Pre-EB Stingray "bullet" truss rod won't move...Advice!?

[bakerster135]

After having my Stingray a few months, the neck relief has gotten to the point where it needs a little tighten (forward bow, about 1mm gap at 7th fret with capo on 1st/fretting 21st).

I got the allen key out today and tried to give it a little clockwise turn, but it won't budge...I put reasonable but not excessive force on it (read all the horror stories about snap nuts/cracked rods), but it won't shift at all!

I'll likely be taking it to the Gallery to see what can be done, but just wanted to know whether anyone's experienced this before? If so, did you find any way around it?

I know it could either be a stiff nut, or a maxed out rod, but if there's a simple way around it I'd rather save a few bob!...

Any help will be muchly appreciated!

Al

[alittlebitrobot]

I'm far from an expert on this..
very far.
But I've seen videos and read advice about truss adjustment that basically boils down to this; the truss rod isn't there to do any heavy lifting, it just holds the neck in a particular position. So, the advice is to loosen the truss rod, bend the neck yourself to the required relief (trying to allow for subsequent string tension) and then tighten up the rod again to hold the neck in that relief.
I have to say, I saw this more in discussions by luthiers/techs fixing quite badly bowed necks.

[andydye]

Will it loosen or is it seized?

If seized try dribbling a little wd40 in there being careful with the finish? Worked on a mex j I had once...

if not seized...

[bakerster135]

[quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1408123249' post='2527401']
So, the advice is to loosen the truss rod, bend the neck yourself to the required relief (trying to allow for subsequent string tension) and then tighten up the rod again to hold the neck in that relief.
[/quote]

Thanks for this. Not sure I'm brave enough to try this myself though...Considering my lack of technical skill (and knowing my luck!) I'd probably end up putting an irreversible twist in it or something! Think I may need to take it to the tech before I try anything like this!

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1408123377' post='2527408']
Will it loosen or is it seized?

If seized try dribbling a little wd40 in there being careful with the finish? Worked on a mex j I had once...

if not seized...
[/quote]

Didn't try it the other way, just took the allen key out and left it! Will try it later on though, and will get the WD40 out if it's the case! Thanks Andy

[stingrayPete1977]

Ha the two (rusty) threads are confusing me

[fun size nick]

Definitely try loosening it - it'll be most likely to move if you bend the neck back a bit to take the pressure off. If it doesn't loosen, then it's seized and you'll need to use a tiny bit of WD-40 or something to get it free. If it does loosen, then the nut might be maxed out (i.e. there's no more thread to turn it on). This can be the result of the wood compressing immediately behind the nut - avoiding this is one reason why it's best to move the neck and then tighten the nut to meet it, rather than trying to move the neck with the rod itself. Dan Erlewine's book has a helpful bit of advice for this, which is to take the nut completely off, insert an appropriately sized washer or two in there, and then replace the nut. This will position the nut slightly further back on the thread and give you a few more turns to play with.

[Norris]

WD-40 isn't the best stuff for penetrating rusty threads. Something like [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Abrasives-809-10-Plusgas-250ml/dp/B0001P02S4/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1408362329&sr=1-3&keywords=plusgas"]PlusGas[/url] would be better or [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-40-Specialist-44709-Release-Penetrant/dp/B00KPUBO28/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-2&keywords=wd40+penetrating"]WD-40 Penerating Spray[/url].

[fun size nick]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1408362482' post='2529330']
WD-40 isn't the best stuff for penetrating rusty threads. Something like [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Abrasives-809-10-Plusgas-250ml/dp/B0001P02S4/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1408362329&sr=1-3&keywords=plusgas"]PlusGas[/url] would be better or [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-40-Specialist-44709-Release-Penetrant/dp/B00KPUBO28/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-2&keywords=wd40+penetrating"]WD-40 Penerating Spray[/url].
[/quote]
Thanks! I'll have to make a note of that - always like to have the right tools for the job.