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Trouble with a stiffy, truss rod related


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wondering about the right approach here, the neck on my bass is pretty straight but i cannot get an adjustment on the truss rod in either direction.

 

A quick squirt of wd40 and try again or is there another way to ease the adjustment?

 

The neck is good at the moment but think I should resolve this rather than leave it

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First of all the tool you use has to be a quality one. If it does not fit, don't even try.

 

Put quite some more that oil there. Keep the bass up so that the oil can get to the thread.

 

Start to turn a bit. Any direction is good. Then back. And forth and back. Even a fraction of degree helps the oil to penetrate between the nut and the rod and a possible washer. Do this as long as the thread starts to turn bit by bit.

 

Keep the tool in one place. Then you can keep the tension constant. When the thread is working, adjust the rod in 1/8 or 1/4 of a turn at a time. Let the neck stabilize for an hour and check the action.

 

As I wrote elsewhere, write down everything you do. This way you can reverse your attempts. Keep the bass in tune before and after adjustments. You may have to fine tune the bridge.

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What bass is it? Does the truss rod adjust at the headstock end or the body end of the neck? Assuming its an allen key at the headstock end, I'll repeat what itu said above, ie it is of the utmost importance is to ensure you're using the correct tool. A metric allen key that *seems* to fit nicely in an imperial nut (or vice-versa) can damage the nut, rounding the hole making it near-impossible to get it loose without specialist remedial tools. The short allen keys you get with most instruments that look like the ones in poundland aren't up to much and don't give much leverage, so I tend to use long handled versions such as a bondhus t-handle hex drivers (which I believe Fender rebadge and include with some of their instruments). This gives more leverage and makes adjustments much easier. I also label each one with the spec if it isn't stamped into the handle and which instruments I can use it on.

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