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Truss Rod/Truss Rod Nut issue

bassbourne

bassbourne

Nov 20, 2019
304
167
#1
Merry Christmas!

I recently purchased a Squier Classic Vibe 60s P bass. When I first opened it I noticed some fret-buzz as well as buzzing on the open D string. I checked the relief and there was none (the fretboard was completely straight/flat). So I went to make some truss rod adjustments, but I couldn't get the nut to turn. It felt very loose like the tool was too small, so I tried the next size up, but it was too big. I tried the original (smaller) tool again and looked down the headstock at the nut after each turn and noticed that the nut is turning slightly after all. It feels very flimsy though like I have no grip/purchase when turning. And when I checked the relief again, although there was a small amount now, it was barely noticeable. I have since had many goes at turning the truss rod nut, but it doesn't seem to be having any effect and I still feel like I'm not getting any grip on the nut, although it hasn't been stripped and both the tool and nut are in good shape.

Does anyone know what the problem could be and how to fix it?

I can still return the bass, but everything else about it is perfect and it is the second one I've ordered now (the first had a bent tuning peg), so I don't have much faith in ordering another. If it's fixable I wouldn't mind spending a bit of money on it.

Thanks!
 
#2
Thanks, that makes sense.

Do you know how to fix that? When I try to tighten it, it doesn't seem to grip. There seems to be a touch of relief now, but nothing compared to the amount of times I've tried turning it (perhaps stupidly).
 
#3
Were you using the hex keys that came with the bass or your own? If they were your own are they fractional or metric? I’d expect a Squier to be either 4mm or 5mm for the truss rod. There is a fractional size that’s pretty close to those but just a bit smaller.
 
#4
Matt Liebenau said:
Were you using the hex keys that came with the bass or your own? If they were your own are they fractional or metric? I’d expect a Squier to be either 4mm or 5mm for the truss rod. There is a fractional size that’s pretty close to those but just a bit smaller.
Click to expand...

I was using the one which came with the bass which is 4mm. I tried some of my own too (both 4mm and 5mm), but nothing seemed to fit snugly.
 
#6
Matt Liebenau said:
Sounds like the truss rod nut could have started to round out. Also, not all 4mm wrenches are the same size, odd as that may sound. You could try some different 4mm hex keys and see if one fits better. StewMac also has a tool for rounded out truss rod nuts.

Gripper Truss Rod Wrenches | stewmac.com
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip.

I tried all my 4mm wrenches earlier, but none seemed to fit properly.

That StewMac tool could be the answer though.
 
#8
Do any of you know which size nut I'd need if I buy a replacement? It fits a 4mm wrench and is a standard nut you'd find at the headstock on most squier/mexican basses.

If anyone has a link or can provide the details I'd need to do my own search, that would be much appreciated.
 
#9
Unfortunately, it is not easy to remove/replace truss rod nut in these basses due to walnut sleeve at the entry hole. It is glued and won't come out no matter how hard you try. You can only drill it out or use some dremel tool for the same purpose. The nut itself is metric both hex key and thread, if I'm not mistaken, it is 4 mm hex, and 5 mm thread. I haven't seen the replacement nut for CV basses.
So, if it is not completely rounded-out use the hex key which fits the best with great caution and as rarely as possible.
 
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#10
vaesto said:
Unfortunately, it is not easy to remove/replace truss rod nut in these basses due to walnut sleeve at the entry hole. It is glued and won't come out no matter how hard you try. You can only drill it out or use some dremel tool for the same purpose. The nut itself is metric both hex key and thread, if I'm not mistaken, it is 4 mm hex, and 5 mm thread. I haven't seen the replacement nut for CV basses.
So, if it is not completely rounded-out use the hex key which fits the best with great caution and as rarely as possible.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info and tip.

The walnut sleeve actually came out by accident when I was testing out my various 4mm hex keys. I pushed it back down, but not all the way, so I'm guessing it can be easily removed if need be.

Do you know if this may fit? Fender Truss Rod Nut Mexico Bass | DV247 | en-GB

I'm guessing the Squier and Mexico basses with a headstock truss-rod entry have the same nut, but I can't be sure.
 
#11
bassbourne said:
Thanks for the info and tip.

The walnut sleeve actually came out by accident when I was testing out my various 4mm hex keys. I pushed it back down, but not all the way, so I'm guessing it can be easily removed if need be.

Do you know if this may fit? Fender Truss Rod Nut Mexico Bass | DV247 | en-GB

I'm guessing the Squier and Mexico basses with a headstock truss-rod entry have the same nut, but I can't be sure.
Click to expand...

You've got one major problem less with this sleeve off, good luck :) You should have no issue to remove the nut.

I don't think MIM parts will be O.K. as they are non-metric in most cases. I'd search for the specific part.
 
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#14
Lownote38 said:
The sleeve isn't walnut. It's plastic. Sometimes the nut can be removed without removing that sleeve. Especially on the Mexican 5 strings.
Click to expand...
No sir, that's Walnut:

upload_2020-12-29_11-11-0.png
 
#15
Lownote38 said:
The sleeve isn't walnut. It's plastic. Sometimes the nut can be removed without removing that sleeve. Especially on the Mexican 5 strings.
Click to expand...
Totally agree about MIM Fenders. However, my Squier CV (Matt Freeman P-bass) had walnut sleeve and I had to drill it out to be able to remove the nut. Though, I can't say if new Indonesian CV have the same walnut sleeve, but at least it looks wooden to me at the photos.
 
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