I watched this live yesterday and I just wanted to thank you Matt and Chris for doing this. Extremely informative, I truly appreciate the sharing of knowledge here!

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

This was awesome. I really enjoyed it. Learned a lot. I will also forever now refer to thickness of necks as amount of neck meat.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Meat is a great word

Very informative video...everything I wanted to know about truss rods. Those two way double acting rods sure have simplified neck construction. Most of my guitars have the old single acting rods but I noticed that my newer non Fender/Gibson guitars have the 2 way. They feel easier to adjust and it doesn't feel like you're compressing the wood like on the single action rods. Thanks for the video.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Another great video! I have the woodworking down pretty well, but understanding this type of mechanical theory can only help.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Mike

This was pretty sweet, yall. You should do more of these where you record the vid during a livestream. Great job! It was all very interesting and informative, as well.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

That's the plan!

i loved this one!😁

excelent video Matt, nobody rips the fretboard to see how truss rod works, guitar´s inner secret. ...a masterclass! thanks for share

Great Job Matt! I told you I'd watch you ramble on about truss rods, AND applaud you at the end of it! I missed the Live stream bc of a dentist appointment...I'd rather have been here! Really informative content, Thanks!

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks man

I particularly like this video covering all the most commonly used truss rods and how they apply, and how they can be used in different applications not initially intended for but still works for, because the principle of the truss rod has been explained properly here, debunking the common relief amount mistake, therfore getting to the point if the intended use of the truss rod. Depending on the material of the neck, thickness and overall design of a guitar a truss rods purpose stays the same- to keep thd neck from having too much relief. I still don't know in metric or imperial just how much that proper amount of relief is meant to be or does that depend on the instrument, electric guitars with 9-42 strings and a tremolo, compared to a thicker more higher tension more oscillating string when strummed etc with a fixed bridge like hard tail on tele or a Gibson tunomatic. And does every neck have a slight angle drop off after the 12 fret or so, usually where the truss rod starts at the heel?

Very informative 👏 thank you

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help

thanks for the content!! What length truss rod is best for a telecaster? Im asking about the blue two way truss rods from bitter root. Also i cant seem to find the link that was suppose to be there to help support you guys

Hi Guys, that was very informative thanks for the info! In my first guitar I used two carbon fibre neck rods, and a Gibson style truss rod. Now I'm wondering first whether that was necessary, and second whether the carbon fibre isn't just stopping the truss rod from being able to actually adjust anything. Should it be one or the other?

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

The carbon fiber rods will probably allow the neck to move as needed

Thanks for the education on truss rods👍🏻🍻🍻

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

No problem 👍

Great video. Your the godfather of my guitar building

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks

thanks!! really thanks

Thanks, great video! I’m a Gibson truss rod nerd. I don’t understand the attraction, but I just dig the look. I think it’s because I spend time looking for replicas that a poorly done. Most forgeries use a two way truss, at least that is what I have discovered.

@TexasToastGuitars

2 жыл бұрын

I am a truss rod nerd, but I'm not a fan of the single acting truss rods used by Gibson and Fender. We stopped using them years ago even though we had made some custom jigs to install them. Thanks for watching Steve

Awesome video, sorry I missed it live. I am totally interested in learning this stuff....can't say that I completely understand how the force is applied yet, but it's more clear now. I have 2 questions for you. 1 - Of the styles that you explained, which does Fender use in their heel adjust strats? Not old original ones, but anything in the last 20 years. 2- Given the fact that wood WILL find a way to move when reacting to internal stresses, couldn't stiffening rods, like carbon fiber, actually promote a twist given that a twisting motion would then be the path of least resistance? This is assuming of course that we aren't dealing with a primo piece of wood with perfect grain for a neck. Thanks Matt, loved the video.....I lernt stuff.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Fender still uses the old school rods on lots of necks. Stiffening rods are cool but I don't think they will help much as far as twisting goes

Hi there, great video thank you! How do you stop the truss rods rusting? I noticed the Stew Mac spoke wheel for instance can rust fairly quickly, yet guitars you buy that have spoke wheel rods have a nice finish that doesn't rust

@TexasToastGuitars

2 жыл бұрын

This is a question best suited for the manufacturer and I recommend that you contact StewMac for details on metallurgy and care. However, the reason any metal oxidizes is from exposure. If I had to guess... and I do since, again, I am not the manufacturer, I would imagine that the finish treatment on the wheel you got isn't compatible with your climate?

