The ShadowMusic Web Community

This is a fairly interesting video. It's something that has been discussed here; particularly in reference to the Strat that I am pretending to play in my profile pic and the fact that the truss rod adjuster is in the headstock, which some people here considered an act of vandalism on the part of the maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssZf5vZ3-qc

Hi Chris,

I have this type of arrangement on my American Elite Strat, but it’s slightly different in that the adjuster is located wholly in the maple neck. The interesting thing is that the neck is longer and has an additional fret, which means it's located in the same position as the one in the video.

https://shop.fender.com/en-GB/elite-series?rl=en_US

To me this sort of makes sense as the supported area of the neck in the body is greater.

Regards

Gary

The only reason to fit the Elite series with that type of neck relieve adjusting wheel, was lowering the machine and fabrication time and material savings(a different type of trust-rod also).
They marketed it, as a upgrade de luxe gizmo and presto more money in pocket for less work and material, hurray for the stockholders.
This type of wheels was used in the 60's, 70's, 80's on lots of cheaper make guitars for a reason.
Blade was a brand who cover it with a lid and marketed it as upscale invention.
Of course it's easier to access, then the vintage type.
I prefer the type at the nut, with a Allen-key.
The marketing departments are managed by peeps who only goal is to have something new every year to keep sales up.
The guitar series with the rosewood board sunken in to the maple neck, was a sales disaster.
Sadly for them most guitar players wanting more or less the same along the years, if it works and ain't broke....
Hence the vintage line is milked to the max...that's why they published for the last 3 decades every "new" vintage series is much more closer like the original vintage.
Gibson is the same....they didn't recreate a 100% accurate 58-59-60 Les Paul when they started with the vintage line decades ago.
Apart if they could, wanted or material was available or not...
People are paying faithfully for announced as "the best ever, more close as" and presto 5 years later the trick is done again, because now we have the plastic formula as the original.... etc

Cheers Rob

There is no increase in the supported area of the neck.

The location of the of the 16th fret in relation to the start of the neck heel where it meets the body is in the same position in both cases, the Elite neck has a an additional fret for the cutaway of the truss rod adjuster, positioning it closer to the neck pickup. That was my logic for the comment, the Elite does have what they describe as “The American Elite Series’ new cutaway neck heel blends into the compound profile neck’s redesigned asymmetrical volute for a comfortably enhanced playing feel”.

Well, there's practicality and there's aesthetics and they're often in conflict with each other...

A couple of things...

The solution shown in the video makes the Strat look like a Columbus copy, circa 1976 (and that isn't intended as a compliment).

It won't work for a neck with a 22nd fret extension (though they often have the headstock end recessed adjuster anyway).

The "bullet" truss rod adjuster used between about 1972 and 1982, was hideous. I had a new Strat (bought in 1975) with all those changes that CBS/Fender had made (there were plenty of other design changes incorporated) and I was never satisfied with it. Compared to a pre-CBS guitar it was just a copy. I sold it in 1978 and bought a Gretsch instead ( I already had a Marvin). I know that some players take a different view, but what I wanted (and still want today) is a guitar like the one Hank was using in (say) "The Young Ones" with no compromises. Just having the same name on it isn't enough. I now have two 1962 Vintage Reissue Stratocasters in FR and the rods never need adjustment anyway.

The modern idea of the recessed headstock-end adjuster is a nice compromise. I have a USA Telecaster with that arrangement. It works - on a maple-fretboard - because the recess is hardly bigger than the traditional walnut plug. But rosewood necks with this arrangement look all wrong.

Perhaps a small section of pickguard material covering the gap might make the guitar look less like a Columbus or Kimbara?

Hi Jim,

I'm with you 100% with the ecstatics of the strat "the bullet" brrr 3 point neck.
I can't even remember when I adjust two of my pre-cbs strat's.
The two others when they went from 14-62 to 13-56 and from 5 to 4 springs, just less then a quarter turn.
I can imagine if you fly around the world with your guitar(s) it can be needed to alter the trust-rod.
Or go a to a different gauge of strings...
I don't like to see a rosewood with a plug on the head stock or much worse a skunk stripe either.
Although I have some, because they only where build that way....

Cheers Rob