Official Luthiers Forum!

I just got my replacemennt truss rod for my LMI Parlor kit so I can finally procede on my neck. Having gone through the Robbie O'brian video as well as searching for info about this I am finding conflicting info about leveling the neck prior to installing the truss rod. The neck is a mahogony 14 fret to the body neck and it has a slight forward bow if I place a straight edge along the face (it is a pre carved neck).

I know the truss rod can adjust the slight bow after the fact but is it better to flatten it before installing the rod?

Also I am curious about installing a skunk strip over the rod. With the truss rod in the slot it only sits about 1/32 of an inch below the top of the neck so it would just barely be glued in. I know it gets epoxied to the top of the truss rod but it seemms 1/32 is not much glue surface and it seems it would pop out.
If it pops out then there would be no reason to actually have the strip there. I know a lot of builders don't put the strip in.

So what is the consensus here on how I should handle these 2 issues.

Thank you much,
Bob

It's not critical that the neck be dead straight when installing the truss rod. Gluing on the fretboard and fretting (if you do that last) may change the curvature anyway. Ideally the top of the frets will be dead flat before you put strings on... unless things are really off I would wait till then to address it.

You do want the truss rod to be somewhat snug in it's home. If there's a gap of 1/32, most commercial veneers at 1/40 or so should fill it nicely with a very thin glue line, and if there's extra it's a simple matter to sand or scrape it flat. I put a little dab of rubber cement in the bottom of the channel at the ends and in the middle to minimize any potential rattle as well. Good luck.

I like the neck flat before gluing the fretboard. I follow Mark Blanchard's instructions as shown on the Allied site.

http://www.alliedlutherie.com/truss_rods.htm

It's critical to test them as shown. I have had welds break in brand new rods.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

What Ringo and Terry said.

In addition for me once the rod is installed and the fret board is glued in place AND the neck is on the "finished" guitar this is when I will level the board and create fall-away if it is not already present. Then comes the fretting.

A one way rod or a two way rod..........??? Makes a difference.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Thank you gentlemen,

@Tom, it is the LMI 2 way.

I kind of assumed the back bow wasn't an issue but being the perfectionist I am I figured I would ask.

As for the filler strip over the rod, I am assuming that is mainly to stop rattles? I did read somewhere it kept the rod from pushing the fretboard up but that doesn't seem logical since it is still putting the same amount of pressure on it.

One thing I forgot to ask is that in the O'Brien video he puts the filler strip in and pushes the center of the truss rod down when he clamps it down, he even mentions it but does not explain any further. Would you really want to arch the rod like that. It is just me thinking too hard but if it is a 2 way rod wouldn't that inhibit movement of the rod? I am sure he completely understands the idea behind it but I hate just doing something I don't fully understand.

Cheers,
Bob

You don't want any gaps between the trussrod and the fretboard,
If you do you will have to turn much further before it has an effect and have a large neutral position