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Do you always install truss rods on your instruments?
I understand the potential need for one, but so you guys do them on all guitars?
What makes me pause is I’m building up a 20s L1 style. Shorter scar modern gib 12 fret.
I’m not building an “replica” but I dig the shape:) the bracing and other aspects will be different.

This is a small guitar.
So, even on little guys, older style, do you always do a TR? Maybe a CF reinforcement instead?

I suppose the potential need for one out weighs the novelty of a lighter feel


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Yes.

Not every player, not every string set, not every set up requires the same relief. To have that be adjustable is imperative IMO. We have the technology. 2 way rods are where it’s at.

For me, yes.

The small investment of time and money to add a 2-way rod pays itself back very quickly when you consider what is required to finesse the relief on a guitar with no rod.

Of course, methods of adjusting relief on guitars with no truss rod exist. But if you have installed a rod all it takes is a few seconds with an allen wrench. This time saving adds up over the service life of a quality instrument, which should be 50+ years for something well built and which will include many set-ups and tweaks as the years roll by.

Yes, there is a weight consideration; this is an ergonomic thing that is a bigger deal for some players than others. There are lightweight options on the market that still allow 2-way adjustment.

Yes.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Steel strings= always. Nylon strings = no.

Many of the older non-truss rod guitar necks that were built for steel strings had thick baseball bat like cross sections. Some weight was still there in the additional wood. After the single action rod was invented thinner necks could be safely used and weight gain was probably minimal. Double acting rods have become popular, but in most cases they do add weight to the neck. Now some companies are making double acting rods of lighter materials (at somewhat greater expense).
If you want a lighter neck, my suggestion would be to use a single action rod, pretension the rod to induce - some - "back bow" in the neck, re-level the fingerboard so releasing the tension then allows the neck to bow forward. This will give some of the advantages of the double acting rod without the weight penalty. You don't want to pre-tension the rod so much that it no longer has enough movement to act as it normally should, so it is somewhat of a balancing act.
I make my own single action rods but Stew Mac also sells them.

My thoughts exactly. If it is a new build (not a repair of a very old instrument), I just have no reason to leave a truss rod out, and every reason to put it in. Weight savings are not really important enough to me to sacrifice the ability to adjust the neck's relief, and thereby optimize the guitar’s action. As a player, I want the guitar to have what I subjectively feel is the perfect action, which depends on being able to dial in the right relief. I would put up with a guitar being a little heavier if it is otherwise a great guitar, but it can’t be a great guitar unless it has (or can have, with tweaking) the right relief, making ideal action possible.

A bit more: don’t confuse stiffness with adjustability. A truss rod gives the neck adjustability more than it gives the neck stiffness. Adjustability is more of what you need from a truss rod, in my opinion. You can have a straight and very stiff neck, relatively unaffected by string tension, and the relief (and therefore the action) might not be ideal. Without a truss rod, getting to ideal would be a lot of work.

Having worked on many over the years I definitely prefer a 2 way rod over a single compression rod. Being able to adjust either direction is a huge advantage.

That being said. Lots of guitars have been made with compression style rods and do just fine. But given that we have the technology now the 2 way is king in my opinion.

Steel strings yes, always.

Do a few compression frets then you can answer your own question

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I've built a few with non-adjustable truss rods. I don't use them on Spanish guitars either. But in general I use TR's and I like the double action ones.

Yes double action always on SS sometimes on nylon.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

My steel string harp ukulele (15" scale, 12 fret walnut neck with 4 strings on it about 15lbs each) has no reinforcement, and playability remains excellent after being exposed to the extreme seasonal humidity swings here for 5 years.

But for anything over 20" scale I'd include a rod for adjustability. For absolute lightest weight, use Spanish cedar with an Allied ultralight rod. Second lightest and about $25-30 cheaper is a cherry or walnut neck with steel compression rod. Stainless would be better for corrosion resistance, but I haven't had any trouble with mild steel from the local hardware store.

The allied rods are interesting. I’m not completely certain how they are installed and such but cool


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