Hot Rod Truss Rod Questions

[Mr. Freddy]

I have decided to go with the hot rod as this will be my first neck with a truss rod (I have built a few selmer style necks with aluminum bar reinforcement) and wanted to start with a straight cavity. However, on the one piece neck I am a little confused as I don't know how far down to route the cavity in my blank. The instructions on the Stew Mac site measure from the bottom of the fingerboard. The blank is 1/32 shy of an inch (think I can get away with that as a one piece? I know the heel measurement is supposed to be an inch, figured I could route the neck pocket 1/32 shy). Also was concerned about accurate drilling for the end piece as it gives no real measurements.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks-Mark

[guitarbuilder]

Most people don't use a hotrod in a one piece neck because the skunk stripe could be pushed out by the rod pressure at the ends. I suppose you could do a maple fretboard on a maple neck ( 2 pc neck).. but your material isn't thick enough to do that.... I think you are stuck with a single rod or need to get a thicker piece of wood and resaw a fretboard off it if you want to use a hotrod. That's my opinion anyway.

As far as the adj. nut... you measure how far down from the fretboard gluing surface is to the center of the rod nut. Then drill into the end of the neck at that point equidistant to the sides of your heel. It's just a matter of measuring accurately.

[goldguitarguy]

That hot rod truss rod will pop a skunk stripe right out of a one piece neck,got to go two piece, but if you wanna try it just pretend the one piece neck has a fretboard and measure 1/4"or 3/16" for the fretboard allowance then work from there

[Mr. Freddy]

Shoot, was afraid that may be the answer. Guess I will plane the blank down and make a separate fingerboard. Just using stuff around the shop to test everything out before I start digging into the rosewood tele project any further.