Best video I've seen in a long time! Not a wasted second, great pace, and I agreed with everything you said! This is a model of guitar videos; I just came from and hour-long video of an idiot who sounded like he was sniffing glue.
@@FlipDahlenburg I totally forgot to mention I work for Kahler now and have written a pdf on how to make your guitar or bass play great. You get it free if you sign up for our mailing list and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $2,500 custom Fender American Strat that I rewired and installed all kinds of custom stuff on. The only emails you will get ver get from us will be written by me and will have helpful stuff. kahlerusa.com/subscribe
@@satchrules101 thank you! If you are interested I host a weekly podcast with Gary Kahler on the Kahler TH-cam channel. I have relocated my entire setup to Kahler and once everything is setup I will be right back to doing more Rexylab videos on everything guitar and bass.
I knew little about truss rods and wondered why it had that mid point where it was tightening either way. Now I know. Double-action. Thanks for the great video!
Thank you so much! I do everything I can to help people understand their guitars and basses. I also only say things I can back up in the moment on camera so people can see it work. I have a series I’m doing called “would a Floyd Rose by any other name play as sweet” about how to set up a Floyd property and other vibrato systems are being added as I have time. Story of my life, I have everything but the time. I also do some pretty wacky stuff with electronics. I’d love to have you if you’re so inclined to subscribe and hit that silly little bell. Again, thank you so much for the compliment. It means the world to me to share my passion for guitars with other people who would enjoy it. th-cam.com/play/PLrFyjrwqOCJzECnaTZv2MhFZak4fdkWMf.html
Hey man I love your channel. I'm a bassist and I just got into doing my own set ups over the past year (after like 20 yrs of playing... yikes lol). I have been making truss rod adjustments on all of my instruments with great results, except for one..... My baby, my Warwick Corvette Pro line (German made) i put too much force into tightening it one day and (GASP!!!), twisted the neck at the headstock..... its basically firewood now..... this was a very expensive lesson learned...... now for my questions: Q 1 Is it safe or recommended to tighten or loosen the rod while the strings are under tension? I always tuned the bass to the pitch that I want to set up at and then start tightening/loosening. And Q # 2, how do you know if your truss rod is maxed out? Is the rod done when that happens? Or can it be reset, loosened back into its zero position? Just need some more understanding of this and so I dont make any costly mistakes ever again.. i also want to know when making a purchase in the future, if what I am looking at is actually fire wood if you catch my drift
Got an EVH Wolfgang - really like that large wheel for adjustment first time seeing it. Seems like it will really help me track prrecisely how many turns I put in (especially after a long time) Though I haven't used it yet
Then I might have a neck with one of your truss rods in it. I got my first warmoth in 1988. I have a guitar with a warmoth neck made in about 2007. Currently I have 5 warmoth necks waiting for builds and I’m about to order another one. You probably noticed two of the necks I showed were warmoth. I also grew up by trout lake and 5 mile lake and went to Fife high school. I lived about 30 minutes away from warmoth and have had friends that worked there. When Amy friend Angie and I started The Squishy Guitar Project, a nonprofit organization that gives guitars to children with rare and terminal diseases she wanted our flagship custom guitar to be the best. I told her we needed to start with warmoth parts then. In a surprising turn of events, Sandy refused the payment. Warmoth donated $2,000 worth of bodies and necks to our little nonprofit! So, I love warmoth! It is very cool that you worked there! I have nothing but positive things to say about them.
