MIJ Jazz - Do you have to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod?

[Hawkeye]

I came across a really nice Arctic White MIJ Jazz with red tort pickguard and a 1992 serial no. I noticed that the truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck with a cross-shaped flat screw instead of an allen key like my 2001 MIA Precision.

There is no provision for adjusting it through an access cut-out in the body / pickguard at the neck heel like the Precision either. The shop manager said that the neck needs to be taken off to adjust the truss rod. Is this true? It seems like a lot of work for something that has to be done at least twice a year and every time you change string gauges.

Has anyone had an access hole routed into the pickguard and the body so that truss rod adjustment can be done with the neck on the guitar as opposed to off.

I really like that bass but I'm a little put off with the need to do a disassembly every time the truss rod needs an adjustment.

Any thoughts?

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Maybe the hole is there, have you tried taking off the pickguard?

( only thing i could think off)

I wouldnt imagin it being that expensive to get a hole routed

[Hawkeye]

That's an interesting idea. Good idea.