FWIW this is my take on neck relief. A vibrating guitar string will have it's maximum displacement at its centre. IMO, the neck needs to follow this profile along its length so that you can get the lowest action possible. If you're a heavy strummer, then more neck relief might be better so that the relief follows the larger vibration of the string near its centre. It's very much a personal preference so it's a case of whatever works for you.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Fine

?? What length rod would you use for a 24 scale Jaguar? Super video as always.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Bob, I'd have to lay it out but I think our 17" rod will work for those?

What length truss rods do you normally use on a 25.5" 24 frets guitar neck?

@TexasToastGuitars

2 жыл бұрын

17

Would you put a small filler strip (1-2mm) above the truss rod before putting the fretboard on? I've made my guitars with it, and so far it hasn't given me any problems. Some say it prevents buzz and secures the rod in place, but it more so gives me peace of mind that it won't push through the fretboard. I've also heard people warn against getting glue onto the truss rod, so they tape it off before adding glue then remove it for the fretboard. Does glue affect the truss rod somehow? Also, how much material should be left on the back of the neck to ensure the truss rod doesn't push through. I prefer very thin necks, so it is a concern. Thanks.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I don't unless I am using the curved rod

It was a good video. I own a Gibson but never knew my truss rod was so counter intuitive lol

@j-mo2453

3 жыл бұрын

It seems the one you use performs best. But nice you gave those sucky ones fair descriptions. Lmao

@j-mo2453

3 жыл бұрын

Odd mechanical application... in tension and compression coincidently lol

@j-mo2453

3 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure the first truss rod was invented by Fellatio B. Nyce. Think he worked for epiphone lol

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

The Gibson rod is pretty good

modulus and statuss do use 2 way truss rods in graphite necks// great rewie,, ty

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks man, I wasn't sure

So, maybe that could explain why my truss rods only have a small amount of adjustment. The nuts are attached to the rods so the adjustment is the rod twisting and not the nut screwing on & off like a Gibson. Does that make sense?

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

It could also mean that the rod isn't particularly effective

Call me a guitar need, but I like these types of videos. If the topic has anything to do with guitars, I'm definitely going to watch. Mainly because you never know when your going to get a piece of information where you think to yourself. "Wow. I never realized that", or any variation of that phrase. Let's face it, no matter what your level of knowledge is, there is always someone out there that knows either more, or a better way of doing something. Thank you for these video's. BTW, I absolutely love your guitar builds!!!

@TexasToastGuitars

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much my friend

Are most truss nuts removable when stripped. I am asking in particular allen wrench nuts that are stripped and have no grip

Do dual action truss rods need to be anchored at all or just one point or two points?

One thing I noticed is that everybody routs out the truss rod cavity with a flat squared base. Often some guitar necks twist in time. Wouldn't it be better for the neck if we routed with a round bit so that the back side (not the flat side of the truss rod that faces the fretboard) was rounded to not allow the round rod to have a wiggle room to slide left and right?

@TexasToastGuitars

2 жыл бұрын

You certainly can, though I don't see any advantages

Damn, I missed the live stream when it was broadcast live the other night. My darned day job got in the way. Playing catchup now.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I still need to edit this video

which truss do you like to use? for a strat or tele?

@TexasToastGuitars

Жыл бұрын

We really like the Bitterroot truss rods

Thanks, Matt. Very informative. This takes the voodoo out of truss rods. I’m confused about the double acting truss rod. Why in the world would you want a neck with a reverse arch, with a bow towards the strings? In other words, beyond zero relief?

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

While it is an extremely rare thing, some necks have actually needed reverse bow. I guess it's better to have it and not need it

@jasonrickett561

2 жыл бұрын

Jim it can also vary with different tunings as well, for example, lower tuned guitars in some cases can reduce the string tension vs standard or even above 440 (it does happen), this can be a factor.

So the truss rod is pressing up against the middle of the fretboard basically? Is that ever a problem, or is the amount of surface area glued enough that it's really a non-issue? I could imagine the fretboard lifting off the neck on a cheap guitar, or the truss rod breaking through lol

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I don't think it is a real issue

Does bitterroot have a spoke wheel truss rod?

