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Dumb Question
Is there a truss-rod in that neck and if so where did you find it.

I am just planning a project.

Bob

I am very far from an expert here. I made one mandolin for the challenge last year. I just made a Gibson style one way truss rod for it with mostly hardware store steel and a tap and dye. The only specialized part was a Gibson style brass truss rod nut from stew-mac. I installed it in a curved channel just like you would for a guitar. I leveled the frets during set up and have not had to make an adjustment to the truss rod, but it is there if I need it.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Thanks for the help.
My best guess is that I will need a 10 1/2" truss-rod and the only one in the catalogue is 8 1/2". I would prefer a double-acting if I had a choice but I still don't really understand how to use them. The mechanics I understand but ukuleles don't need them with forty pounds of string force.

Bob

I did not put in a truss rod. I use 2 carbon rods as recommended in the McDonald book.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Siminoff sells mandolin truss rods: http://parts.siminoff.net/search.aspx?find=Truss+rod

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Doug:
Thanks for the lead. I will probably build my own with the nut from Stewmac and a rod from the hardware store and a torch. That way I can build one that fits my build. The picture was a great help.

Bob

Bob, mine was not unlike the one pictured on the Siminoff site. I wanted to adjust at the heel rather than the nut end. So rather than have a bend in the end and worry about where to anchor it, I made a half round anchor. I drilled and tapped it then threaded the end on and peened it over. This allowed me to anchor it in a slot in the volute area.

There are some pictures here that might help. . . or not. . .

viewtopic.php?f=10133&t=37268&start=50

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Bryan:
You refer to a "curved channel". Is the channel itself curved downward toward the heel or are you referring to bend in the truss-rod?
I have only installed Allied double-acting truss-rods.

Bob

The bottom of the channel is not straight but is very slightly deeper in the middle of the neck. The spline glued in over the rod is curved as well such that the rod is slightly bowed in the center of the neck length. The rod is anchored in the nut end and the nut pushes against the heel. When the nut is tightened shortening the rod, it not only puts the bottom half of the neck wood in compression it pushes up against the spline and fretboard in the center. To be honest, I didn't really have any idea how much bend was appropriate for such a small neck. I was winging most aspects of the project since I knew very little about mandolins. I "pre-loaded" the rod before I trued up the top surface and attached the fret board. In theory, that should allow me a little reverse adjustment by loosening the rod. That said, I have never had to make any adjustment to the rod. String tension provided me with a tiny bit of relief and everything is hunky-dory.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I think with such a short neck on a mando, an adjustable truss rod is overkill, given the neck wood is stable. Necks are usually maple.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

I don't doubt that. As I said, I had no mando experience. I happened to notice Stew Mac selling matreials to make this style rod for mandolin. I had made this type of rod in guitar size before, so I figured I might as well. . . In fact it was made from an off-cut of the bar that was too short to use for anything else. I would be surprised if I ever turn the nut.

edit: typos

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

My experience is not vast either - but I did learn from the McDonald book as well as the Sminoff

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Thus far all ive done is Carbon Fibre , no truss rod . I do however make my necks slightly larger .. 1/8" than a standard f ... I would say the main reason for truss rods was that carbon fibre wasnt around . Just a guess .

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