Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The single action compression style truss rod on Brian May's Red Special was fashioned from 3/16" (4.76 mm) diameter steel round bar. At the tenon end, it was bent around on itself by hot forging on a gas stove and brazed closed to form a loop. This loop is anchored by a 5/16" (8 mm) captive bolt situated under the fretboard and which protrudes through the lower layer of the guitar body. The headstock end was threaded and a castellated cylindrical nut attached in case any relief correction was required. However, the neck is sufficiently thick that no such adjustment has ever been necessary.
In this video, I demonstrate using a 5 mm diameter brad point wood auger to drill the short section from the underside of the tenon through into the main channel routed out to accommodate the truss rod itself. All wood routing was previously done using my Stepcraft 2/840 CNC machine. This neck cutting was recently completed and the cut object remains attached in its surrounding frame. I took the opportunity to rout a rebate for the auger shaft to pass through.
Please check out my other YouTube videos and visit my website, dsgb.net for further information, pictures and videos illustrating my three year long project to make an authentic Brian May Red Special replica guitar. dsgb.net also contains information on other Brian May related guitars and guitar modification projects.
#BrianMay #RedSpecial #dsgb #DougShortGuitarBlog
The single action compression style truss rod on Brian May's Red Special was fashioned from 3/16" (4.76 mm) diameter steel round bar. At the tenon end, it was bent around on itself by hot forging on a gas stove and brazed closed to form a loop. This loop is anchored by a 5/16" (8 mm) captive bolt situated under the fretboard and which protrudes through the lower layer of the guitar body. The headstock end was threaded and a castellated cylindrical nut attached in case any relief correction was required. However, the neck is sufficiently thick that no such adjustment has ever been necessary.
In this video, I demonstrate using a 5 mm diameter brad point wood auger to drill the short section from the underside of the tenon through into the main channel routed out to accommodate the truss rod itself. All wood routing was previously done using my Stepcraft 2/840 CNC machine. This neck cutting was recently completed and the cut object remains attached in its surrounding frame. I took the opportunity to rout a rebate for the auger shaft to pass through.
Please check out my other YouTube videos and visit my website, dsgb.net for further information, pictures and videos illustrating my three year long project to make an authentic Brian May Red Special replica guitar. dsgb.net also contains information on other Brian May related guitars and guitar modification projects.
#BrianMay #RedSpecial #dsgb #DougShortGuitarBlog
