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Old 09-29-2020, 12:42 PM
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ArchtopLover ArchtopLover is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Blanchardville, Wisconsin
Posts: 122
Default 1954 Epiphone Blackstone may need a new truss rod

Hi Folks,

I recently acquired a vintage 1954 Epiphone Blackstone archtop guitar in need of repairs. I purchased the instrument with the neck separated from the body. There was no damage, the neck glue joint simply came loose and the dovetail joint slid apart cleanly.

In a plastic bag containing the rosewood bridge was a short steel rod, about 5 inches long, threaded at one end, the other end is a 3/16 inch hex socket tube welded to the end of the steel rod. This short steel rod looks like it is part of the truss rod, neck adjustment system. I am holding out all hope, that this is some fancy, over-engineered two-piece truss rod system and that the rod didn’t just snap off at the anchor nut

The steel rod looks like it threads into the channel/hole under the fretboard extension. However, the fit is very tight and the steel rod will not slip in smoothly, or thread all the way into this channel/hole. Does anyone know how a 1950’s Epiphone truss rod is supposed to work?

What looks like the main truss rod adjusting nut is very much like a Gibson. There is a brass hex nut located under a small plastic cover plate on the headstock. I tried tightening this adjusting nut to correct the up-bow in the neck and after I tightened the nut as tight as I dared, I gave up and backed it off, since there was no reaction, and the neck did not straighten as it should have to this adjustment.

I am fairly experienced at guitar repair, however, this is the first vintage Epiphone Archtop I now own and before I dig in, and remove the fretboard, I thought it best to get a second or third opinion on this repair project.
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