Glossary (page 3)
TRUSS ROD:
sometimes made of hardwood or
graphite, but more commonly of steel, this dowel-like
rod is fitted lengthwise into a neck to counteract the
pull caused by string tension; the Gibson company
introduced the "adjustable" truss rod in the
1920s.
TRUSS ROD COVER:
a small piece of wood or other
material used to cover the opening where one gains
access to the truss rod for the purpose of making
adjustments (on a Taylor, the truss rod cover is located
just above the nut).
TRUSS ROD WRENCH: a tool used to adjust the truss rod in a guitar neck;
wrenches are included in the cases of all our guitars, and also are
available from our Customer Service Department.
TUNERS:
refers to the pegs, attached to the
headstock, that are used to wind, tighten, and/or loosen
strings; also, "tuning heads," "tuning
pegs," "friction pegs," "machine
heads".
TUSQ:
a synthetic simulation of
"bone" or "ivory" used on all Taylor
nuts and saddles; Taylor started using Tusq on all but
the 400 models in September, 1993, and switched to Tusq
on the 400s in January, 1995; previously, our nuts and
saddles were made of "micarta," which is a
fancy name for an ivory-colored synthetic material
called "phenolic".
12-FRET/14-FRET NECK:
refers not to the number of frets
on a fingerboard, but to the fret at which the neck
joins the body.
VARIABLE-TOLERANCE PARTS: "tolerance" refers to the amount of permissible
deviation from factory-specified structural dimensions; a manufacturer who
allows flexibility regarding variation from a standard makes
"variable-tolerance" parts; Taylor mills parts to precise, consistent
dimensions, and does not use "variable-tolerance" parts.
VENEER: one or more very thin sheets of wood that literally are sliced from
a log and used to cover other materials (commonly plywood) to create the
illusion of "solid" wood; Taylor uses veneers only on the Baby Taylors * our
full-size guitars and basses are all solid-wood.
VENETIAN: [see "cutaway"]
VOLATILE: evaporating readily at normal
temperatures and pressures [see
lacquer].
WAIST:
the inward-curving middle of a
guitar.
X-BRACING: Martin originally invented "X" bracing, so-named because the main
brace forms an "X" shape across the inside surface of the guitar; it served
as a significant line of demarcation between the traditional, fan-braced
classical guitar and the modern steel-string guitar.
ZIP KICKER: an accelerator for cyanoacrylate, or "super glue" adhesives,
which can be applied either before or after the glue; we use zip kicker when
we glue together certain parts of the guitar.
The information contained in
this glossary was gleaned from a variety of sources,
including Bob Taylor, Steve Klein, Terry Myers, and John
D'Agostino. Among the published reference books
consulted were The Acoustic Guitar Guide, by Larry
Sandberg; The Guitar Handbook, by Ralph Denyer; and The
Ultimate Guitar Book, by Tony
Bacon.