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know

Hi, great vid, very informative, before this I did not know exactly how much relief a neck should have, specifically strat necks. All of my electric guitars are fender type and I have a fender telecaster, when I got it the neck was fine, almist perfectly straight by what i could see when holding the strings on 1st to 17th fret the shop had it hung up on their wall with 10 to 46 strings on, which were utterly crap, so I changed them to elixir 9 - 42, ever since the neck has had, by account of the information on this video, too much relief, its a mim fender telecaster 75th anniversary telecaster, my concern would be how much relief on a newly bought guitar like this would constitute as too much and therfore make this guitar un sellable and below fender's standards, enough to breach that and enough to make a claim under guarantee. If anyone knows I would be very grateful 🙏 From what I've been reading fender have laxed and have been slipping on their quality control, this is a situation for me where u learn more about guitars and what's acceptable what the standard should be and its all good, but there are a lot of people out there like myself who don't know everything there is or at least all the key facts that are important and very useful when buying a guitar. And j believe fender know this and I know fender isn't just one person in one place looking over all of their factories and stock etc there are so many workshops that sell what appear to be genuine fender guitars and a lot of them do it better than fender the brand, when it comes down to it unless I'm buying an actual valuable vintage or custom shop fender of whatever, I don't care about authenticity of the brand name serial numbers etc, just the authenticity of the specifications of the dimensions of final product and quality of materials and how well the bulk of it- the body and neck, is made and put together because strats for example were designed to be modular, hence the partscaster, Leo Fenders original vision of the stratocaster. The initial cost in timber materials is a small fraction of the rrp, so you can buy of you find the right source, any big brand name guitar at a fraction of the cost of a "real" "brand name goes here" As long as its been built with attention to the details and not inadvertently feeding the Chinese economy more than my own, then I'm all for it.

Hey Matt - Great video but I think you should have pointed out that there is no such thing as the perfect truss rod. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but I must say that when you consider the number of 50s Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker and the like guitars still around with good necks after all those years, they must have been doing something right. I used to be a nerd when it came to truss rods and borrowed aspects from all of the rods out there when I designed and made my own. That was 42 years ago and I have never had one fail yet in fact the prototype which I built with a crazy skinny neck has never even needed to be adjusted in all that time. A lot of that is down to the quality of wood and build of the neck as well as grain orientation and density. I must say that my design is probably closest to the one you use but is much lighter and slimmer as I hate to take out too much wood from the neck. I have always built with the adjuster at the body end as I feel it makes for a much stronger neck. That comes from repairing broken headstocks on guitars which were angled back and tend to hit the floor 1st. I hate to take all that wood away at the weakest part of the neck. I make my rods in stainless steel with a hard brass nut and have never had to repair one even though they are much lighter than others out there. I particularly hate those red double acting types as they are so heavily made and take far too much wood away, in fact the only split neck I have been asked to look at had that very truss rod fitted and the amount of wood left at the back of the neck was only 3mm ( 1.125") I won't say the make of the guitar but it was made in the USA. I don't build guitars anymore as I have retired but I do enjoy everything about them including videos on the subject. Do remember to take care of those hands and keep up the good work. - Dave.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Dave, You are absolutely right, there is no such thing as perfect and those old school rods worked really well too. I also agree with you that the wood selection has much more to do with the truss rod's ability to work properly. Take care my friend

Early modulus necks had no rod. They have rods now, as do Moses. The original steinbergers had no rod. They were molded with more relief than some of us like

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Cool

@leesbassment6393

3 жыл бұрын

There is a school of thought that says that if a neck is flexible enough to be able to be moved by a rod, the benefits of graphite are kind of lost. I can see both sides. My perfect relief is likely too straight for other folks. As such, some adjustability is nice.

I messaged you a few weeks back asking about how a truss rod would be installed in a one piece neck with no fender style channel cut in the back. Did you find anything out about that? The guitar is a James Tyler Studio Elite with the truss rod access at the neck pick up. I haven't been able to find anything, but then I'm very new to guitar making and probably wouldn't know even if I had seen it.

@ryanwilson5936

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve never made a guitar but I’m in the process of gathering supplies to do so. I’m 99.9% sure that the truss rod slot would be cut into the “playing surface” of the neck and then covered by the fretboard. The adjustment for the truss rod is accessed by a hole drilled through the heel of the neck in which the adjustment nut goes through.

@SimonDuffy2

3 жыл бұрын

That's the thing. The neck and fingerboard aren't separate pieces of wood its one solid piece of wood an the only hole is at the neck/body joint. He must just have a really long drill bit.

