Today in Mandolin History - February 27, 1923, Thaddeus J. McHugh

February 27, 1923, Thaddeus J. McHugh of Gibson awarded U.S. Patent #1446758 for improvements in necks.

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Very interesting!

The patent claims show a secondary motivation for the truss rod neck in addition to the obvious one of adjustability.
Production Gibsons all had mahogany necks prior to this development.

Attachment 192344

Ted McHugh was a lifetime Gibson employee, a contemporary of both Orville Gibson and Lloyd Loar. And he was on a roll in 1921. In addition to patenting the adjustable truss rod, he patented (with Gibson founding partner Lewis Williams) the height-adjustable bridge. A century later, both designs are still the industry standard.

I liked the part where Gibson could now use “wood which has not been heretofore considered satisfactory..............and further, great care in selecting stock is not necessary”.