non trusrod mandolin neck

[mandosonthemarsh]

I have a Kalamazoo mandolin. The neck is straight up until it reaches the body and then it rises slightly. Nothing buzzes and the harmonics are all right on. Should I be concerned or will it get worse and eventually need attention... Thanks...

[fatt-dad]

If it's a flat top "pancake" style of mandolin, I'd be certain to use light-gauge strings (e.g., GHS A-25s).

I have three mandolins without adjustible truss rods and they are all just fine. Had them for many years too.

f-d

[Mike Bunting]

I had a Givens F-5 with a non-adjustable truss rod for better than 25 years with no problems at all. It was a rock. I used medium gauge strings, never really gave it a thought really.

[Willie Poole]

To the OP...some mandolins had a three piece neck, by that I mean they had an ebony piece of wood running down the middle of the maple or what ever wood was used with the grain in the opposite direction, that added strength to the neck, also some mandolins had a steel rod or carbon fiber inserted in them but aren`t adjustable, I have one of those and the Givens that I had was the same way, Mike, that neck never bowed a tint bit....

The agjustable rod allows another aspect to doing a set up in the neck does bow and I think it is a great idea myself....

Willie

[Paul Hostetter]

I have a Kalamazoo mandolin. The neck is straight up until it reaches the body and then it rises slightly. Nothing buzzes and the harmonics are all right on. Should I be concerned or will it get worse and eventually need attention...

Are you talking about a true Depression-era K'zoo like the one on the left here?:



If so, the anomaly in the neck is easily curable whenever it gets a refret. It's pretty common, and that stout neck is not particularly vulnerable to trouble. It's just a normal sign of age.

The copy seems not to have been well proofread.

[mirwa]

Id second pauls comment, they are extremely strong necks, play it / enjoy it, when it starts fretting out, get a full refret with board plane rather than a localised partial refret just on the fretboard extension.

[buckhorn]

i,ve built two,three,and five piece necks and the secret is to make the grain appose each other....also used truss rods,carbon fiber and nothing at all....with apposed grain, all is working well with no bowing ...always used medium to light strings thu...keith