Truss rod wolf notes

[Taylor Ham]

I've just completed the neck for my current guitar.

I put some tension on the truss rod to keep it from rattling while the neck waits, and It rang like a bell when I set it down hard or tap on it.

If this resonance is too strong, will it cause wolf notes? has anything been tried to mitigate this? (carbon fiber non adjustable replacement, damping)

Using a LMI 2-way truss in a maple neck.

[phavriluk]

Assemble it and see...

[John Arnold]

I have not noticed dead spots on guitars due to neck resonance. But I have heard that it can be a problem on a bass, due to the longer, more flexible neck combined with the lower frequencies.

[Alan Carruth]

It depends on the pitch the truss rod rings at; if it's close enough to a played note it could be a problem. If it 'rings like a bell' then it's probably at a very specific pitch that would have to be matched very closely, but if it is a problem it could be a biggie.

I had a truss rod that rattled once. The guitar was finished and I didn't want to take it apart and re-build the neck, so I came up with a work-around. I drilled out the 5th fret inlay dot, and drilled a small hole down to the rod. I injected some silicone caulk into the hole to fill in around the rod and damp it out, and replaced the inlay. I also stopped using that type of rod.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

It depends on the pitch the truss rod rings at; if it's close enough to a played note it could be a problem. If it 'rings like a bell' then it's probably at a very specific pitch that would have to be matched very closely, but if it is a problem it could be a biggie.

I had a truss rod that rattled once. The guitar was finished and I didn't want to take it apart and re-build the neck, so I came up with a work-around. I drilled out the 5th fret inlay dot, and drilled a small hole down to the rod. I injected some silicone caulk into the hole to fill in around the rod and damp it out, and replaced the inlay. I also stopped using that type of rod.

What type of rod was that, Alan - if you don't mind a slight aside to the topic at hand? I'm currently at this stage in my second and hemming and hawing over avoiding this very issue.

To the OP I would say that it's probably a good idea to use some sort of caulk at the ends and if the bar has no housing of its own to wrap it in some sort of plumber's tape.

[Taylor Ham]

The truss rod is pretty well sealed in there, and the only option to cushion it would be as alan described. The pitch varies with the tension applied, so all that's left is hoping it doesnt end up too close to any notes when at perfect relief.

[ArchtopLover]

Originally Posted by Taylor Ham

I put some tension on the truss rod to keep it from rattling while the neck waits, and It rang like a bell when I set it down hard or tap on it.

I had a 2006 Gibson J-45R that had this same problem. If you tapped on the neck you could hear the truss rod ring. It was always difficult to tell if this had any impact on the overall tone, or any individual note.

I don't remember exactly where I read this, maybe it was one of Irving Sloan's guitar construction and repair books, but a steel truss rod should be covered with some material to damp any extraneous vibrations before it is inserted into the neck slot. I believe Irving had suggested using burlap (very old school). Removing a fret and drilling a small hole and injecting some silicone caulk, maybe using a syringe, as was suggested by Alan Carruth, seems like a simple and effective solution.

[Taylor Ham]

Almost forgot I started this thread, but for future viewers I will close it off.

The guitar is finished and does not suffer from wolf notes, but I can still hear the truss rod ringing very very softly if i rap on the neck with my knuckles.