Truss Rod access fender headstock style

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Pardejo

Well-Known Member
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Hey. So, I'm doing my first build, a Telecaster.

For my neck, I want the truss rod access to be from the headstock, like on a Strat, cause well, its just easier to adjudst from headstock than from the heel (not sure what was on Leo's mind that day).

So, I have the truss rod channel done. Going now to get the headstock to final thickness and round over the neck to headstock tranasition. And then..... The truss rod channel... and here lie my fears.

I went on the old interwebs and youtubes to find some help, but majority of builds I see with headstock access, they just carve a small "pool shapped" lower zone at the headstock whicj they then connect to the channel.... Well, to sum, they ruin a beautiful headstock with some weird shappy thing. I rather much prefer the beautiful access hole on a strat. And there is a few videos about that, but they all use some sort of a guide for the drill, or in one video, the adventurous dude just free-hand drills the thing, very neetly I might say. And freehand is what I would do, cause I have no guide.

So, my question (finally some might say), do you guys have any tips on how to drill a strat style truss rod access hole?

I would be very much appreciated!
 
You need a drill Jig. It's called "line boring."
Where are you buying the neck from?
If they make a neck they should be able to custom drill a truss rod hole....

1613953597226.png
 
If you are going to do it free hand you are going to want to drill down a little and then lay your drill over to drill into the channel. If you try to go straight in from the front the bit is going to walk up the slope of the headstock. Personally, I would drill the hole before completely shaping the front of the headstock. Leave yourself a flat step to drill straight in and then shape the front afterwards.
 
Well.... Hrrmm... Im building it. The hole tele.

* Truss rod channel: done
* Neck and headstock profile shape routing: done
* Headstock to final thickness: working on it
* Truss rod access hole: next weekend.

Thats why I'm asking, so I have already some clearer idea of how better to approach it.

And for tools, I'm using a drill machine (? Not sure how to actually call the machine in english, sorry), and a Brad-point drill bit 6mm. I did a test run on some scrap wood left from carving the neck. Gutted a small faux truss rod channel, got a psrt of the faux headstock to thickness and rounded a bit the level change.... And drilled.... Slightly to the left... A bit. But the thing is, there wasn't that nice looking access hole as we see on a strat. Barely no mark on the headstock.....

And before I go ahead and do the real one on the real neck piece, I would like some advices, if any of you pros could give.
 
Cadorman said:
If you are going to do it free hand you are going to want to drill down a little and then lay your drill over to drill into the channel. If you try to go straight in from the front the bit is going to walk up the slope of the headstock. Personally, I would drill the hole before completely shaping the front of the headstock. Leave yourself a flat step to drill straight in and then shape the front afterwards.
Click to expand...

Oh this is very interesting. I was wondering if that would be the best idea. Like, the curved step would be say 2cm, so I would leav 2.5/3, and I could then drill it down First, and the horizontal.. :unsure:

Or you reckon it would be better to leave the x cm and just go straight horizontal?
 
Pardejo said:
Oh this is very interesting. I was wondering if that would be the best idea. Like, the curved step would be say 2cm, so I would leav 2.5/3, and I could then drill it down First, and the horizontal.. :unsure:

Or you reckon it would be better to leave the x cm and just go straight horizontal?
Click to expand...
You need to ask Hackmaster. Master of doing stuff.


I work on amps only these days.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
There are a lot of knowledgeable people here who can share ideas with you.
You are always welcomed to ask for help.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Thats what I've been doing these past days and what I will keep doing. I learned long ago that is better to make questions and learn at the expense of looking dumb, than never make those questions and be actually dumb.

Cadorman said:
Yes. @Hackmaster needs to check this out. Now he will get a notification.
Click to expand...

Oh thank you very much!!
If he sees this or anyone else that every did a tele or strat neck with truss rod adjustment at the head, please fell free to give some tips :)
 
I just watched a guy do it on YouTube. He started by drilling downwards with a brad point bit and rotated to horizontal as the bit started in. Once the hole was started he switched to a bit that was about a foot long (about 30 cm) and drilled straight through. The long bit is to keep the drill away from the headstock for clearance. Looks pretty simple.
 
I think its the same one video I saw. I used his technique in a try run on some scrape wood. Althought I didn't use a longer drill, cause I don't have any. Starting to think it might be better to get one.

But yeah, that is the clearest video I found of someone free-hand doing it.
 
