What is the difference between the "original vintage" truss rods and the "standard" truss rods Fender uses?

Also, 3 vs. 5 springs on a tremolo, pros and cons?

Last thing, 2 point vs 6 point tremolo, pros and cons?

I'm no truss rod expert, but I used a strange spring configuration in my Strat. I had 4 springs. I did 2 from the left wall and then one hooked diagonally to the next slot on the claw and one next to the wall on the right side. This was looking at the guitar from the bottom.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Fender uses at least 3 types of truss rods. The original vintage design has the anchor at the headstock (actually between the nut and first fret) and the adjuster at the heel. Mexican Standards, Mexican Deluxes, '70s Bullet truss rods are pretty much the vintage rod turned around -- the anchor is at the heel and the adjuster at the head. Both are single-action rods -- they can pull the neck straight, but if you need more relief you loosen the rod and it's the string tension that pulls more curve into the neck. If you want more relief than the strings can provide, you have to use heavier strings to pull more curve into the neck (that's a really rare issue though).

The American Standards & Deluxes use a "Bi-flex" dual action rod. Headstock adjust, but the adjuster is trapped behind a walnut cylinder. When you unscrew the adjuster far enough it hits the back of the cylinder and forces the neck to bend up instead of down. No matter how stiff the neck is or how light your strings are, you can force more relief into the neck if you ever need it. (There's also a sleeved anchor under the 7th fret inlay -- if you pull out the inlay you can see the screw that holds the anchor in place -- it keeps the truss rod from popping the skunk stripe loose when forcing more relief into the neck.)

The Bi-flex is the "premium" rod, but its only advantage is its ability to solve a problem that's rarely encountered. And it requires major surgery to replace a stripped adjuster (a bit less uncommon than insufficient neck relief). I'm not a big fan but it's a well-proven design -- they introduced it in '86 and if you don't strip the adjuster socket it's fine. (Always use a tight fitting wrench.)

All of Fender's rods are curved just like the Bi-flex in this illustration (as are Gibson and Guild truss rods, unlike many guitars with single action straight rods):

Note that the "Microtilt adjuster plate" on the Bi-flex necks is actually the bottom of the truss rod anchor.

There are several other types of rods used by other manufacturers. Warmoth offers a double-rod option that's completely different than Fender's Bi-flex. Rickenbacker uses a dual-rod system that's basically two separate rods side-by-side. Many manufacturers use a simple straight rod (while adjusting you can feel the difference between a Gibson curved rod and an Epi straight rod -- the curved rods require a lot less tension for the same amount of neck deflection).

Hello strayedstrater: I have seen many Fender plans but never that one before. Do you happen to have a link to a bigger copy, please? I'd be fascinated to add some of those measurements to the data bank...

Cheers - C

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I would love to have a full size print for my workshop wall do you have a file that large?

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If you do a Google image search for "strat neck blueprint" it comes up in a bunch of different sizes. Here's a link to a really big one (I won't embed the pic on this page in deference to those of us who aren't using a broadband connection -- it takes a while to load on dial-up):

http://buildguitar.hostoi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/StratNeckBlueprint.jpg

Cool!! Thanks for posting!!

Thank you Strayedstrater VERY helpful.