Neck

The long part of the instrument between the body and the headstock, carrying the fingerboard and, through the truss rod, providing the only adjustment for the strings' straightness.

Its construction, profile and wood all shape how the instrument plays and how it behaves in changing weather. A stiff neck with a working truss rod can be kept straight in almost any climate, while one made from a poorly cut blank may twist or bow permanently. The neck joint decides access to the upper frets and contributes to sustain, and the scale length is measured along it.

Example: a neck that has bowed forward over the winter can usually be brought back with a quarter turn of the truss rod nut.

Neck

See also