Take a closer look at the headstock of any Allparts neck with a maple fretboard, finished or unfinished, and you’ll notice what appears to be a small recess for truss rod access.
But most Allparts necks are adjusted at the heel, I hear you say — and you’d be correct.
What you’re actually seeing is a small walnut plug used to fill the access hole created during the truss rod installation.
On a neck with a separate rosewood fretboard, the truss rod is typically installed from the top before the fretboard is glued on. But a one-piece maple or rosewood neck has no separate fretboard, so the truss rod must be installed differently.
Access points are drilled at either end of the neck, and a channel is routed along the back of the neck. The truss rod is inserted, then the rear channel is covered with a walnut “skunk stripe,” while the headstock access hole is filled with a matching walnut plug.
