Truss Rods

[SpiggidyBob]

Hey, quick question. Are truss rods something that differ in quality from brand to brand, or are they pretty much the same? I'm debating whether or not to get a new one for my guitar or just stick with the one that it already has.

[hellonearth07]

wellll to replace a truss rod, your gonna have to take your finger board off and then put it back on, if i'm not mistaken. And i think if it still works and does its job, then why replace something that would take that much work and not really give anything to your tone?

[SpiggidyBob]

Haha, the fret board is already off. In a previous mod, I drilled out the inlays and wired in LEDs. But I screwed up when I reglued the neck, so I had to take it back apart and fix it.

What's the point of doing any mod if the original setup still works? Because you can!

[hellonearth07]

Well hell, if the boards already off why not??

i agree with ya there, but i was just cautious cause i didnt think the fretboard was off, and wanted to save u that work

hmmm, i'll start lookin around for some truss rods for ya

[SpiggidyBob]

I found them on StewMac and Warmoth, so that's not the problem. I was just wondering if Truss rod A was better than B, you know?

[hellonearth07]

i think u'd want a double action, other then that your guess is as good as mine, also if u wanna, route out some holes and put in those reinforcing bars that give the neck more rigidity

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Truss_rods/Carbon_fiber/Carbon_Fiber.html
^^ theres the link to stewmac with those bars i was talking about

[SpiggidyBob]

Does double action adjust both rods instead of just the one?

[hellonearth07]

"The dual action truss rod can be used to add back bow, but can also be used to increase the curvature of the neck upwards (upwards bow). "

thats off some website i found from googling it, since they could explain it better then me...

another thing u could look into doing is puttin 2 truss rods in

[SpiggidyBob]

Oh, that's just a standard truss rod then.

The funny part is, I already took it out. Not really sure why, I was just cleaning the glue off the neck and the next thing I know I'm pulling out the truss rod. I think I'm just going to route the channel a little bit deeper and maybe put some support rods in there.

[hellonearth07]

stewmac has a router bit for those support bars i had a link to... and using that u can route channels beside the truss rod slot which is the best place for them

[Peg Dizzler]

There are quite a few dual-action rods out there, the most popular being Stew Mac's "hot rod".
Other single, traditional truss rods can be either straight or curved; which is yours?

If you're thinking of replacing it, a dual-action rod would be sweet if you want the ultimate control over your neck. But on the other hand, it may require more routing. Stew Mac sells a special bit to do that, I bought one myself just so I could fit the rod.
And if you have a curved rod already in the neck, that'd be hard to replace it with any other kind of rod.

Also, the dual-action simply adjusts both ways; when you adjust the nut, they kind of bend one way or another, so you can actually force relief in your neck (rarely needed), and of course induce backbow like any truss. So that's the advantage. It's probably stronger than a single rod too, when using no pressure.

[TheJarve]

it isn't much stronger. but if you want to get a good quality truss rod get one of the two-way adjustable ones. can do wonders for getting rid of fretbuzz, trust me i know.

[SpiggidyBob]

Mine's a curved traditonal. At least I think so, it's got a straight rod on the bottome for support and then the piece that actually bends on top.

When I took it out there was this plastic stuff wrapped around it. Anyone know what that is or if its important?

[Peg Dizzler]

Yours is curved?
Is it mounted in the back, like a Fender? Or is it directly under the fretboard?
The plastic stuff wrapped around it is to prevent "truss rod buzz". If you happen to have the truss rod completely loose, no pressure, then it can rattle around in there if it's not wrapped in something.

Trust me, that's gotta be one of the most annoying buzzes ever--you play the guitar, you hear buzz, you know it's not coming from the frets or anything else, you know the truss rod is completely loose but the setup is fine as it is, but yet there's this really ANNOYING buzz because the cheap manufacturer didn't wrap the rod. :angry:

[SpiggidyBob]

Directly under the fretboard. It can't be anything fancy, the guitar is a Silvertone Strat copy.

So I should definitely rewrap it before I put it back in then. What is the stuff, just plastic, or is it something special?

[Peg Dizzler]

I dunno, you could use anything I guess. I've never had to re-wrap a rod, the hot rods come wrapped anyway.

Or are you just putting the old rod back in? Did you take the plastic off?

[SpiggidyBob]

When I unglued the fretboard, most of the plastic tore off. When I took the whole thing out, the rest of the plastic came off.

What do you use to insall a truss rod, just wood glue?

[TheJarve]

no, that silicone stuff

[SpiggidyBob]

You mean eopxy?

[TheJarve]

no. i forget the name of it.. but don't use woodglue

[Peg Dizzler]

I'm not sure about single rods, I think they're simply anchored at one end. But with double rods, which I assume you're talking about, you just use silicone on both ends. On the brass ends. Like silicone bathtub sealer. Just to keep it in place and stuff, but be careful not to get it on the threads.

I think most double rods already come wrapped, so that's okay. But if you're putting the old single rod back in, I'd re-wrap it, not sure what with. =/

[SpiggidyBob]

I think I may have accidentally figured something out.

Before, just the top bar on my truss rod would flex, the bottom rod was anchored in the neck. Well, I was messing with it today and rewrapped it with electrical tape (first thing I saw). Now when I tighten the rod, both bars flex. To me this seems like it would add more stability and control over the neck then just one bar. I could be wrong though, I'll let you guys know once it's all back together.