Quote:
Originally Posted by BassAgent  I have a problem. I own a 7-year old Yamaha BB N5II, which has always worked fine (in it's 7 years of existence, no reparations whatsoever). Until today.
About 2 years ago I got a message from my local music store, which had my bass in store for a setup. They said: the truss rod is broken. We cannot adjust it looser than it is, because it will come loose. I said: make it as loose as possible, and it'll probably be fine. And it was. I gave it a setup of my own a few months ago, and it was the fastest playing bass in my collection (though it's the cheapest).
Today I grabbed it and started playing: fretbuzz all over the place. I checked the neck, and it was simply straight. Not slightly bowed, but straight. I thought: tighten the trussrod, it might help (and it was the only way it would go). No way, Jose. It got even worse.
Has the neck or trussrod deceased? Do I need a new neck? Or can it still be saved? |
The folks at the music store who told you the truss rod is broken might not have it right. IIRC, the truss rod in that model is not a double acting truss rod. The fact that the buzzing got worse when you tightened the truss rod is proof that the truss rod is functioning just fine.
Truss rods are used to set relief. The fact that they can and do change the string height is incidental to the purpose of the rod. Some necks can be dead straight and still play well. And while it would be nice if the neck would pull into a front bow (normal relief) it might not be necessary.
Let's see if it's a problem or not. Measure the relief and the string heights at the twelfth and last fret on the bass and treble sides of the guitar. Post that information here and someone will be able to tell you more about your truss rod function and set up. If you do not know how to do this, refer to the set up sticky at the top of the forum. Follow the link to the Mr. Gearhead (Fender) site. You will find the instructions there.
