Givens truss rod on a late 1991?

[Jonmiller]

I have a Givens A6 that I purchased new from Randy Snoddy (great guy) in California in 92.
It's #615 and under the top, the top is dated 8/8/91. I looked with light and mirror and there is indeed a hole at the heel but I can't tell if it's an adjustment access or just a hole.
Might that possibly be the elusive adjustable truss rod or is that too early of a date to have one?
I know- a little bit like searching for the "lost treasure of Oak Island".
Holey molie, Jon

[sunburst]

The one person I can think of whom I suspect is most likely to know the answer is Frank Ford.

[Nevin]

If you have a strong magnet, you should be able to detect a truss rod in the neck.

[Willie Poole]

Would a magnet pick up stainless steel?

[samlyman]

I would check with Greg Boyd's shop in Missoula, MT.

My first thought is that no adjustable truss rods were used by Bob until 1992.

[Jonmiller]

Stainless steel magnetic? (I looked it up.)"Due to this difference, ferritic stainless steels are generally magnetic while austenitic stainless steels usually are not. A ferritic stainless steel owes its magnetism to two factors: its high concentration of iron and its fundamental structure.
Using a magnet is a good idea, I just took it in to have it looked at as 13th fret is starting to muddy. Funny, I never play beyond the 15th fret but do use that high G often. He said he could correct it but doing some fret work. He had a 5/13ths long wrench that he had made but the shaft he had welded on is 1/2 diameter and wouldn't fit through the end pin hole.
I've never had it set up by anyone but myself and RLGivens out off the shop so pretty excited about getting it back.

[Frank Ford]

Yep, a long hex key will do the job on that adjustable truss rod. Non truss rod Givens instruments have no access hole in the block.

[Jonmiller]

Thank you Frank, It's great to know!!!

[Nevin]

Some stainless is magnetic and some isn't but many truss rods aren't stainless.

[Jonmiller]

Yes indeed, my repair man said he was able to access the truss through the end pin/strap piece.
So Givens put adjustable truss rods in at least as early as 8/8/91 #615 for anyone interested.

[sblock]

Taking an x-ray of the neck will give you an immediate answer. You might well be able to get help with this at a local dentist's office or vet, who are not subject to the same constraints as doctors.

[Bruce Clausen]

Another method: an excellent local repairman removed a few strategic frets on a guitar and drove a tiny drill bit from the fret slots down to the truss rod in order to determine the exact location of the rod, then replaced the frets. (The customer wanted the neck thinned a fair bit.)