Is there something wrong with this picture?

[rickfan60]

John says that if the rods are tightened without setting the neck some of the force can be directed upward toward the block causing the deflection. I did not see that before he explained it but it makes sense now. The steel is soft for a reason. The rods are supposed to break before the neck does.

[ilan]

I'm learning so much from this thread. You guys are the greatest.

I've contacted GIN Engineers and they will try to help me.

[rictified]

When the block tips all the force is directed upward because the rods also go upward right under the nut, with a hard rod end that doesn't happen the force stays disributed along the entire neck length. If the steel was not soft at the ends I think there would have been many less popped fretboards. The neck must have the pressure relieved of course when tightening the truss rods. I believe the fundamental flaw in the old system was in the softness of the threaded rod ends which bent under pressure and allowed the aluminum block to tip forward allowing the truss rod ends to push up on the neck right under the nut which in turn popped the fretboard. My 78 4001 has has Fender flats on it for extended periods of time since the ends were replaced with hardened steel and rethreaded with no ill effects. The block on my 79 4001 on the other hand with the old rods rethreaded has repeatedly tipped forward again and has to have very light gauge strings on it. This is just my opinion of course.