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As this photo shows, the neck angle pushes the channel for the rod against the top. My obvious worry is that this will dampen the top. Or is this normal? (Don't be confused by the archtop in the upper left of the shot.The problem is with the guitar in the foreground, seen from the side.)
A second question arises if there should be space between the channel and the top: Before I take this task on myself, is it likely that adjusting the rod will make things better, or am I looking at a neck reset?
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12-06-2018 01:43 PM
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Sorry, but those pictures show me nothing. The bottom one is so blurry I don't even know what it's showing. The first one mostly just shows some carpet.
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You are asking about the fretboard extension that usually hangs over the top? Except that now, the lowest part of it is touching the top? I see a black tab that touches the top.
Well, my gut says that your guitar needs a neck reset. It is cantilevering forwards.
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There's only one picture, but I do now see that it's confusing. My phone has trouble taking a closeup. I'lll post again with another shot.
Originally Posted by sgosnell
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OK, after a few more times looking at the photo I think I see what you're talking about, but it's still too blurry to say anything for sure.
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Here are more shots. The first looks a bit minimilist, but it's shot from the side of the guitar, so little of the guitar can be seen. At the right is the fretboard extension coming out over the guitar. Beneath it, the rod is touching the face of the guitar. My question is, basically, does the fact that it's touching the face of the guitar automatically mean that the neck has been pulled inwards too much, or were some archtops, when these rods were first introduced, made this way, with the rod actually touching the face? (Seems unlikely, yes. Am I just trying to avoid seeing the obvious need for a neck reset?)
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How is the playing action up and down the fretboard? Does it fret out? Does the string action to avoid fretting out make the guitar unplayable? If it is unplayable it needs a neck reset.
That tab touching the top under the extension does not damp the top much, if at all.
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Common for the truss rod adjuster to touch on old Epis. At worst, it's the symptom of a neck angle migration. But on its own, it doesn't mean anything.
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It plays fine. No fretting out. No buzzes. I'm just worried that the guitar could sound much better--louder, more resonant--if the adjustment rod wasn't touching the top. (What looks like a tab in the photos is the end of the adjustment rod.) Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Hard to guess about the effects on the tone, I suppose. But I hope that other people who have similar instruments, with the rod protruding from under the neck extension, can post here to note if the rod touches the wood on their instrument, or manages to stay lifted off the face. It can't rise very high off the wood on this Epiphone from the early 40's. The rising arch of the top leaves little room.
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The neck extension runs over the neck block. so it's mostly solid wood underneath the neck. Many guitars have the entire neck extension on, or in, the body there. I don't think it will affect the tone at all. Even if it does go slightly beyond the neck block, there isn't much vibration possible there. As long as it plays acceptably well, and the bridge is high enough, just enjoy playing it.
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My 46 Blackstone has a similar configuration but not quite touching, I can fit a piece of paper under the adjustment rod. Plays great and it’s loud, since it stays in tune for months I assume it’s not moving.
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In other words, leave well enough alone. Enjoy your Epiphone Blackstone. Fine guitar.
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I've got a couple of Epiphone Triumphs. The one that sounds best looks much like yours in that the truss rod seems to be resting on the top. I wouldn't worry about it so long as the action is comfortable and the truss rod is operating normally.
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The OP's picture shows the end of the trussrod actually resting on the top of the guitar. The last Epiphone I had in the house, a late-30s or early-40s Zenith, had the same trussrod adjustment. It did not touch the top.
My suspicion is that this trussrod is almost fully relaxed, i.e., the nut at the end is turned fully clockwise. This would extend it as far as it goes on the rod and might bring it into contact with the top of the guitar. The photo doesn't suggest that the neck angle is phooey and thus is causing the rod top to rest on the top.
If everything plays fine, I'd be inclined to leave it alone. OTOH, you might see what happens if you turn it slightly clockwise. I, personally, wouldn't advise this--but it would shorten things and move the nut off of the top, no? You don't want to overtighten things, however.
Then, again, the fact that the nut is that far out could suggest that it could be tightened without much altering the pressure on the rod...or even that the rod is fractured and that the neck is just straight, as is.
Only tightening will tell.
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