Stuck truss rod?
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- NippleWrestler
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- meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
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Stuck truss rod?
Sup guys.
I have a tele here with the god forsaken heel adjust truss rod.
It's stuck. I feel I'm either going to strip the thread or break something by forcing this any more than I already have. The neck is like a ski ramp, probably through storage with high tension, heat, humidity in any amounts. Action was around 5mm, relief was around 2mm, with bottomed out saddles.
What I've done to at least make it somewhat playable is cut up some veneer as a neck shim, 2 pieces did something but I still can't adjust the rod.
Any ideas? I've read things about taking off the nut, adding a washer, then reattaching the nut to give it more room to do it's thing but never seen it in person. I'd rather not pay stewmac $14,000 for whatever tool they have for this specific purpose.
All helpful ideas gratefully received.
I have a tele here with the god forsaken heel adjust truss rod.
It's stuck. I feel I'm either going to strip the thread or break something by forcing this any more than I already have. The neck is like a ski ramp, probably through storage with high tension, heat, humidity in any amounts. Action was around 5mm, relief was around 2mm, with bottomed out saddles.
What I've done to at least make it somewhat playable is cut up some veneer as a neck shim, 2 pieces did something but I still can't adjust the rod.
Any ideas? I've read things about taking off the nut, adding a washer, then reattaching the nut to give it more room to do it's thing but never seen it in person. I'd rather not pay stewmac $14,000 for whatever tool they have for this specific purpose.
All helpful ideas gratefully received.
- robthemac
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- NippleWrestler
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
Well, detuned so they're slack yes but not taken off. There's locking tuners on there so they slack right off, unscrew the neck and try the truss rod. It don't like to move.
- MikeC
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
Is the trussrod nut stuck in both directions? Maybe it is at the end of the thread for tightening.
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- Lyle
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
Could you put some oil in the end to loosen things up? With the heel truss rods I'm not sure if it would actually get through to the threads depending on the design.
- jeremyb
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
Maybe take then neck off again, put a screwdriver into it and give it a tap with a mallet, see if you can get any movement in either direction?
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.
- werdna
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
I've watched all the youtube videos on the topic, some more than once. I suggest you do that.
If it was mine, I'd do the following.
Step 1. Assumption: you've tried to loosen the truss rod first, and it won't move.
Remove neck.
Clamp it down so that you straighten it. Leave access to the nut.
Now try loosening the nut. If it loosens, slacken it off.
Step 2. Assumption: the truss rod loosens.
Remove neck.
Remove nut.
Clamp down neck until it is bowed in the opposite direction. Run a straight edge on the top and force it so that you have 5mm of bow at the 7th fret.
Leave it for a couple of days clamped. If you have a heat blanket, give the neck bursts of heat.
After two days, unclamp the neck and run a straight edge. It should be nearly normal.
Slip two washers onto the rod, then put on the nut.
If the neck still has a mild ski jump, clamp it down again until it's a tiny bit bowed then tighten up the nut until it's pretty firm. If it's flat, do the same thing without clamping it down.
If the neck now has a bow, clamp it down flat, apply heat blankets and wait a couple of days, then once it's flat tighten it up.
If it was mine, I'd do the following.
Step 1. Assumption: you've tried to loosen the truss rod first, and it won't move.
Remove neck.
Clamp it down so that you straighten it. Leave access to the nut.
Now try loosening the nut. If it loosens, slacken it off.
Step 2. Assumption: the truss rod loosens.
Remove neck.
Remove nut.
Clamp down neck until it is bowed in the opposite direction. Run a straight edge on the top and force it so that you have 5mm of bow at the 7th fret.
Leave it for a couple of days clamped. If you have a heat blanket, give the neck bursts of heat.
After two days, unclamp the neck and run a straight edge. It should be nearly normal.
Slip two washers onto the rod, then put on the nut.
If the neck still has a mild ski jump, clamp it down again until it's a tiny bit bowed then tighten up the nut until it's pretty firm. If it's flat, do the same thing without clamping it down.
If the neck now has a bow, clamp it down flat, apply heat blankets and wait a couple of days, then once it's flat tighten it up.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.
- Jay
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
1 - loosen the nut, take it off, inspect the thread and determine thread length
2 - put nut back on and determine how much thread you think /calculated you have left once nut is tightened but not over tightened
3 - if your calculation shows you have thread left then 'force ' neck straight by other means, then tighten nut without major force.
Other means could be mechanical, heat or a combo of them...
If no thread left, you need to use other means and a spacer
No need for stewmac tools
Edit - werdna beat me to it
2 - put nut back on and determine how much thread you think /calculated you have left once nut is tightened but not over tightened
3 - if your calculation shows you have thread left then 'force ' neck straight by other means, then tighten nut without major force.
Other means could be mechanical, heat or a combo of them...
If no thread left, you need to use other means and a spacer
No need for stewmac tools
Edit - werdna beat me to it
When faced with quality, I recognise it every time.
- olegmcnoleg
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
All great advice, and the washer trick really does work—if you can get the nut off.
- jeremyb
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
I find when I'm washing mine furiously its easy to get a nut off.olegmcnoleg wrote: ↑Thu Nov 17, 2022 5:52 pm All great advice, and the washer trick really does work—if you can get the nut off.
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.
- olegmcnoleg
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
Well, mine's at knee level but who's boasting
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- jeremyb
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Re: Stuck truss rod?
Thats what she said!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.