Truss rod maxed/stuck on a MIJ 89' Fender precision

[matthewkeyss]

Hi everyone

 

I recently bought a MIJ 89' Fender precision, see my previous post: 

 

 

I did my best to check the bass over when I bought it. However, I couldn't test the truss rod in depth because it was at the heel and would've required removing the neck. 

 

Over the last 3 days since I bought it, I've been adjusting the truss rod to assess its health, and it's been behaving strangely. I loosened the truss rod quite a bit at first, and now I can't get it anywhere close to how straight it was before. The truss rod moves counter clockwise without much resistance, but after a certain point of turning it clockwise it rapidly builds up resistance to the point where I can't move it further. Like an exponential curve of resistance, if that makes sense. 

 

I am stuck with about 1.2mm of relief on the 12th fret (capo 1st fret, hold down 20th fret), which is far too much for me. However, I know the truss rod can go further, as the relief was far less than this when I bought it on Sunday, before I adjusted the truss rod. 

 

The truss rod is behaving like it's 'maxed out', but I don't think this is the right characterization, because it's not due to the neck being too warped/bowed for the truss rod to handle. The truss rod just has limited movement in the clockwise direction. Could it be that it's just 'stuck' and needs a really good push? 

 

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

 

Edited July 2 by matthewkeyss

[Tokalo]

I had a similar problem with a neck on a MIJ 51p (2023). OK with 3 sets of strings (original Fenders; Black Smith coated 45-100; TI Jazz flats 43-100). But when I put GHS Pressurewounds on (44-102), the truss rod wouldn’t tighten anywhere near enough.

 

I gave it to @Garymac last week, and he’s worked on it over the weekend: he may have some ideas.

[Andyjr1515]

**deleted**  might have got my up's and down's the wrong way round!  Will repost when I have a moment 

 

 

Edited July 3 by Andyjr1515

[Andyjr1515]

There you go - brain back in gear and...yes I had got it right in any case!

 

 

So, theoretically, if you loosened it 'x' number of turns then it should tighten back 'x' number of turns without maxing out (on a single action rod, maxing out is usually where it runs out of thread).

 

From the above text, I assume you have taken the neck off.  If so (you can do this method fitted, but it's much easier off) try this:

 

- Build two piles of books or magazines (couple of inches high is fine) and space them apart at a distance equal to 1st fret to 16th fret

- place the neck upside down (fretboard at the bottom) on the two piles, lined up broadly with the 1st and 16th frets

- with one hand, press vertically down on the neck in the middle of the unsupported length - hard enough for it bow a couple of mm of so

- while still holding it down, use your other hand to see if the adjuster will now tighten a touch

**basically, your hand pressure is now doing the job that the truss rod was trying to do and relieving the tension on it.  This should make the adjuster much easier to turn **

 

- if, with that hand pressure, the nut is still stuck fast, then STOP and seek further thoughts here.

 

- if, though, it now will move, then repeat the above process until you reckon it is back to where it was before you first loosened it.  Then string it up, tune it up and then see if your relief is back to where it originally was 

Edited July 3 by Andyjr1515

[Hellzero]

And don't forget to remove entirely the bullet/nut/adjuster and put some graphite grease over the thread, this will help a lot.

 

Some flat washers may help recover some screwing manoeuvre: it's a very old and effective trick.