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Vintage Yamaha with truss rod issues


Bobby K
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Hello all

My beloved 1979 BB1200 has a truss rod problem. Basically, anything heavier than light to medium gauge strings will cause the neck to bow a bit more than is comfortable, causing buzzing issues down around the 12th fret.

I have carefully tightened the truss rod in small increments a couple of times over the last few years but it seems to have no effect. The truss rod seems to be really tight now too, with hardly any room for manoeuvre.

i'm obviously scared of buggering it completely, not sure what to do. maybe it is buggered already, I dunno. I'd hate to think that I'm condemned to using lighter strings with it forever :mellow:

This is also a thru neck bass, so I'm guessing this might make a fix awkward?? :blink:

Any help/suggestions would be most welcome...

Edited by Bobby K
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If the truss rod buzzes about the 12th it might not be truss rod, normally only need to tighten truss rod if it's the higher frets (above 12th) that buzz. (and slacken truss rod if its the low frets)
Can you post a photo of the bow in the neck?

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The buzz happens above the 12th actually, around the 13th-15th-ish

The long and short of it is that the truss is pretty maxed out from what I can see and there is a bow in the neck. The strings I've got on aren't exactly heavy gauge (the pink packet Ernie Ball ones, more like standard)

the bow is quite hard to photograph, not massively obvious. But I just know from experience that if I put the 45-105's on (the orange pack) - it will bow more. it's an issue I've ignored for a couple of years but recently I was toying (just toying!) with the idea of selling it on. but I'd need to get to the bottom of this issue before I ever did - I'm a good guy like that lol ;)

If it can't be resolved it'll obviously send the value plummeting and I'll keep it and use 40-95's for ever lol...

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Update...

I've popped a washer behind the truss rod nut (as per the sticky thread "truss rod maxed out") and it seems to have done the trick. The neck is definitely visibly more straight. I'll see how it is over the next couple of days... :)

Edited by Bobby K
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