Hi, Thank you very much for the video, I found it quite instructional. When it comes to the adjustment of dual-truss rods basses (e.g. the Yamaha TRB1006J -6 string, 40" radius-), I've read different resources on the internet, where they suggest adjusting the treble section first, and then the bass, or adjusting both at the same time (under the assumption that unequal tension will lead to neck twist). Can you share some of your thoughts on this matter? Best, Yoshua
That is a very good question. In order to answer it thoroughly I’m going to suggest another one of my videos on the Rickenbacker bass that has dual truss rods. The link will be below. First though I will say that it doesn’t matter what side you start with as long as you go slowly and in small increments. Take your time to feel the tension on the rod you are working on. Don’t get it to tight and then move to the other one. Move back and forth between them so that the tension is even. Above all else take your time and do not force anything. If it feels stiff that’s ok, just use caution. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll be as helpful as I can be. Here’s the link to the Rickenbacker video. th-cam.com/video/unYhQ7DrF4Q/w-d-xo.html
Worked on a friends Fender Tele..Truss rod moves freely in both directions from a neutral threaded position. However multiple turns clockwise resulted in marginal changes in flattening out the neck. Eventually the truss rod reaches a stopping point. Additional torque was applied within my comfort level at which point I stopped. Still can't get the neck as flat as I like. Not sure what the issue is. Thoughts?
First, good for you for stopping when you were no longer comfortable. Is it a upbow, strings way high on the fretboard? Also, can the trussrod nut be removed?
I have that same weird Jackson bass, but I initially used an undersized allen key and now the nut is totally rounded out. I’ve tried to force multiple bits in and even tried to get the nut to turn by “chiseling” a torque to the side of the nut - but, the nut just won’t turn. Now, the nut is really marred up. The rod is actually loose inside the neck, as I see it wiggle a little in the groove. I’m hoping I can get the nut off and just replace it, given the rod’s threads are still in tact. Any advice or next steps you can offer? Screw extractor, perhaps? There’s not a ton of room/access, of course, even with the strings removed.
Shit, I hate to tell you this but if you’re talking about the Jackson 5 string that nut is welded on. The only way is to pull the fretboard and replace the entire rod. I’ll include a link to the video where I do this very thing. I don’t recommend it. In the future always only use the tool that fits, never force anything, and if you’re getting frustrated walk away until you have had time to mellow out. I’ll post a short titled double action truss rod to show why what I’m saying is true. Rescuing A 1988 USA Jackson Custom Shop Bass th-cam.com/video/LSlijbt50ns/w-d-xo.html
Nice video. Thanks. I have an inexpensive tele with a heel wheel adjuster. I can turn it both ways all day long and zero tension on it. I want to take some of the relief out of it. What’s the deal with the wheel? Do I have to take the neck off to fix it? Thanks.
What are you talking about at the end when you mention the single truss rod when you said take the thing off... take what off? What is the thing?the whole truss rod? Or just the nut? I assume you meant just the nut right?
The stewmac truss rod rescue tool isn't really that expensive. The one you show here is the whole master kit for all possible truss rods, but you can get just the parts you need for your own situation. It is under 300 dollars. $260 or someting like that, which is way cheaper than a good neck. Especially if you want a factory replacement for a Fender, or you are dealing with a set neck guitar, or an acoustic. I got one for my '67 Gibson J 45. It was a life saver. Just thought I'd make that clear. It isn't prohibitively spendy at all.
That is true. The option I showed was for every truss rod. But this video was for every truss rod so I wanted to show what it would cost to have the ability to fix them all. StewMac is great. I have lots of their tools and plan on getting lots more. They back their tools up 100% with a fantastic guarantee as well. However, the point of this video is to NOT need that tool in the first place. Therefore I was going for a bit of sticker shock to encourage people to just be careful and research how to adjust their truss rod in the first place. You can get a top notch neck from Warmoth for less than $260 right now but if you’re trying to save a vintage neck the StewMac tool is definitely not only cheaper but also totally worth it. So to sum up, I agree with you but for the reasons stated I presented the information the way I did on purpose. I hope that clears things up, and thank you for watching and commenting. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.
@@REXYLAB I want to make it clear I didn't mean to sound overly critical. It's a good video. I just wanted to make sure people knew that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. And the StewMac tool isn't something just anyone should attempt either. It does rquire a certain amount of experience with wood working tools, and rethreading the rod could get ugly if you aren't careful. It's certainly easier to bolt on a drop in replacement neck. Keep up the videos. We can use all the info we can get to keep our instruments playing great. They always need something. They do wear out. Just like us.
