#31
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I like having an adjustable truss rod, just like I like having rubber tires on my car instead of wooden wheels on a horse and buggy.
Progress is a good thing.
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Science doesn't care what you believe. Doerr/Taylor |
#32
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Lots of religious discussion and superstition on this topic.
I will say that when some of the good guitars didn't offer adjustable necks (Martin), a back industry grew up in the high-end repair shops in the studio cities. A key feature of that industry was proficiency in planing necks on good guitars that had bad actions because they didn't have adjustable truss rods. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#33
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Regarding Martin guitars, there is a world of difference between the neck profiles on the pre-adjustable truss rod necks and those with the adjustable rods having the newer low profile necks. I own both, and much prefer the feel of the older Martin necks. Of course, this is a matter of opinion, but my old D-28 is a lot more comfortable than my newer D-28 with the low profile neck. I have had no problems with neck relief on my older Martins. But if I ever do, I won't be able to make a simple rod adjustment. That being said, there is nothing to break, either. (I have had to replace a Fender neck due to a faulty truss rod.) Bottom line, there is nothing to argue about here. Just buy and play what you like.
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#34
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As with most things discussed here, people on both sides of the debate tend to paint with too broad a brush.
All other things equal, having an adjustable truss rod is a good thing. Unfortunately all other things may not be equal. So like all design features, you are left with a compromise.
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1943 Gibson J-45 Martin Custom Shop 000-28 Authentic Aged 1937 Voyage Air VAOM-4 |
#35
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Stability and tone....post#21.
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#36
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I can only speak from my personal experience which is the lens I look through.
I have seen lots nylon string guitars without them that had badly warped necks. Most under $2,000 because that's what you find in the stores. Someone will always say it's possible to build/brace such a guitar in such a way that it doesn't need one. I've seen enough to the contrary that it gives me pause. That's not to say that I won't one day buy a higher end classical that doesn't have one, but it hasn't happened yet. Knowing that steel string guitars have way more tension, it's very unlikely that I'll buy a steel string guitar without the rod. I've always bought guitars that had the rod. Some of these I've had for over 30 years. Other than a Sigma 12 string, I've never had a problem with neck stability. I've often given the rod in some of them a quarter depending on season to adjust the neck relief a bit. I have NEVER been sorry I had a truss rod. The OP should be entitled, "Truss Rod -- Good or Great"
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Alvarez: DY61 Huss and Dalton: DS Crossroads, 00-SP Kenny Hill: Heritage, Performance Larrivee: CS09 Matt Thomas Limited Taylor: 314ce, 356e, Baritone 8 Timberline: T60HGc |
#37
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#38
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My Gibson LG-2 doesn't have an adjustable truss rod and its fine...but I really do like to have it...on most of my guitars, I am comfortable with adjusting the truss rod and sanding down the saddle. Anything beyond that (filing the nut or leveling frets) goes to my tech.
Truss rod tweak have made a couple of my guitars go from good to great though.
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'17 Waterloo Scissortail '17 David Newton 00 Rosewood '11 Homemade Strat Ibanez AS73 w/ Lollar P90s |
#39
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This topic comes up quite often and we get the same old arguments from the few who believe that if a guitar isn't built like a pre war Martin Dreadnaught, then it just ain't right. I get tired of the old hillbilly Keebler elf story like he really knows anything, the "rigid" neck as opposed to the what, a "floppy" neck, the "I can hear the difference, don't know what I hear, I just hear it", argument, and of course the experts, Willi Henkes and John Arnold, who I agree are at the top of their game, but are deep in the pre war Martin camp.
All necks are rigid. On a non-adjustable neck, a steel bar strengthens the neck and the relief is set with the use of compression frets, which keeps the neck under tension at the correct relief permanently, or so we hope. With an adjustable rod, the same mahogany neck, with fretboard and frets that add to a rigid system, uses a truss rod that can be adjusted, which adds the tension needed for the correct relief. One neck is not more rigid than the other. One just uses the frets for the tension, the uses the rod to add the tension. I have nothing to say about hearing a difference, If you can hear a difference and you believe it is the truss rod, that's good too. If you do hear a difference, why is it that the old way is always better? I have two guitars with non-adjustable rods and two guitars with adjustable rods, all Martins. The are all good, just different ways to get to an end. ............Mike |
#40
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truss rod
This is a useful thread, good info here. My thinking is that if the luthier recommends it, and nearly everyone of them does, then maybe I should have it.
I had an M38 that went through 3 neck resets in the 20 years I owned it. No truss rod of course. Maybe I would have had less trouble had there been one. It was one of the last guitars me before they went to them.
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The Bard Rocks Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood Goodman J45 Lutz/fiddleback Mahogany Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber '31 National Duolian + many other stringed instruments. |
#41
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A truss rod has nothing to do with a neck reset. Again, A truss rod has nothing to do with a neck reset. And, now in three-part harmony, A truss rod has nothing to do with a neck reset. Got it? Good. |
#42
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That said, three resets in 20 years, or in the life of the guitar for that matter is so odd that something else has to be going on. Either poor repair work or some other fault that is not apparent based on the information given. (Looks like Charles, and Mike, and I were typing simultaneously.) |
#43
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#44
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Wow, we all pounced on The Bard like hungry lions. ........Mike
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#45
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Good, period.
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