fingerboard?

Thanks. I am just curious and want to know more.

Pretty much as you described with stability being the main factor. I've heard them referenced as being added to reduce dead spots but I don't believe that to be a sure thing as plenty of Fender necks with the graphite rods still have them to some degree.

By the way, what color and fretboard did you go with on the Precision?

 

[Carl Hillman]

Don’t fall for the marketing. Free Range doesn’t mean Wild Caught.

But, 'Ethically Sourced' does mean no lawyers were involved in their fabrication.

 

[ThudThudThud]

Only the richest, most aromatic rods sustainably sourced using fair trade practices. For every Posiflex rod harvested, 2 are planted.

What I saw when I read that: "Oh, we use only the finest baby frogs, dew-picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in the finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and sealed in a succulent, Swiss, quintuple-smooth, treble-milk chocolate envelope, and lovingly frosted with glucose."