@ryanwilson5936

3 жыл бұрын

@@SimonDuffy2 The fretboard and the neck are more than likely from the same piece of wood. I’m assuming maple. Slice off the fretboard portion with a band saw, route the truss rod slot, install truss rod, then glue the fretboard back on to the neck blank. If the grain was aligned back up properly, once finish sanded it can be extremely difficult to differentiate between the two pieces. Again, I don’t know for sure how they Tyler’s are assembled but matching wood seems well can produce a “solid wood” look.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

The one piece neck isn't that different you just need to work out how to set the rod in. Keep it as square as you can for as long as you can

@SimonDuffy2

3 жыл бұрын

@@TexasToastGuitars have you ever done one? Is there a video?

Chinese Danelectro Baritone guitar, could not turn truss rod nut. Had a forward bow. Tried everything, wrench was bending! Rather than throw it away I said let’s take the fingerboard off. Truss rod is the flat and round rod welded at the end. I assume it’s a two way rod. It was over tightened in the forward bow direction or counterclockwise direction. The rod functions properly. Question is…the rod has a yellow sleeve that is brittle and broke apart, do I need to put a new sleeve on it? Will it still fit in the slot properly? What if I was to rub it with slippery material so the glue doesn’t stick to it, even though it’s metal and I will use wood glue? Where can I get a sleeve, if necessary? You said wrap scotch tape around it. So it doesn’t sound to critical as long as the rod is not rattling, which I have heard a few rods rattle in my day. Thank you for your professional opinion. It’s my first truss rod repair. Never had the reason to do it before. -Dianne Redstone.

@axehandler5059

2 жыл бұрын

I just watched how to keep glue off the truss rod. Tape the slot the remove tape after. Same question do I need to replace the sleeve and where do I get one? Thanks.

One of the things to do on your live chats is put an index list in the header right after the show ends. See Phil Mcknight's channel as he is very good about linked indexes available within hours after his streams end. I'll scan through and hit the topics I'm interested in. Otherwise I skip most live videos because they tend to be time wasters, like Pete Thorn's streamed videos, I'd watch more of those but don't have the time to sift through for 'this one pedal trick'. I realize the streaming option gives better google optimization for a channel...

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I sometimes do that, it is lots of extra work

Has anyone thought about a micro amp using a vintage toaster? I have made them out of old radios.?????

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

That toaster is an amp

I must be a super nerd, have watched this twice now 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤣🤣🤣

I had a Kramer aluminium neck back in 1979 it would go out of tune when the temp changed

@TexasToastGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Mine too Mark

Just a simple man. Adjusting his rod.

I think the only thing that you didn’t cover was the hairpin rod (Rickenbacker)

@TexasToastGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Rats, I should have talked more about the Ric

@jasonrickett561

Жыл бұрын

@@TexasToastGuitars Hairpin rods would have just been a passing statement, not much to them…..

I had to come back to this posted video for an emergency update! That music is win guy just posted he got prs to make him a six string soul pole! wtf and he called it his idea! Time to call out some people! He did manage to play the upper portion well, so idk but you gotta check a brother for calling the half fretted neck his idea!

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Like I say, I am not the first guy to have done this and I'm sure the musisiswin fellow has no idea I'm alive

Thanks, I'm bummed that I missed the live stream. I want to experiment with truss rod adjusters. It was very nice to see them all in action rather than wondering how they work. I think I can get my idea to work but my plan has changed a little bit.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help a little bit Joe

This is why a Texas Toast Guitar is Better!!!!

Cool nerd!!

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I'm a total nerd

I don't know if it's me but the audio sync is way off.

@jonahguitarguy

3 жыл бұрын

like a kung fu movie!

@GuitarJeff

3 жыл бұрын

No issue for me it's all insync

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I love Kung Fu movies

I HATE those newfangled truss rods that adjust at the heel and have that huge notch cut out at the butt of the neck... that was the cool thing about Charvels/Jacksons back in the day... was the squared butt. Now, they have that stupid notch cut out. I understand that it makes it easier to adjust, but since you're not adjusting it all the time, it doesn't justify this new, lame design. And it seems like every manufacturer is using these now. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

I can appreciate the utility

@scottdunn2178

3 жыл бұрын

@@TexasToastGuitars I can understand if you're doing world tours, and are constantly in different environments, humidity, etc. and would have to adjust the truss rod a lot more than the average Joe... but man I hate that notch cut out at the heel.

Sorry, but the camera showed nothing! You prolly know exactly what you're talking about, but non of us mortals get it without seeing it! Clicked away, it was annoying!

If yall moaning about ads............ Pay for You Tube Premium and you wont see ads

@TexasToastGuitars

3 жыл бұрын

People like to complain