Truss rod nut for 1980s Yamaha BB300

[ikay]

The TR nut on my old BB300 has seen better days (pics below) and needs replacing but it's an old style one (the type that's adjusted with an 8mm box spanner) and I'm having a devil of a job finding something that will fit.

 

It's basically an M6 flanged nut (10mm long, M6 internal thread size, 8mm across the hex flats). I've tried various component suppliers such as Accu but the M6 flanged nuts they do are much shorter in length (5mm) and wider across the hex flats (10mm), which won't work. Can anyone help with ideas on where to find an equivalent nut that will do the job?

 

Or if you have one lurking in your parts box please drop me a pm!

 

[ikay]

Having contacted Yamaha (part no longer available) and spoken to a couple of well known guitar repair shops it seems that the old BB TR nut is officially extinct and there's nothing equivalent that can be used as a replacement (most modern metric TRs have an M5 thread). So it was DIY time. I found some 10mm long brass M6 connector bolts on ebay. Only available from China but I ordered them and they arrived 3 weeks later. As standard, these need a 10mm wrench which is much too big for the TR recess on the bass so I filed the flats down to fit an 8mm wrench. Et voila! 

 

I have a couple of spare M6 bolts so if anyone else needs to do the same just get in touch. You'll have to do your own filing though!

 

 

 

 

Edited September 5 by ikay

[Rayman]

Good job. It’s a pain, but, very fulfilling to have to figure out these problems for yourself. I had the exact same issue with a BB300 a few years ago, and a MIT BB1100. I ended up fashioning something similar to you. 

[ikay]

Good to hear from a fellow BB tr nut DIYer, seems that we're a rare breed 😄