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**H E L P* Truss rod broken???

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Jimi75

Jimi75

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Oh noooooo, it had to happen one day, I knew it.

Everything seemed fine with my Jimmie Vaughan Strat, but when I picked it up to play, I felt that the strings were laying on the neck/frets. No playing possible. I have checked the neck and nothing seemed broken, tried to adjust the truss rod and there I seemed to detect a defect. Although I can turn it, it does not stay in position.

Can some of you guys tell me what's wrong with the truss? Has someone of you ever changed a truss rod?

GOD safe my Strat, please!!!

:o
 
wouldn't this be an easier fix since it has a bolt on neck? If it were a set neck i think it would be a much bigger problem....but then again i may not know what i'm talking about :eek:

ww
 
Now is your chance to get that PRS that you always wanted.:)

I think you are going to have a hard time fixing that without either replacing the neck or finding a very skilled luthier who has the time and is willing to undertake the surgery.

Best of luck to you...and sorry to hear.
 
Spudman said:
Now is your chance to get that PRS that you always wanted.:)

I think you are going to have a hard time fixing that without either replacing the neck or finding a very skilled luthier who has the time and is willing to undertake the surgery.

Best of luck to you...and sorry to hear.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I tell my wife about that PRS and she will undertake me to that surgery :-)

Okay friends, has any of you experience with the quality of Warmoth necks?
 
Hello Jimi,

When you turn the adjusting nut does it keep turning? Or does it turn and tighten a little and then slip? Do you know what stripped threads are? If so does it act like the threads are stripped? Can you shake or pull the nut out of the neck? This may tell you where the break is by now much rod is attached to the nut.

If the rod is broken it may be fixed depending on where the break is. If it is very and I mean very close to the adjusting nut and there are some threads left I think there is a tool that you can get that will cut away some of the wood to allow the nut to go deeper in to catch some more threads, if there are some threads left to catch of course.
I have seen someone cut a rectangle up between the string nut and the first fret in the fretboard to access the truss rod slot. Then make a repair and glue a matching piece of rosewood into the cutout and sand it smooth to where you can barely see the repair. Then there is removing the fretboard. Fretboards can be unglued and glued back on again so this is an option but it all depends on where the problem is with the truss rod. If it is a removable neck that is a plus.
I have not seen a Warmoth neck but I plan to buy one for my Jazzmaster project. You might want to check out this company http://www.usacustomguitars.com/ I believe the owner used to work at Warmoth and I have heard nothing but good about this business.

I hope this helps some.

M29
 
I'd take it to a luthier for a second opinion before declaring it dead.
 
Hello Jimi,

Check to see if the nut is stripped. Sometimes the nut strips but the rod does not. A new nut and you are good to go. Worth a look. Try and loosen it as far as it will go and then see if you can get it off with needle nose piers or something.

M29
 
M29 said:
Hello Jimi,

Check to see if the nut is stripped. Sometimes the nut strips but the rod does not. A new nut and you are good to go. Worth a look. Try and loosen it as far as it will go and then see if you can get it off with needle nose piers or something.

M29
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for all your advise.
I have already checked and the nut is not stripped. I decided to bring the guitar to my luthier, because he is a very capable one. I am trying to safe my Number One!!!!
 
Ouch! Good luck to you & your #1 Jimi!

M29, I have a guitar with a dual action truss rod in which the nut is stripped.
The nut cannot be removed because it is welded onto the truss rod. I was thinking of trying to cut a new hexagonal hole for a larger allen wrench or use a dremel tool to cut a flat head scredriver slot.

Any suggestions?
 
You are welcome Jimi, sounds like you are on the right track. All the best!

M29

Hello tot,

Not sure I understand. Are the threads stripped in the nut or is the inside for an allen wrench rounded off and it slips when you try to turn it? If cutting a slot is the ((last)) thing that can be done, I would say do what ever needs to be done to save it. If you have enough room to get a cutoff wheel in there to make a slot it should work. Be careful that you don't cut the weld away though but make the cut deep enough as there will need to be quite a bit of pressure needed to turn it with a screwdriver. I am pretty new to the newer dual action rods but it sounds like something that might work.

