V4lve Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Hi, Just broken the truss rod on my OLP mm3. Been adjusting the relief carefully over the last few days and this morning it went bang. Have taken the neck off and the rod is snapped about half an inch from the body end (the end that it gets adjusted). It doesnt look that easy to get out. There is no access the other end. Can I do it myself or is this a luthier job? Gutted. Edited December 6, 2011 by V4lve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 It might be worth just getting a different neck for it mate. I'm sure that a luthier could do it but the costs will exceed the value of the neck. That being said, with nothing to lose, you could have a bash at removing the fingerboard yourself (heat it off with an iron - google it). If it is a maple fingerboard then I suggest you sand off the finish where it joins the main part of the neck on either side to allow for it to expand neatly and come away from the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Thanks for the quick reply. I may have to resort to the iron technique. Unless there is a way to unscrew the thing from the bust end. It's not to deep in but very difficult to get a purchase on. The fingerboard is maple but unfinished so probably no need to sand. Unfortunately the head end is varnished into the headstock. How would I prevent cracking the varnish when the board comes off?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 [quote name='V4lve' timestamp='1321616246' post='1441179'] Thanks for the quick reply. I may have to resort to the iron technique. Unless there is a way to unscrew the thing from the bust end. It's not to deep in but very difficult to get a purchase on.[/quote] I doubt it. They are built in before the neck and fingerboard are glued together. [quote name='V4lve' timestamp='1321616246' post='1441179'] The fingerboard is maple but unfinished so probably no need to sand. Unfortunately the head end is varnished into the headstock. How would I prevent cracking the varnish when the board comes off?? [/quote] Ah ok, I've never seen an OLP with an unfinished neck (as standard). As for the headstock end, just carefully sand the areas that join back to the wood - a barrel sander tip in a Dremel would be handy for this. Or if you have a good eye and steady hand you may be able to score a line with a sharp blade and keep scoring it until you're through the finish... regardless, be prepared to have to lacquer the neck one you're done anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Hi. Thanks, this is really helpful. It looks unfinished to me. Here are a few piccys [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00577.jpg"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00577.jpg[/url] [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00578.jpg"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00578.jpg[/url] [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00579.jpg"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00579.jpg[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Looks too clean to be unfinished. Stick a drop of water or white spirit on it. If it disappears then it's unfinished. Looks like you have a maple veneer on the headstock... it's going to be a problem. You are probably going to have to heat it off too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Blast. This looks like it is going to be a pain in the neck. Where would I get a replacement neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 [sup]There have been a few floating about this year. Stick an ad in the wanted section here and see if you can flush one out.[/sup] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Back to the repair idea. Presumably I only need to separate the Maple veneer from the fretboard and can leave the rest attached to the headstock? Will a steam iron hurt the lacquer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 [quote name='V4lve' timestamp='1321623108' post='1441319'] Back to the repair idea. Presumably I only need to separate the Maple veneer from the fretboard and can leave the rest attached to the headstock?[/quote] I can't see how you can do that. [quote name='V4lve' timestamp='1321623108' post='1441319'] Will a steam iron hurt the lacquer? [/quote] Well too much heat will kill it for sure and if you get steam trapped under the lacquer then that is bad news too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Why not cut through the headstock veneer with a dremel where the board meets the neck? You could then fill, sand and lacquer that join. For me although it would leave it's mark, I'd think it would be a cleaner repair than attempting to steam off and replace the veneer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind pilot Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 mm, this may sound silly, but have you priced up the price of the new truss rod etc? As I thought they were quite expensive for the OLP/MM necks? might be worth checking this out before you dive in........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 [quote name='blind pilot' timestamp='1321633319' post='1441488'] mm, this may sound silly, but have you priced up the price of the new truss rod etc? As I thought they were quite expensive for the OLP/MM necks? might be worth checking this out before you dive in........ [/quote] Stewmac do them for about £15 + shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind pilot Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I stand erected, I thought the adjustment wheel thingy was paricey and hard to get! Ill get ma coat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 There's also this from Stewart Macdonald - cunning tooling for rescuing broken truss rods: [url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Truss_rods/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit.html"]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Truss_rods/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit.html[/url] Not cheap, but you could maybe sell it on after you've used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I think you've nothing to lose, the neck's had it anyway so you might as well give it a bash and stand a chance of learning something. If you manage to ruin it even more, it's not like you've lost anything! Do a diary so can all learn vicariously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 Thanks again for all the advice. I have discovered a luthier lives just down the road so going to see him next week to get some advice. Will keep you all posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 This makes it look really easy. OK, it's a steel guitar with a flat board but I am now wondering if a hair dryer might do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I replaced atruss rod recently , I found this : [url="http://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reference&action=display&thread=5347"]http://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=reference&action=display&thread=5347[/url] I did what they said, someone sugested that I put a cloth over the frets, which I also did.It was surprisingly easy, I replaced it with a fretless board so I've no idea how easy putting the original board back on is. The original board was pretty much unscathed by the process. I got the truss rod from CH guitars, £9.99 including postage, turned up the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 OK. Just been to see the Luthier. He reckons 1. It's probably a double action truss rod. 2. The fretboard is probably too thick to steam off myself. 3. The best solution would be to rout down the back of the neck to remove and replace it, then put in a skunk stripe. 4. A DIY solution (assuming the neck is firewood) might be to take a chunk out of the back of the heel to expose the end of the rod and then try and pull or drift it out. I am considering perhaps drilling into the back the same dia as the truss rod groove to see what I can find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 The iron option is not straightforward as the neck end of the board is trapped under the headstock veneer. [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00578.jpg"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00578.jpg[/url] I am now wondering if I might simply be able to pull it out. Assuming I can get a good purchase on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 It should be possible to iron off the veneer, you may need to improvise some sort of contoured tool ie: piece of steel tube heated and pressed agaist the cloth covered veneer. I suspect that the veneer is'nt going to come off or go on cleanly. The truss rod is put in before the board is glued on, they are a tight fit in the hole and some glue may have got onto it, pulling it out might be tricky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 (edited) Yay! Managed to get the rod out. Tried to remove the fingerboard but after 30 mins of repeated steaming with an iron I gave up. I notice now that I managed to crack the varnish a little so very glad I stopped. Slightly annoyed that I cut the veneer at the other end so that it would separate from the neck with the fretboard. But hey ho. Lessons learned. Will get back to that later. Decided to open her up at the back of the heel and try to drift the rod out. Used a hand wood drill to find the rod collar and drilled a few more holes further up the heel to provide a decent angle of attack. I first used a sledge on a small screwdriver behind the collar to drift the rod out of the heel. Then the sledge on a mole wrench around the exposed end. Took about an hour of steady hammering (with rests) to get it half way out then it just fell out. Couple of piccys. [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00627.jpg"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00627.jpg[/url] [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00628.jpg"]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/133297/DSC00628.jpg[/url] Now I need to find a replacement and see if I can drift the new one back in. It seems to be one of these [url="http://shop.sollerguitars.com/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/102/products_id/1441standart--material/ns-580-mm.html"]http://shop.sollergu.../ns-580-mm.html[/url] Havn't managed to find a UK supplier yet. But before that I need to tidy up the mess I made of the heel and see if I can patch it up with a block of maple (completely new ground for me). May resort to something else if that proves too difficult. The good thing is that it will be hidden so just needs to be tidy and structurally sound. Feeling better about this now. Edited November 24, 2011 by V4lve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4lve Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 This is the closest I can find. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/No10b-Dual-type-bass-guitar-truss-rod-600mm-/140594136371#ht_500wt_969"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/No10b-Dual-type-bass-guitar-truss-rod-600mm-/140594136371#ht_500wt_969[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 That's where I got mine from, the difference between the two that he sells is the length of the Allen key nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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