KSD Trussrod help?

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I stripped out the inside of the trussrod nut (Alan) on my KSD Proto J 5 bass.
Fortunately it is not much too loose and I can play it the way it is, but I'd love to replace the nut to be able to make future adjustments.I called Bass Specialties where I bought the bass and they pretty much told me I was SOL.They haven't been able to get anything from KSD in 10 months.Parts are not available and Brooklyn Gear who imports the bass does not answer the phones.
So I'm wondering if anyone here has worked on a KSD Truss rod before.I can't tell if the nut would just come off.And if it did I still would not know if I could get a replacement from another source.So I'm afraid to loosen it only to find out I cant get it back up to tension again.Is there anything I can do short of taking the fingerboard off and replacing the truss rod?
I was thinking to maybe use some epoxy putty to stick into the hole and then insert the alan wrench until the putty cures.
That might be a long shot.
I called Warmoth to see if they had any necks for that bass but they don't.

[joeyl]

if you know anybody who could hook you up with this:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Sp...escue_Kit.html

[gimmeagig]

I see,that is a very nice tool.To save myself some money I'm going to check if any luthiers around here have it.The KSD is not a really expensive bass so I'm not sure how much more I want to spend on it.It is set up OK right now, I just hope I'll never have to tghten the nut.But when The time comes,that tool really does seem to be able to do the job.
Thanks.

[202dy]

The tool above is used for gaining more room inside the truss rod channel when the rod has been broken below the nut. It will not remedy the problem.

Truss rod nuts are usually made of a softer metal than the steel rod with brass as the number one choice. That is why the inside of the nut stripped instead of the rod. This is a good thing. Replacing a nut is fairly cheap. The price for replacing a rod is a heart attack.

What to do? Get in there with a pair of needle nose vice grips or pliers. Twist. Pull. Be careful to stay away from the threads on the rod. None of that works? Arm yourself with a cutting tool. A needle file can be employed to cut through the side of the brass nut. N.B. Be careful not to injure the threads on the rod. Cut through the nut parallel to the rod. Stop before you see the threads. Or if you are experienced with tools, just as you see the threads appear. Use the pliers and twist some more. It will come off. Clean up the threads with a small brush.

There are only a few choices for the nut. If there is enough room to wiggle a pitch gauge in the hole do so. If not, get a small assortment of nuts from Stew-Mac. Or take the instrument to a well stocked hardware store or machine shop supply house and try a few. Most likely US will be 10-24. If it is an import it will likely be metric. A few tries will find the right size.

If all of this is too much trouble take it to a pro. They will be happy to help and it is not (usually) a very expensive repair.

[gimmeagig]

Yes, I think taking it to a pro is going to be what I will do.
Right now the KSD bass is set up well, but if that ever changes over time I'll have to get it fixed.It is a very nice bass and I want to keep it, even though my new bass, an Atelier Z 5 just arrived today.I just got done setting it up and it plays and sounds great and I can't put it down!!!