I hope this helps

M29
 
M29 said:
Hello tot,

Not sure I understand. Are the threads stripped in the nut or is the inside for an allen wrench rounded off and it slips when you try to turn it?
Click to expand...
Hi M29. It the latter, the inside for an allen wrench is rounded off.
M29 said:
If cutting a slot is the ((last)) thing that can be done, I would say do what ever needs to be done to save it. If you have enough room to get a cutoff wheel in there to make a slot it should work. Be careful that you don't cut the weld away though but make the cut deep enough as there will need to be quite a bit of pressure needed to turn it with a screwdriver. I am pretty new to the newer dual action rods but it sounds like something that might work.

I hope this helps

M29
Click to expand...
What is a cutoff wheel? Does it attach to a dremel-type tool?

Thanks for your help!
 
tot_Ou_tard said:
Hi M29. It the latter, the inside for an allen wrench is rounded off.

What is a cutoff wheel? Does it attach to a dremel-type tool?

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

Yes, they are the grinding discs that you can also use to cut off screws or cut a groove into. You can get like a dozen for bout $5.

Also if your allen wrenches start to get rounded, just grind(cut) em down till they are like new...itll save you lots of headaches.
 
tot_Ou_tard said:
Thanks ShortBUS! Jimi, what's the word on your #1.
Click to expand...


I made an appointment with my luthier who just returned from his holiday in the USA.

Tomorrow I will present him No.1.

His diagnosis on the phone was:
"We can fix it, I am sure. I do not believe you need a new neck. I did this a thousand times before, calm down, everything is fine"!

Sounds good to me :DR
 
Hello,

If anyone has trouble with an allen wrench fitting in the nut, try using a metric or if it is metric try a U.S. size that fits real tight even to the point that you have to lightly tap it in. Try not to use anything smaller then a tight fit on a truss rod nut. I imagine you could even grind a special wrench to fit the damaged nut to fit real tight and do the job.

Just some thoughts.

M29
 
M29 said:
Hello,

If anyone has trouble with an allen wrench fitting in the nut, try using a metric or if it is metric try a U.S. size that fits real tight even to the point that you have to lightly tap it in. Try not to use anything smaller then a tight fit on a truss rod nut. I imagine you could even grind a special wrench to fit the damaged nut to fit real tight and do the job.

Just some thoughts.

M29
Click to expand...
& helpful thoughts at that. It just might be a simpler solution to my problem. Thanks again M29!
 
Jimi75 said:
I made an appointment with my luthier who just returned from his holiday in the USA.

Tomorrow I will present him No.1.

His diagnosis on the phone was:
"We can fix it, I am sure. I do not believe you need a new neck. I did this a thousand times before, calm down, everything is fine"!

Sounds good to me :DR
Click to expand...
So what was the problem, specifically?
 
Jimi75 said:
I made an appointment with my luthier who just returned from his holiday in the USA.

Tomorrow I will present him No.1.

His diagnosis on the phone was:
"We can fix it, I am sure. I do not believe you need a new neck. I did this a thousand times before, calm down, everything is fine"!

Sounds good to me :DR
Click to expand...

Hey Jimi, what was the result when your luthier saw it?
 
The luthier said that the truss rod could not hold the tension or better said stay in position when adjusted. That has to do with the thread/winding.

The solution is easy, as there is a product called winding fix that will be put on. This will cause that adjusting the truss will be a little harder, but it will easily keep the position.

My luthier said when put on and it works good, it will last for 20 years of hard playing.

Okay, I belive this guy and trust him. On Friday I will get the little beast back and report to you the result after one week of intense fretboard terror :-)

:cool:
 
Oooh Sweet!!! This is the first time this old/nooby heard of this but I understand how it works and it should work out well. We are never too old to learn something new!

All the best Jimi!

M29
 
Good to hear, Jimi! I'm not sure what the repairs will cost, but from having priced out replacement necks, I'm guess it won't be anywhere near that amount.
 
I'm glad this has worked out for you so well. You must play with the truss rod a lot for this to have happened in the first place though. I have guitars over 20-25 years old and never had this happen to me. Again, very cool you can salvage your #1. :DR
 

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