G&L tech resources: Necks & truss rods

 
 

As explained by G&L’s own Dave McLaren in this post on the Guitars by Leo website, the non-compression truss rod neck consist of a rod with a threaded end on one side and an anchor on the other end. On top of that rod, and welded to it on the anchor side, is a flat piece running its length. On the threaded end, the flat piece is welded to a sleeve around the rod. When you tighten the truss rod nut, i.e. turn it clockwise (righty tight-y, lefty loose-y), the sleeve moves inwards causing the flat part to push upwards against the fingerboard, hence reducing neck relieve. Turning the nut the other way has the opposite effect but, unlike the compression truss rod, this time it is the downward force of the rod, not the strings, creating relieve. Hence this design allows more control. G&L first introduced this type of truss rod on about half of all ASAT Trinity Special Edition guitars in mid-2006. The transition to a dual-action truss rod, with its welded nut, took place in mid-2013. But one would either have to test whether the nut comes off or resort to cutting the necks open to assess which guitars built around that transition point have the one or the other. So no other guitars are shown.

 

Non-compression truss rod