Just opened my truss rod cover for the first time...

[oniman7]

And I was horrified. I've had this bass since July (I have no clue how old it is, how the former owner treated it, etc. For all I know, it could have had the same strings/set up since it came out of the factory) and finally I got tired of it playing really bad above the twelfth fret. I hadn't been able to adjust the truss rod because I couldn't turn the screws to get the cover off. So, tonight, I figured I'd pry it off and adjust the truss rod.

I open it up and find some horrible, chalky white residue crusted all over the inside of the channel. It sort of reminds me of the battery acid that leaks and dries up if you leave batteries in something for too long. I figured it was cosmetic, and I'd clean it out later. But then I stick the allen wrench in the truss rod, and I can't turn it. At all. I'm weak, but I should be able to manage at least a small turn. This thing won't budge. I'm thinking maybe it's rusted or something. What should I do? I was thinking of having it professionally set up anyways, but I don't know if they'd be able to fix this. Is there any safe way to remove the gunk? Attached is a picture. Sorry for the low quality. It was taken from my cell phone.

 

[oyobass]

That white gunk is most likely just polishing compound residue. You can find it in neck pockets and pick up cavities as well, and not always on low end basses.

 

[oniman7]

Is it causing the problem? What do I do to make it go away?

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Like oyobass said, it's just polishing compound residue.

Polishing compounds generally aren't oxidizing in nature, obviously, so that's most probably aren't the reason for the seized TR nut.

The long years of non-use are.

The best course of action is to have a pro handle it, if something breaks, the bill is not out of Your pocket unless you make a stupid deal with the tech.

Regards
Sam

 

[Staccato]

Q-tips, and more Q-tips. Keep oil, or lubricants away from the truss rod.

 

[Johnny Crab]

What they said AND:

When you, "I'm weak", try to turn the truss rod...are the strings still up to full tension AND do you put any sort of reverse push on the neck so the truss rod is not the thing moving the wood but is only the thing that keeps it held?

Just questions.
I've seen destroyed truss rods because someone tried to tighten(over-tighten) the rod without loosening the strings(full string tension) and without applying any pressure to backbow the neck(totally relieve string tension).

 

[Dave Kerr]

You could also try loosening the nut 1/8 turn, just to break whatever resistance is causing the nut to bind on you, then tighten using the suggestions above.

 

[JTE]

A. The gunk in there is typical rubbing compound from the final factory polish. It's kinda abrasive, but not fatal. It's real common on a LOT of "good" instruments.

B. On any instrument where you've never touched the truss rod before, always back it off before trying to tighten it. Make sure it move smoothly. You CAN put a bit of lube in there, as long as you're careful to make sure it doesn't touch ANYTHING except the threads. Don't let it get near the wood nor the finish. What I do with any instrument I get used, before I'm sure I'm keeping it, I take the TR nut all the way off, clean the threads and set up the bass myself.

C. NEVER tighten a truss rod by torquing the nut down. Pre-bend the neck, and snug the TR nut up. That prevents jamming or stripping the threads, and it prevents compressing the wood at the nut. It's kind of an awkward thing to describe, but for a bass that adjusts at the headstock, I'll trap the body between my knees, pull the neck back with my left hand and use my right hand to tighten the nut.

John

 

[lethargytartare]

B. On any instrument where you've never touched the truss rod before, always back it off before trying to tighten it. Make sure it move smoothly. You CAN put a bit of lube in there, as long as you're careful to make sure it doesn't touch ANYTHING except the threads. Don't let it get near the wood nor the finish. What I do with any instrument I get used, before I'm sure I'm keeping it, I take the TR nut all the way off, clean the threads and set up the bass myself.

+1 on all of the above...

So, #1 get a pro to look at it and give you an estimate. If he can do the work at the normal rate for a setup, that's your best bet. If he adds $50 to the quote...well...

Like folks have said, only work on loosening it for now. If you decide you have to do it yourself, and if the nut's not loosening with reasonable pressure, you can saturate a q-tip with wd40 or rust eater, and try to get it down around the end of the nut. Let it sit for a while (so the oil can work its way in) and try again. Don't get any of that stuff on your finish. Failing that, you can also spray some in there (with the small red nozzle/hose you get with wd40)...potentially very messy, and again, cover the instrument. But sometimes that's the only way to get anything in there to free up the nut.

 

[BoulderBassist]

I agree with all who have recommended a good pro set up Luthier. Not only will your problem be solved you might also end up with a great playing bass your hands barely recognize! There is really nothing like a great set up from a true Pro!

 

[JLS]

I have to be blunt: If you can't turn the screws to get the trussrod cover off, and instead elected to pry it off, I would suggest that you stop right now, and entrust this to someone who is qualified to do the work.

 

[Ewo]

Ditto, to all the posts that advise caution!

One more suggestion, my .02 to add:

Don't fool with the trussrod until you read the material in the repair section of the BG forum about neck relief. If you take the time to get a clear understanding of what the trussrod does and how it does it, you'll see why others have given the advice above.

It is way easy to screw a neck up, just thrashing around.

 

[oniman7]

I've decided to just take it in sometime to get it properly set up. I was planning on doing this around Christmas anyways. Would it be good to trust my local Guitar Center's Techs?

Also, is there anything specific I need to ask for? I want relatively low action so I can play Touchstyle, need some fret buzz eliminated, and some fretted notes high up produce weird noises. Do I need to tell the tech things like these, or is it standard to have these things fixed?

 

[hdracer]

Guitar Center does not have luthiers. I would not even trust their so called "tech's" Take it to a real shop and have someone that know what they are doing look at it. Yes, explain the problems that you are having.

 

[oniman7]

I don't know what shops are around me. My Guitar Center's about an hour out from me. Apart from that I have a second hand guitar shop (who does repairs) and a ton of music/pawn shops.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I've decided to just take it in sometime to get it properly set up. I was planning on doing this around Christmas anyways. Would it be good to trust my local Guitar Center's Techs?

Also, is there anything specific I need to ask for? I want relatively low action so I can play Touchstyle, need some fret buzz eliminated, and some fretted notes high up produce weird noises. Do I need to tell the tech things like these, or is it standard to have these things fixed?

Any time You want a spesific setup to be done (=always IMHO), you have to tell the tech exactly how you want it. The basic setup isn't for everyone, but it's a start.

What I'd do, is to have the tech replace the TR nut, and do a full setup as close as possible to Your specifications. It's way easier to learn by tweaking a good setup, than to start from zero.

Regards
Sam