A neck that is made well will be nice and straight without strings fitted, it will also have an imaginary line that runs down the top of the frets and comes to the top of the bridge, this is usually ascertained with your eye.
Dependant on how the neck is made, thickness, profile, comfort, wood species, lay of grain etc, the neck will react differently to string tension, so a builder will sometimes insert a truss rod of some form to strengthen the area greater than wood is capable of.
Some truss rods allow us to dial in relief, the relief we are looking for is just enough to create a small deviation from the straight line to allow the vibrating string to vibrate along its length without touching the frets that lay underneath it.
Our playing style can affect how much relief should be given, but it is a minscule measurement, typically in the .002-.004 thou range.
A good luthier / guitar tech can set these parameters up for you
Steve
__________________
Cole Clark Fat Lady
Gretsch Electromatic
Martin CEO7
Maton Messiah
Taylor 814CE
|