@@onusgumboot5565 I didn’t take your comment as overly critical at all. You certainly have a good point about not having to get the entire tool. You also have another good point about the fact that owning a tool and being competent in its use are two different things. I certainly hope you keep watching my videos and if you have anything to add in the comments I’m happy to have a pleasant exchange anytime. My main goal has been and will continue to be to provide as much information about this stuff as I can. Certainly nobody can know everything so it always makes me happy when the guitar community chimes in and helps out. Because we are a community united in our love of guitars. Therefore I appreciate you contributing to the subject. Please continue to do so, you are a valued member of the guitar community with experience to offer.
Hi great video. My brand new Yamaha TBRX. 174 came with an Allen key that is too loose for the truss rod. It’s a 4mm. I tried a 4.5 mm and that is too big. So it’s between standard sizes. How would you recommend adjusting this?
Sorry I’m just seeing this now. It’s a Yamaha so it’s metric. That being said it won’t be a weird metric size. I would look very close To see if it’s stripped or if maybe it is meant to be adjusted with a traditional truss rod wrench and not an Allan wrench. For what it’s worth my Yamaha bass is a heel adjustment and it takes a 5mm. Let me know what you figure out.
Squire strat ' truss rod is maxed out ' still too much forwards bow. Already tried forceing a back bow and tightened it up' still too much forwards bow. Can I shim it with a small washer to get more adjustment?
That is something people sometimes do but it’s kind of risky. Reason being those threads are only so strong. I have seen people over tighten them and just shred the threads to where the truss rod needs to be replaced. That is a big job and not worth doing on a squire so I would avoid that at all costs. There is a good chance it has been adjusted wrong or under tension where those tiny threads are expected to do all the work. Here is what I suggest you try. The first thing I would do is back off the string tension all the way and then take the nut to adjust the truss rod completely off (if it’s dual action you can’t take it off but I’m willing to bet it’s single action because I’ve never heard of fender doing dual action truss rods on a squire). While the nut is off use a Q-tip to put Vaseline or bees wax on the threads and the Bering surface of the nut. Friction is the enemy and you want it to be as smooth as possible. Before reinstalling the nut look very close for any damage. I have had occasions where someone said they wanted a simple neck adjustment and the neck was broken or the truss rod was damaged. It’s important to take your time and be sure. Get a straight edge and check how flat your neck is with no strings on and the truss rod nut still uninstalled. In extreme cases it might have been left this way so long that the wood is warped and more extreme measures need to be taken, let’s hope that isn’t the case. If you do not have a straight edge (notched for guitar is best) you can substitute a metal yardstick or something like that. Understand that is not ideal and you’re just seeing how badly bowed it is. Reinstall the truss rod nut that has Vaseline or beeswax on the threads and bearing surface. Tighten it until it is in a back bow. Be firm but don’t force it. Reinstall the strings and tune to pitch. If you were successful you might not be able to do this because of the back bow forcing the strings on the fretboard, this is good. Gently loosen the truss rod nut as to relax the neck out of the back bow. This part is important, loosen it in small increments and give it a little bump back, righty tighty after loosening it. With the lubed threads if you don’t give it a bump into tighten mode it will gradually loosen itself on its own! Once you have found the proper balance and the neck has the relief you want tuned to pitch you are done. If that didn’t work let me know and we can see if more extreme measures need to be taken. No matter what DON’T FORCE ANYTHING! If you get frustrated set it down and come back later. Let me know how it goes and if this job seems out of your comfort zone take it to a professional.
Is it really important to wait out 2-3 hours after each adjustment (As I have read on google and few others who say wait it out 5-6 hours) .... I think this is being over dramatic ..... Would love to hear your thoughts on this please ... Thank you ! Subscribed liked and shared your channel with a Fb group of 353k bass players :) I'm from Dubai
Great question, and no… that’s just silly. But people are being cautious or repeating what a nimrod said that they heard (or both). Now it might move if there is something wrong, but… that is usually not the case. Here is what is important though. Always give it a bump righty tighty if you loosen it and it winds up perfect. If you don’t then mechanically it will want to continue loosening itself as you use the instrument. Maybe in a few minutes or maybe a few days but it will loosen if not bumped a little in the tightening position. It doesn’t take much, just a bump.
