Andersen Streamline with minor crack?

[charleyrich99]

I have a Steve Andersen 16" Streamline. While I was visiting my local luthier, he noticed a small crack in the neck just beyond the headstock. The crack is slight, and parallel to the length of the neck. The luthier told me that this is related to the truss rod. He said not to worry, its normal and should have no impact.

How unusual is this and should I worry about it getting worse? I attached a photo, but it is hard to see the crack line.

--Charley

[wintermoon]

Nothing to worry about, looks like it's only in the veneer.

[2bornot2bop]

Seems half the L5’s I see have a minor crack on the back of the headstock.

[charleyrich99]

Nothing to worry about, looks like it's only in the veneer.

Thanks! One less thing to stress about.

[deacon Mark]

Nothing to worry about I am like WM it is in the veneer and hard to say why? I am not one who necessarily thinks it is the truss rod. It is bit high up and splitting here from truss rod seems unlikely. Curious if you have ever adjusted the truss rod and how tight does it seem if so.

[charleyrich99]

Nothing to worry about I am like WM it is in the veneer and hard to say why? I am not one who necessarily thinks it is the truss rod. It is bit high up and splitting here from truss rod seems unlikely. Curious if you have ever adjusted the truss rod and how tight does it seem if so.

I have adjusted the truss rod and it does seem tight.

[Archie]

Looks like a stress fracture and at the thinnest part of the neck. My guess would also be the truss rod; maybe caused by too much compression?
Loosen the truss rod and see if it closes up at all.
If the crack was horizontal, I would suspect the veneer.

Although you’re likely better taking the advice of previous posters.

[deacon Mark]

I don't recommend this but if it was my guitar I would do the old truss rod help jig I use. I would take all the string off. Check the relief of the neck just for reference. THen I would completely loosen the truss rod. I would see what that did to the back of the stinger area. Then I would take my jig and using blocks and clamp in the middle of the neck I would get the neck to same exact relief from my previous measurement I did with truss rod tension on. Then I would turn the truss rod until it held the position I have just introduced into the neck going a bit past in tension.

Remove all jig and tune guitar to pitch. If it played fine and action and relief were good I would be glad. Possibly by going past the point you might need to back off tension of rod. Finally I would exam and keep careful eye on the back of the neck and stinger to see if anything in the crack changed. If not, I would move and and forget all about the situation. If somehow the crack changed and even a few days of checking and got worse then I would see about taking some steps to stabilize the situation.

This may seem all Greek to you, but it is things luthiers do this to help truss rods. The truss rod jig is simple 2 blocks of maple at the ends of the fingerboard and a long straight maple board on top of them over the fingerboard with a Jorgenson clamp in the middle of the neck on the back side you have easily introduce backbow into the neck or straighten it out warped neck.

[charleyrich99]

I don't recommend this but if it was my guitar I would do the old truss rod help jig I use. I would take all the string off. Check the relief of the neck just for reference. THen I would completely loosen the truss rod. I would see what that did to the back of the stinger area. Then I would take my jig and using blocks and clamp in the middle of the neck I would get the neck to same exact relief from my previous measurement I did with truss rod tension on. Then I would turn the truss rod until it held the position I have just introduced into the neck going a bit past in tension.

Remove all jig and tune guitar to pitch. If it played fine and action and relief were good I would be glad. Possibly by going past the point you might need to back off tension of rod. Finally I would exam and keep careful eye on the back of the neck and stinger to see if anything in the crack changed. If not, I would move and and forget all about the situation. If somehow the crack changed and even a few days of checking and got worse then I would see about taking some steps to stabilize the situation.

This may seem all Greek to you, but it is things luthiers do this to help truss rods. The truss rod jig is simple 2 blocks of maple at the ends of the fingerboard and a long straight maple board on top of them over the fingerboard with a Jorgenson clamp in the middle of the neck on the back side you have easily introduce backbow into the neck or straighten it out warped neck.

Wow! Do you make house calls? Sarasota, FL