Hi @Pardejo I hope I can help.
AMS gives me way more credit than I deserve. I'm a bull in a china shop.
First off, I've never done this...o_O
If I understand the situation, you want a top (headstock) access truss rod, so you don't have to loosen & tilt the neck for adjusting the rod.
Makes sense.

From what I see, the upper access hole is routed in the top and access is drilled from the heel, before the headstock is profiled.
This cat does a good job with it. Right about the 7:00 mark he shows the routing and boring.

Now if you just want a quick and dirty way to make a top access to an existing channel, I'd use a round bottom router bit
91057-01-1000.jpg

and just continue the truss rod rout at the proper depth, to the headstock, until you reach where you want the access to be.
Fretboard will cover it.

I hate to pass the buck, but @SG John is a very skilled and knowledgeable builder, and may have encountered this before.

Good luck with the project Pardejo.
 
Hackmaster said:
Hi @Pardejo I hope I can help.
AMS gives me way more credit than I deserve. I'm a bull in a china shop.
First off, I've never done this...o_O
If I understand the situation, you want a top (headstock) access truss rod, so you don't have to loosen & tilt the neck for adjusting the rod.
Makes sense.

From what I see, the upper access hole is routed in the top and access is drilled from the heel, before the headstock is profiled.
This cat does a good job with it. Right about the 7:00 mark he shows the routing and boring.

Now if you just want a quick and dirty way to make a top access to an existing channel, I'd use a round bottom router bit
View attachment 59684

and just continue the truss rod rout at the proper depth, to the headstock, until you reach where you want the access to be.
Fretboard will cover it.

I hate to pass the buck, but @SG John is a very skilled and knowledgeable builder, and may have encountered this before.

Good luck with the project Pardejo.
Click to expand...

The access whole he ends up with its the kind I really don't like, looks like something went wrong and you ended up with a little pool xD

I am now thinking either route like this a tinny bit higher than what the headstock will end up beig, so with some light sanding I can fade it to come incorporated to the headstock, and then make the curved step. Or go with the suggestion of cadorman and just thinning out the headstock but leave the oart for the curved step, make the access hole directly horizontal and only then curve :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:
 
Pardejo said:
The access whole he ends up with its the kind I really don't like, looks like something went wrong and you ended up with a little pool xD

I am now thinking either route like this a tinny bit higher than what the headstock will end up beig, so with some light sanding I can fade it to come incorporated to the headstock, and then make the curved step. Or go with the suggestion of cadorman and just thinning out the headstock but leave the oart for the curved step, make the access hole directly horizontal and only then curve :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:
Click to expand...
I think Cadors idea is a good one.
 
With that style truss rod coming out of the end of the neck by the tuners, you'll unfortunately end up with a really intricate way of setting it up. Leo Fender looked to Henry Ford for fast high production methods. You'll need to set up on a drill press an angle iron that you can mount the neck on. Then, you'll need a flat bottom, center cutting end mill with a long extension that will work along the headstock without messing it up.

I can't think of a better way of doing it, other than similar to a Gibson. Which is much easier, because you can get a counterbore with a 3/16" pilot hole, and use the truss rod once it's mounted as a guide.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so this is what I mean with each.

Angle Iron with end mill. Yeah, it's a sump for a racing motorcycle, but pretend it's a guitar neck.

img110.jpg


Then, Gibson style. Using the truss rod as a guide and using a counter bore.


IMG_2014.JPG



I hope you understand what I'm getting at. There may be other ways of getting to where you want to go, but these are what I am most familiar with.
 
SG John said:
With that style truss rod coming out of the end of the neck by the tuners, you'll unfortunately end up with a really intricate way of setting it up. Leo Fender looked to Henry Ford for fast high production methods. You'll need to set up on a drill press an angle iron that you can mount the neck on. Then, you'll need a flat bottom, center cutting end mill with a long extension that will work along the headstock without messing it up.

I can't think of a better way of doing it, other than similar to a Gibson. Which is much easier, because you can get a counterbore with a 3/16" pilot hole, and use the truss rod once it's mounted as a guide.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so this is what I mean with each.

Angle Iron with end mill. Yeah, it's a sump for a racing motorcycle, but pretend it's a guitar neck.

View attachment 59743


Then, Gibson style. Using the truss rod as a guide and using a counter bore.


View attachment 59744



I hope you understand what I'm getting at. There may be other ways of getting to where you want to go, but these are what I am most familiar with.
Click to expand...

Yes, I think I do :unsure:

Indeed the gibson style sounds easier. Goes in line with the Cadorman suggestion applied to a fender headstock. Will try a practice run this weekend and see if it works
 
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