@@REXYLAB Already started applying the little bump solution since yesterday ... Heard you speak about it in the video 😉👍 Thanks once again you have been so kind and also so informative, cheers
I have an Yamaha RBX 375 and a part of the truss rod (about 0.25") it's below the neck, like if it had descended. Is this a problem? I'm asking because due to this I can't use the allen key there, due the reduced space. Great video, I learned a lot!!!
@@Kai-Riff no idea, never worked on one. That information should be available on their website. Dual action truss rods are cheap and plentiful though. If they don’t put one in there should be a very good reason for that.
Sir, I desperately need some help. I've been playing bass and have adjusted truss rods several times with no problems however I have a weird situation today. Using the righty tighty lefty loosey method from the headstock I weirdly find that when I turn it towards the left .. (Towards the G string (5 string bass guitar) .. my truss rod 'tightens' and the forward bow increases (making it very hard to play when turned to pitch). This is a Ibanez GSR205B (Great bass). I've worked on this for 3 days (total of about 8 hours) I am exhausted and disappointed. I want a straight neck for smooth easy playing. Again, the rod loosens when I turn the rod clockwise (towards the B string) and tighens when I turn it counterclockwise (towards the G string) ... why is this so ? Should I continue tightening it towards the G string to see what happens ? Does it do some sort of full rotation or does it reset ? ...... I imported this bass from Germany from a renowned Ibanez dealer (8 years ago) .. am surprised with this behavior ... I even tried loosening it (turning the rod towards the B ((clockwise) and when it's fully loose it's still forward bow ... no matter what I do I am not able to straighten it ... What could be going wrong here .. please help ..
I bet this is a dual action truss rod that has gotten too much lefty loosey. If that’s the case it needs to be returned to zero. Try going righty tighty and see if after it loosens up if it doesn’t start tightening it again. Do this with no string tension at all. If my guess isn’t correct it will just get looser. If I am correct it will loosen up as you go right and then reset itself and start to tighten. Do this gently and if you feel a little of resistance stop. One other way to tell if it is double action is to try to take off the truss rod nut. You can do that with a single action truss rod, no problem. But with a dual action it is welded on so it can’t come off. This is why you can actually force it into a back bow. Give that a try and if it works let me know. If it doesn’t stop and let me know that as well. I’m here to help so we will do our very best to fix this problem for you.
@@REXYLAB My GAAAADDDD it worked !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10 hours of stress all relieved ! I am so happy man ! I didn't know this for 2 decades of bas s playing ! You saved my LIFE and I feel fantastic ! Thank you thank you ! After three full turns it started getting Tighty and oh boy it's beautiful 😍 ! Your bet was jackpot right it's a Dual Action Truss Rod (Now I know) God bless man !!!
@@patrickdavid6525 it genuinely made my day that this solved your problem, deescalated your stress, and most importantly, got you playing your bass again. My channel is full of stuff like this and if you have anything you think I should do a video on let me know and perhaps I will.
Hi, I bought a used RGD71AL-ANB a couple years back, and the neck's always been straight and comfortable for me. Recently, a friend changing the strings found the truss rod was already at its limit, not tightening further. Any thoughts on what might be happening? I'm not savvy about guitar setup. As I said it's fine for now, but thinking ahead for a potential sale and wondering if this is what is called a maxed-out truss rod? If it is, I'll mention it when advertising. Kinda bummed the shop didn't give me a heads-up about it when I bought it
@@robruths why was this person tinkering with the truss rod if there was no problem with it? Did they do it under string tension or with the strings off or slack?
2022 Sire M7 6 string bass owner here. I'm facing a serious stripped truss rod problem after just 2 or 3 adjustments. Obviously the wrench it came with was too small and/or poor quality. It's a dual action truss rod, so replacement of the nut is not an option. Help?
