Is there a better alternative to the Warwick replacement truss rod

[julesb]

I bought a lovely 1994 5 string Warwick fortress. I set it up nicely and did one gig with it. I went to make another tweak and the truss rod broke. This has never happened to me in all my years of setting up my own basses.

 

It's not a big deal as it's designed to be easily replaceable but I think the truss rod has already been replaced at least once as the one in there was installed upside down. So, my question is, is there an aftermarket alternative that is better quality than the Warwick item?

 

It's the double action 635mm version.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited November 13 by julesb

[Andyjr1515]

Hi, @julesb

 

I'm not sure that Warwick trussrods are any different in effectiveness or reliability that any other commercial offering for two way rods out there.  And the advantage of using a Warwick one in a Warwick is that you absolutely know they are going to fit.  Over the years, I have fitted pretty much every rod maker's products and quite a few of them need slightly different chiselling because of subtle differences in their dimensions.  That is fine if you are fitting them pre-fretboard gluing...but more of an issue if one gets stuck halfway through inserting them in the Warwick system.

 

Ref 'multiple failure', then I think the clue is in your observation that the presently failed one is upside down.  In my earlier ventures, I came across a similar reversed one in what should have been a 'standard' bass (ie not Rickenbacker/Gillett, etc that do have reverse actions) - and it surprised me how much bend I'd inflicted before I twigged that the gap was, indeed, getting bigger! 

 

So, if a previous owner who maybe wasn't familiar with trussrods had replaced the original broken one upside down, and then had just followed the instructions of 'righty tighty', it's entirely possible that it would have weakened it by the time that it was realised that it needed to work the other way.

 

Hope this helps

Andy

[julesb]

That's great Andy. Thanks so much for your advice. Luckily I got the bass for a really good price so it hasn't ruined me (yet!)

 

Cheers,

Jules

[Doctor J]

I replaced the crappy aluminium rod in my old SS1 with an iron one they offer in the shop and I reckon my wrist will break before that rod does.

[prowla]

Does a '94 have replaceable truss-rods (ie. without requiring fingerboard removal)?

[goingdownslow]

I had to reverse the one-way rod in my '91 Thumb bass to give it some forward relief.

[jimbobothy]

14 hours ago, prowla said:

Does a '94 have replaceable truss-rods (ie. without requiring fingerboard removal)?

… IIRC the necks without a volute have replaceable truss rods, the ones with a volute need the board to come off.

I think it was from around ‘96 they started to have volutes on their necks?

[Hellzero]

On 16/11/2024 at 08:11, Doctor J said:

I replaced the crappy aluminium rod in my old SS1 with an iron one they offer in the shop and I reckon my wrist will break before that rod does.

Exactly this, the aluminium version fitted at the beginning by Warwick are simply dire and have a huge tendency to break.

 

Put an iron model the correct way @julesb and it will be fine for years and even decades.

[julesb]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I ordered another aluminum one before I saw the replies. The notification thing was off.

 

Even with the new one it doesn't seem strong enough to give me a flat neck. It's playable but it just doesn't want to adjust that final bit and after having spent 108 Euros I'm a little bit anxious.

 

It's great to know the steel one fits though and no doubt I'll be visiting the shop in the future... I never had this sort of shit with Yamaha 🙂

 

Thanks again.

[prowla]

The Rickenbacker way is to press the neck to position and use the truss-rod to hold it in place.
 

This is someone who knows using that approach on a vintage Fender bass.
 

 

NB. don't push/pull on the headstock to do it - press down on the 1st fret.

Edited Sunday at 11:29 by prowla