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changing the truss rod nut, how to? tips?

#21
BillyRay said:
What I did was to take the largest hex key available, I rammed that into the hole using a mallet and then muscled it out of there. It was a very bad idea altough it worked. Take it to a luthier or maybe even to a mechanic who is handy with frozen nuts. There's not a lot you can do yourself unless you're ready to trash the bass (I know I was).
Click to expand...

could you explain more
and if it will damage the bass in any way?
 
#24
could you explain more
and if it will damage the bass in any way?
Reply With Quote
Click to expand...

Since there was no way the hex key was getting out of there I could have:
a) Snapped the key it in two, leaving a piece of metal in the nut with no way to get it out.
b) Broken off the threaded part of the truss rod. The nut would've came off alright, but the truss rod would have been trashed.

Go to a luthier if the bass is not playable at all. There are some options for a bowed neck that can't be adjusted, but I don't think any of them are cheap.
 
#25
But if you really want to try it out, I took an oversized tool and stuck that in the adjusting nut after 10 minutes of carefuly hitting with a rubber mallet. The neck has to be removed in order to do so. Be aware that this trashes the nut and maybe the tool if you cannot get the nut off (pun intended).

Then, I clamped the bass on my workshop table. I used cloth around the jaws in order to scrape or bend anything. I slid a long piece of metal piping I had around in order to have more lever and then proceeded to go to work. The nut finally gave. I'll also repeat that it is a bad idea to do this since the nut is designed to strip before the "danger" point where truss rod damage can occur. When you stick that hex key for good in there, it effictively negates this aspect of the design making the threaded end vulnerable.

If the luthier didn't use the correct sized nut for the threads, it's entirely possible that this thing is cross threaded or that the the threads are stuck togheter. Using the wrong lubricant can also make a nut freeze up over time, altough this bass is pretty new.

Could you post pictures ? Is the adjusting nut at the heel or headstock ? Not familiar with these basses. If it's at the headstock, my "method" might not even work.
 
#26
its at the headstock
i am selling this bass, since i think the rod itself is really damaged
but any solution other than taking it to a pro would be great.
if have the chance to take it to a pro i would do it, but i dont think i will be able to
 
#32
GlennW said:
This is a different guy, right? Good luck.
Click to expand...

is the same guy. but i am desperate and besides he really knows his stuff and maybe he accepts that he made some kind of mistake when installing that truss rod nut.
anyways i dont really trust this guy since he told me that lots of relief(2mm) were the standard for p basses but there must be a reason for me to tell me this and i must know
 
#34
therex said:
is the same guy. but i am desperate and besides he really knows his stuff and maybe he accepts that he made some kind of mistake when installing that truss rod nut.
anyways i dont really trust this guy since he told me that lots of relief(2mm) were the standard for p basses but there must be a reason for me to tell me this and i must know
Click to expand...

Sorry man, but you deserve it if he screws it up again.
 
#35
Here's a question I didn't see answered. It seems my truss isn't staying tight, so I'm guessing the nut is slipping. Also, when it turns it isn't that smooth, so I wonder if it's bottoming out. When replacing the nut is there anything I should keep in mind as far as maybe slightly greasing the threads, etc?
 

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