Oh shit! First, stop and put it down. Resist the urge to mess with it until you’re head is completely clear and you are totally calm. Then carefully try to adjust it with absolutely zero string tension on it and a new wrench made out of the best metal possible (I suggest going to a very high end hardware store to find one, like Shannon hardware or the like. NOT Lowe’s or Home Depot or anything like that). Go slow and be careful. If at any moment things start going wrong, STOP! The urge to jump right in is usually very strong but it almost never serves you well in such a situation. Where is the adjustment and what is the wrench? I would guess it’s Allen if it’s dual action. Lastly, it can be fixed no matter what. Here is a link to a video I did replacing a truss rod on a very rare Jackson bass from 1988. I encourage you to watch it all the way through before you touch your bass so you understand fully how big a job it is to replace a truss rod. Do not despair, I am here to help. If it turns out you have no other opinion you could even send it to me for the repair. It would be expensive. After you see this video you will understand why. Let me know the wrench and location and I’ll give it some thought while you check out this link. th-cam.com/video/LSlijbt50ns/w-d-xo.html
@@REXYLAB I'm from Macedonia so repair is not an option. It was an allan wrench and the adjustment is at the headstock. Took it to a good local luthier and he is facing the same problems since literally every wrench he owns doesn't work. My last option is ordering a StewMac gripper luthier truss rod wrench which is speciffically (apparently) made for working on chewed up truss rods. The truss rod on this bass is 4mm so i guess i should order the 4mm triple band wrench?? Let me know what you think. I bought this bass last May and it cost 1300 euros ...brand new. I never had a problem like this with none of the bases i owned (Yamaha 6 string, Fender Steve Bailey 6 string, HB 7 String and many others). Thank you for the quick reply.
@@stratrovarius wow! One of my videos made it to Macedonia! Give me just a moment because that is just so cool! Ok, back to your issue. Yes, the StewMac tool you speak of in that size is probably your best option. I can tell you with great confidence that StewMac tools are very good and their policy on replacing things if they fail is outstanding. I would absolutely adjust it into a slight backbow with no string tension and then gently loosen it to your desired level of straightness (however straight you like it) and then bump it slightly back to tighten like I showed in this video. If that does not work I will be happy to brainstorm ideas with you to make it right. I do believe that the StewMac tool should work. Just be careful and take your time. I still hope you watch the link I sent you. I’m really proud of that job and it will show how involved replacing a truss rod is.
So...on 11:24 you point out that the nut is loose for a significant amount of turns until it starts tighning again. Is it possible that the nut on bass is also in loose position,but the luthier think is actually worn out?????? (I know i tightened the neck pretty much to get low action before taking it to him for a set up and string changing). I'm still gonna order the Gripper truss wrench, anyways.
@@stratrovarius if you can’t feel the wrench biting in the truss rod or slipping then it is not just loose. The best thing you can do in this situation is not touch it until you get the new tool. I know the urge to try anything is strong but resist it. If you checked out the link I sent you will see how the people that destroyed the truss rod in that Bass mangled that thing. It is obvious to me they were trying to take every possible shortcut instead of just fixing the problem correctly. By the time the owner brought it to me he was so frustrated about it that he was ready to burn it in his backyard rather than just leave it to be fixed. I still don’t understand that mentality but he was about to do it. Get the StewMac tool and do it right. Don’t look for shortcuts, at this point they will only make you wish you were patient after the fact.
Best video I've seen in a long time! Not a wasted second, great pace, and I agreed with everything you said! This is a model of guitar videos; I just came from and hour-long video of an idiot who sounded like he was sniffing glue.
@@FlipDahlenburg thank you so much! I hope you check out my channel and see if there is anything else you are interested in.
@@FlipDahlenburg I totally forgot to mention I work for Kahler now and have written a pdf on how to make your guitar or bass play great. You get it free if you sign up for our mailing list and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $2,500 custom Fender American Strat that I rewired and installed all kinds of custom stuff on. The only emails you will get ver get from us will be written by me and will have helpful stuff.
kahlerusa.com/subscribe
Absolutely great channel , the way u teach is so clear and u don’t make it so confusing! Thx subbed!
@@satchrules101 thank you! If you are interested I host a weekly podcast with Gary Kahler on the Kahler TH-cam channel.
