Looking for very specific Truss Rod Nut - 2010 Epiphone Thunderbird Pro

[trekster0721]

Hi all:

Need any insight to be had. Got my T-Bird used, and discovered a wrecked truss rod nut. Not even a StewMac Gripper would budge this Alabama Tick! Finally got it out with a screw extractor and fervent prayer to the Bass Gods.

Now to find a replacement. So far, I'm not having a lot of luck, hence why I'm posting. I've scoured eBay, Reverb, and done multiple Google searches. Also reached out to Gibson/Epiphone - no response so far, but I did this on a late Thursday and typing this on Sunday, so it's a good bet that not enough time has lapsed to be annoyed.

Here's the spec - the original uses a 4mm hex to operate, I *think* it's a 10-32 thread (going to HD tomorrow to see their thread tester). The hangup is the barrel diameter - I had a couple nuts that met the other specs but are too large. Although the nut can fit the channel, it seems that there is a metal sleeve near the end that won't allow a larger diameter than original nut. The original I micrometered at 7mm.

Any suggestions where to source a replacement?

--J

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Hi all:

Need any insight to be had. Got my T-Bird used, and discovered a wrecked truss rod nut. Not even a StewMac Gripper would budge this Alabama Tick! Finally got it out with a screw extractor and fervent prayer to the Bass Gods.

Now to find a replacement. So far, I'm not having a lot of luck, hence why I'm posting. I've scoured eBay, Reverb, and done multiple Google searches. Also reached out to Gibson/Epiphone - no response so far, but I did this on a late Thursday and typing this on Sunday, so it's a good bet that not enough time has lapsed to be annoyed.

Here's the spec - the original uses a 4mm hex to operate, I *think* it's a 10-32 thread (going to HD tomorrow to see their thread tester). The hangup is the barrel diameter - I had a couple nuts that met the other specs but are too large. Although the nut can fit the channel, it seems that there is a metal sleeve near the end that won't allow a larger diameter than original nut. The original I micrometered at 7mm.

Any suggestions where to source a replacement?

--J

If the nut used a 4mm hex key, and is 7mm OD, then it's probably a metric thread 5mm x 0.8. That's just a tiny bit larger and coarser thread than a 10-32. A 10-32 bolt may start to thread in, but will jam up within a few turns.

That's a common size nut for metric truss rods. That's what you should be looking for.

 

[trekster0721]

Addendum -- Gibson wrote back, states that the year and make has a dual action, welded nut that cannot be removed. Funny, mine came off with threading and no shearing.... I sent back several photos with a very polite "please verify".

--J

 

[Flying B]

You should ask in the thunderbird club, those guys know their stuff.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Addendum -- Gibson wrote back, states that the year and make has a dual action, welded nut that cannot be removed. Funny, mine came off with threading and no shearing.... I sent back several photos with a very polite "please verify".

--J

Hmm....Does the back end of the nut have welding on it? If so, then they may be right. The truss rod may be a double acting design where the nut is threaded onto the upper rod and welded. And your effort with the screw extractor broke the weld and un-threaded it.

 

[trekster0721]

As far as I can tell, no.

Hmm....Does the back end of the nut have welding on it? If so, then they may be right. The truss rod may be a double acting design where the nut is threaded onto the upper rod and welded. And your effort with the screw extractor broke the weld and un-threaded it.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

View attachment 7161620
As far as I can tell, no.

Well, okay, that nut doesn't appear to have been welded. Something's not adding up here.

When you were loosening it with force, with the screw extractor, did it move back and forth at all, before it suddenly snapped loose?

If you look down into the access hole in the neck, does the end of the rod look okay? Not sheared off, no weld debris, about 3/8" of clean threads exposed?

 

[mgburke17]

If the nut used a 4mm hex key, and is 7mm OD, then it's probably a metric thread 5mm x 0.8. That's just a tiny bit larger and coarser thread than a 10-32. A 10-32 bolt may start to thread in, but will jam up within a few turns.

That's a common size nut for metric truss rods. That's what you should be looking for.

Hi thanks for writing this up. Fighting a similar problem on a Thunderbird pro 5 string. If you found av replacement nut, let me know where you found it. I will add pics of my problem.