Neck Relief--How To Do It?

[mando andy]

I am building a travel mando--kind of a scaled down version of others you have seen. I am putting in a steel bar (1/4 inch) to serve as a truss rod in a routed channel in the neck. This is nonadustable--the small peghead does not allow for a truss rod cover or area for the adusting nut---I will post pix when I finish..

I want to add a small amount of relief to the neck--do I put this in by sanding the top surface neck slightly or put the relief into the fret board by sanding it (with the slight bow)??

Thanks a lot for any suggestions on this....

Andy

[bryce]

Without a picture its hard to see if this will work. I just made a neck blank without trussrod and put relief in it by clamping a bar clamp from bottom of heel to the end of the peghead and tightening it enough to put a small amount of backbow in it. Then ran it across the jointer with a very light cut. When I take the clamp off the neck has a small amount of relief. This is a trick I learned in a banjo shop. Its a bit easier on a long blank like a guitar or banjo, but it works on short nacks to. Just be sure the clamp is on good and it gives you a nice smooth gluing surface. Bryce

[Antlurz]

Neat trick!

Ron

[Bill Snyder]

You could have access to a trussroad nut at the neck block instead of the peghead. If the sound hole(s) don't allow access you can use a long allen wrench through the end pin hole.

[mando andy]

I know that a lot of builders prefer not to use an adjustable truss rod----so I wondered how they did it. Thanks for the suggestions.

Andy

[Jim Rowland]

Andy,many of us builders who choose to eschew (excuse me!)the adjustable rods use carbon fiber rods sucessfully and don't worry about relief. I do tail off a few thousandths from about the 12th fret through the florida to counteract the slow erection of the extension over time,but that's it. I don't think relief on a mandolin is much of a worry,although others disagree. You'll probably get a tad relief from string pressure anyway.
Jim

[Michael Lewis]

What GROW said. First you need to sting your instrument and tune it to pitch, THEN check the fingerboard for flatness/relief. Gotta be at full tension to test it. Then you will know if you need to add relief or make it flatter.