I have relocated my entire setup to Kahler and once everything is setup I will be right back to doing more Rexylab videos on everything guitar and bass.
I knew little about truss rods and wondered why it had that mid point where it was tightening either way. Now I know. Double-action. Thanks for the great video!
Very happy to help! I have lots of things like this on my channel. Consider this your invitation to dig through the content.
Best video on truss rods probably ever made.. thanks. I work on guitars and I still found this very informative
Thank you so much!
I do everything I can to help people understand their guitars and basses. I also only say things I can back up in the moment on camera so people can see it work.
I have a series I’m doing called “would a Floyd Rose by any other name play as sweet” about how to set up a Floyd property and other vibrato systems are being added as I have time. Story of my life, I have everything but the time.
I also do some pretty wacky stuff with electronics.
I’d love to have you if you’re so inclined to subscribe and hit that silly little bell.
Again, thank you so much for the compliment. It means the world to me to share my passion for guitars with other people who would enjoy it.
th-cam.com/play/PLrFyjrwqOCJzECnaTZv2MhFZak4fdkWMf.html
One of the most important videos any bassist/guitarist could ever watch. Great job!
You are correct, this is so important and everyone who plays should know how to do it.
This video saved me from going insane today .. very true super important video
Hey man I love your channel. I'm a bassist and I just got into doing my own set ups over the past year (after like 20 yrs of playing... yikes lol). I have been making truss rod adjustments on all of my instruments with great results, except for one..... My baby, my Warwick Corvette Pro line (German made) i put too much force into tightening it one day and (GASP!!!), twisted the neck at the headstock..... its basically firewood now..... this was a very expensive lesson learned...... now for my questions: Q 1 Is it safe or recommended to tighten or loosen the rod while the strings are under tension? I always tuned the bass to the pitch that I want to set up at and then start tightening/loosening. And Q # 2, how do you know if your truss rod is maxed out? Is the rod done when that happens? Or can it be reset, loosened back into its zero position? Just need some more understanding of this and so I dont make any costly mistakes ever again.. i also want to know when making a purchase in the future, if what I am looking at is actually fire wood if you catch my drift
Just found the Channel!! Already super helpful!!
Awesome! Let me know if you have anything your interested in and perhaps I’ll make a video about it.
You have a good 👍🏽 channel man. Subscribed and hit the bell.
Thank you so much! Lots more to come.
Great video
Thank you!
Got an EVH Wolfgang - really like that large wheel for adjustment first time seeing it. Seems like it will really help me track prrecisely how many turns I put in (especially after a long time) Though I haven't used it yet
That big wheel is nice and easy to access for sure!
EVH guitars are so cool! But, I mean… look who started the company.
do you have any tips on removing a stripped 4mm truss rod nut? sometimes cheep replacement necks are cheep replacement necks. (Telecaster style)
Get an easy out from a hardware store and give that a try. If that doesn’t work let me know.
@@REXYLAB will look for one in the morning.
@@dane6k6 be very careful when using it.
The number 1 rule of Guitar repair is Don’t Force It!
I built truss rods at Warmoth for a while
Then I might have a neck with one of your truss rods in it.
I got my first warmoth in 1988. I have a guitar with a warmoth neck made in about 2007. Currently I have 5 warmoth necks waiting for builds and I’m about to order another one. You probably noticed two of the necks I showed were warmoth.
I also grew up by trout lake and 5 mile lake and went to Fife high school. I lived about 30 minutes away from warmoth and have had friends that worked there.
When Amy friend Angie and I started The Squishy Guitar Project, a nonprofit organization that gives guitars to children with rare and terminal diseases she wanted our flagship custom guitar to be the best. I told her we needed to start with warmoth parts then.
In a surprising turn of events, Sandy refused the payment. Warmoth donated $2,000 worth of bodies and necks to our little nonprofit!
So, I love warmoth! It is very cool that you worked there! I have nothing but positive things to say about them.
Hi,
Thank you very much for the video, I found it quite instructional.
