okok. i need help ..please

dooft11 · #1 05-26-2007, 12:39 AM

Dear all
my beloved vintage p bass got a truss rod problem
the adjusting screw is on the heel side, those vintage s strip type, which i think the truss rod anchor are somewhere underneath the first fret, which was slipped.. or broken.
This is a love an hate situation, i just invested so much on a fodera, and i kinda cant afford sending that to US and paying 300 to fix it. Ok. DIY. so if any one of the master out there can show this grasshopper a light. please. pic perfer!

thanks thanks thanks

dooft11 · #2 05-26-2007, 12:44 AM

any good way to start the surgery? i will sent this baby to a dentist friend for an xray first. if i can cut open the first fret, will that be possible for me to pull out the rod from the heel?

202dy · #3 05-26-2007, 04:54 AM

It would be very unusual for a vintage style Fender truss rod to become loose at the anchor end. Not unheard of but very rare. What is the reason that you believe this to be the diagnosis?

There have been some repairs performed by cutting through the fingerboard in the first fret area. There are several problems with this method. First and foremost, it is very difficult to hide the cosmetic damage caused by the surgery. On a J with block inlay it is a little easier. Secondly, if this is not the problem a lot of work has been generated to no avail.

Generally speaking the method is the same for truss rod replacement. The fingerboard is removed using heat. Underneath the fingerboard is a filet that covers the truss rod. It is removed with heat. The truss rod is visible now. The repair is performed and the process is reversed. At the end there is usually some fret work involved, from as little as a partial dress to as much as a plane and refret depending on the damage created in the original removal.

This is not a task for those whose luthiery/woodworking skills are not at the craftsman level. If that is not you, save yourself some time and ultimately some money, and wait until you can afford to send it to a pro.

GeoffByrne · #4 05-26-2007, 05:31 PM

Probably cheaper to get a neck from eBay.

G.

anesthetist · #5 05-26-2007, 06:55 PM

x-ray to a bass? i see lot's of x-rays everyday at my work but that's of hips, knees, and arms etc. have never seen an x-ray of a bass guitar. if you do x-ray please post pics of that x-ray!