Truss rod help needed...

[SMG]

Truss rod help needed...

I am usually quite good with neck adjustments, but some help or suggestions are in need right now...

For a bit of background, I have a Warwick Thumb 5 Bolt On with a severely twisted neck. Yes, twisted. With the truss rod maxed out, the treble side is flat but the bass side has quite a bow, even more then the depth of the fingerboard itself. Figuring that the original neck is trash, and in attempt to make this bass playable, I purchased a used Warwick 5 string neck that I found on the www. It is with the second (purchased used) neck that I need some help.

While the neck has no twist (thank goodness!) the truss rod did seem to be maxed out. The rod was all the way through the nut, with only enough of the hex exposed to back the nut up. (I had to use a new hex tool as there wasn't enough "meat" on the Warwick tool to grab onto the nut.) Once the tool caught, I thought to myself, "OK, if I can back the nut all the way off, install a washer in there and put the nut back on, my problem is solved." I got the nut all the way off the rod, but there isn't a wide enough opening in the channel to get the nut out of the neck. Furthermore, I can't position the nut back at the right angle to get it to screw back onto the rod.

I know if all else fails, the first fret could be removed, two cuts made through the fretboard on either side of the truss rod so a slender channel of the fingerboard can be lifted out (to be glued back in later.) With this bit of the fingerboard removed, a washer could easily be placed on the truss rod and the nut put back in place prior to re-gluing the piece of the fingerboard back in place.

I wonder if anyone (1) has experience in doing this on a Warwick neck?, (2) knows of a simpler way to get this done?, or (3) has any better suggestions at accomplishing the same goal?

Thanks in advance...
Steve aka SMG