sign of truss rod broken?

[rob_thebassman]

I was just tweaking my bass collection p bass and I noticed that when I try to loosen the truss rod it moves very easily and don't bow the neck :S yet when I turn clockwise I feel resistance.

I cannot imagine this been a good sign at all! What do you I do?

 

[The Bass Clef]

If you loosen it first (and it feels easy and free), when you start to tighten it, does it have resistance immediately, or do you have to turn it some and then you feel the resistance?

 

[96tbird]

Sounds right to me. There should be less resistance when you loosen. It also seems like the wood isn't moving. You may have a very stiff neck loosen it and wait a day to see if strings pull a bow into it. But if it plays well as is nudge it tight and play on.

 

[rob_thebassman]

If you loosen it first (and it feels easy and free), when you start to tighten it, does it have resistance immediately, or do you have to turn it some and then you feel the resistance?

I feel resistance turning clockwise

 

[96tbird]

Stiff neck. P bass baseball bat. Leave it loose so the string tension can act on it. I do have one bass like that. It just won't get much relief; the wood is just too hard. I just have a little bit higher action on it but I don't notice it when playing in a band. I only notice it when I'm sitting at home alone with it.

 

[MonetBass]

If it turns freely by hand in both directions, then it's broken. I just had this happen to my old (cheap) acoustic guitar.

 

[elBandito]

I never broke a truss rod on any of my basses, but my friend had an old aria pro with a busted truss rod. The neck felt super floppy, and had no resistance to string tension.

 

[96tbird]

I feel resistance turning clockwise

OP says it resists in tightening. Not broken.

.

 

[96tbird]

Double post deleted

 

[MovingPitchers]

I have the same problem...or had...I think...with my MIM P-Bass

Right now it feels fine; I removed the strings and turned the TR quite a bit until I felt like it was halfway between completely loose and completely tightened. The relief on the neck after adding on the strings looks about the same as my MIM Jazz

However, whenever I play the A and D strings from the 12th fret onwards, I get crazy fret buzz...my bridge saddles are raised very high to the point where the small screws are about to pop out. Still fret buzz.

 

[deeptubes]

Fret buzz in the upper frets is often a sign of too much bow.

 

[MovingPitchers]

Fret buzz in the upper frets is often a sign of too much bow.

My neck has more relief than normal...still fret buzzing

 

[deeptubes]

Jazz, have you tried slackening the strings, completely loosening the truss, and letting it sit overnight before re-tightening? That did the trick for one of my basses with similar symptoms. I've had another bass plek'd and that ran about $75. Need to get my T-40 done. It's got a groove under the D running from about frets 5 to 12. Have you given the frets a thorough once over? Also, what strings do you use? I noticed the ugly fretwear before I had my bass plek'd, after she'd had exclusively ss strings for a couple of years. That may be circumstantial, but the ss strings felt more textured and they're certainly harder then the nickel frets. Could be in my head, but been all nickel since just to be safe.

 

[MonetBass]

Remember: Only turn the truss a 1/4 turn at a time, and then give the neck time to adjust to the new tension.

 

[joeyl]

Remember: Only turn the truss a 1/4 turn at a time, and then give the neck time to adjust to the new tension.

Why is that? I always turn until it is to the desired relief, no point in waiting or going 1/4 turns between rests.
I think that was just invented to prevent people from being ham fisted.

 

[MovingPitchers]

Jazz, have you tried slackening the strings, completely loosening the truss, and letting it sit overnight before re-tightening? That did the trick for one of my basses with similar symptoms. I've had another bass plek'd and that ran about $75. Need to get my T-40 done. It's got a groove under the D running from about frets 5 to 12. Have you given the frets a thorough once over? Also, what strings do you use? I noticed the ugly fretwear before I had my bass plek'd, after she'd had exclusively ss strings for a couple of years. That may be circumstantial, but the ss strings felt more textured and they're certainly harder then the nickel frets. Could be in my head, but been all nickel since just to be safe.

Not sure if that would work though. Ill give that a shot.

I use regular Fendern45-105 round wounds. Can't afford flat wounds at the moment on my p bass.

On my jazz bass I use rotosounds 66s.

 

[96tbird]

Why is that? I always turn until it is to the desired relief, no point in waiting or going 1/4 turns between rests.

I think that was just invented to prevent people from being ham fisted.

Yep

Pros don't wait.

 

[MonetBass]

Why is that? I always turn until it is to the desired relief, no point in waiting or going 1/4 turns between rests.
I think that was just invented to prevent people from being ham fisted.

You're probably right, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Honestly the only bass I've ever had to adjust more than a 1/4 turn was my Squier VM fretless Jazz after I switched from flats to rounds.

 

[rob_thebassman]

cheers for the advice everyone

 

[Lizarddan]

Because it's a single action trussrod. It relies on string tension for forebow.


Only dual action truss rods will give resistance going both ways.


Common practice among guitar repair shops is to loosen a single action rod completely, lubricate/clean the nut, then tighten until resistance is felt. At that point you'd make eighth/quarter turns until you reach the desired amount of relief.

I'd recommend looking further into truss rod and guitar repair information before tweaking your instrument, you can usually find Dan Erlewine's book at your local library. While it's kind of a Stewmac ad, it's still serviceable knowledge.


Good luck .