6 strings and no truss rod?

Posted by Hayden A Butler on August 11, 2011 at 3:35pm

Hello all,

 

I am wanting to make a 6-stringer but i have no idea if just the neck and fret board are strong enough that they don't bend under tension, if they aren't then is there an easy way aroung this problem or do I have to buy a ready made neck?

 

Any advise will be gratefully received. :)

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Tags: 6, neck, rod, strings, truss
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Replies

  • Hayden A Butler August 22, 2011 at 7:00am

    Thanks

     

    I think by using a reinforcement and doing as Rooster has suggested it will make it easier to build.

     

    Thanks all.

  • ChickenboneJohn August 14, 2011 at 2:37pm

    You can build with a fixed steel reinforcement (like a 1/4" square steel rod)..lots of quality builders do this...or buy a ready-made 2-way trussrod for £12 or so. They are easy to install in a channel, it's certianly not the most complicated thing in making a neck.

     

    Having said that, I've got 70 year old guitars with no steel in the neck and they are perfectly straight and playable...just make sure the neck profile is nice and deep...that's where the old-timey "vee" neck shape works so well.

     

    Just to clarify, a trussrod is adjustable, the idea is to be able to take the bend out of the neck with it and adjust the relief in the neck...everything else, such as a steel bar or carbon rod is just reinforcement. I think Gibson claim to have invented the idea of the trussrod, but doubtless someone will tell us otherwise...

  • Hayden A Butler August 12, 2011 at 9:25am

    Thanks, will (hopefuly) put this advise into the next build.

     

  • GARAGE HERMIT August 12, 2011 at 6:46am
    danelectro guitar's used two small steel " I - beam's" for truss rod's,
  • Michael Fred Johnson August 12, 2011 at 6:41am

    I've used steel reinforcement successfully on two six stringers.There is a photo of cbg11 on my page.

    A length of steel flat bar is epoxy glued into a slot in the neck under the fingerboard,it's cheap, simple and effective.

    The other guitar using this is No.15 .This has six strings in pairs 

  • Roosterman August 11, 2011 at 5:17pm

    No need for a truss rod if you look after it Penfoot.

    Even though the concept of truss rods is ancient (I think around the turn of the century), many guitars of the '60s had no truss.

    Use suitable materials (hardwoods) and dont leave the guitar with everything tight for long periods of time and it will be fine

    Good luck

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