When it comes to the adjustment of dual-truss rods basses (e.g. the Yamaha TRB1006J -6 string, 40" radius-), I've read different resources on the internet, where they suggest adjusting the treble section first, and then the bass, or adjusting both at the same time (under the assumption that unequal tension will lead to neck twist).
Can you share some of your thoughts on this matter?
Best,
Yoshua
That is a very good question. In order to answer it thoroughly I’m going to suggest another one of my videos on the Rickenbacker bass that has dual truss rods. The link will be below.
First though I will say that it doesn’t matter what side you start with as long as you go slowly and in small increments. Take your time to feel the tension on the rod you are working on. Don’t get it to tight and then move to the other one. Move back and forth between them so that the tension is even.
Above all else take your time and do not force anything. If it feels stiff that’s ok, just use caution.
If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll be as helpful as I can be.
Here’s the link to the Rickenbacker video.
th-cam.com/video/unYhQ7DrF4Q/w-d-xo.html
Worked on a friends Fender Tele..Truss rod moves freely in both directions from a neutral threaded position. However multiple turns clockwise resulted in marginal changes in flattening out the neck. Eventually the truss rod reaches a stopping point. Additional torque was applied within my comfort level at which point I stopped. Still can't get the neck as flat as I like. Not sure what the issue is. Thoughts?
First, good for you for stopping when you were no longer comfortable.
Is it a upbow, strings way high on the fretboard? Also, can the trussrod nut be removed?
I have that same weird Jackson bass, but I initially used an undersized allen key and now the nut is totally rounded out. I’ve tried to force multiple bits in and even tried to get the nut to turn by “chiseling” a torque to the side of the nut - but, the nut just won’t turn. Now, the nut is really marred up. The rod is actually loose inside the neck, as I see it wiggle a little in the groove. I’m hoping I can get the nut off and just replace it, given the rod’s threads are still in tact. Any advice or next steps you can offer? Screw extractor, perhaps? There’s not a ton of room/access, of course, even with the strings removed.
Shit, I hate to tell you this but if you’re talking about the Jackson 5 string that nut is welded on.
The only way is to pull the fretboard and replace the entire rod. I’ll include a link to the video where I do this very thing.
I don’t recommend it.
In the future always only use the tool that fits, never force anything, and if you’re getting frustrated walk away until you have had time to mellow out.
I’ll post a short titled double action truss rod to show why what I’m saying is true.
Rescuing A 1988 USA Jackson Custom Shop Bass
th-cam.com/video/LSlijbt50ns/w-d-xo.html
@@REXYLAB why is the nut welded on? isn’t the whole design intent for it to turn?
Nice video. Thanks. I have an inexpensive tele with a heel wheel adjuster. I can turn it both ways all day long and zero tension on it. I want to take some of the relief out of it. What’s the deal with the wheel? Do I have to take the neck off to fix it? Thanks.
@@kenblevins3611 if it spins freely then it has either come off the rod or something else is going on. If you work it clockwise it should get tighter.
@@REXYLAB thanks. I’ll try again.
What are you talking about at the end when you mention the single truss rod when you said take the thing off... take what off? What is the thing?the whole truss rod? Or just the nut? I assume you meant just the nut right?
@@brianbaker5640 give me a timestamps I know what part you’re talking about.
The stewmac truss rod rescue tool isn't really that expensive. The one you show here is the whole master kit for all possible truss rods, but you can get just the parts you need for your own situation. It is under 300 dollars. $260 or someting like that, which is way cheaper than a good neck. Especially if you want a factory replacement for a Fender, or you are dealing with a set neck guitar, or an acoustic. I got one for my '67 Gibson J 45. It was a life saver.
Just thought I'd make that clear. It isn't prohibitively spendy at all.
That is true. The option I showed was for every truss rod. But this video was for every truss rod so I wanted to show what it would cost to have the ability to fix them all.
StewMac is great. I have lots of their tools and plan on getting lots more. They back their tools up 100% with a fantastic guarantee as well.
However, the point of this video is to NOT need that tool in the first place. Therefore I was going for a bit of sticker shock to encourage people to just be careful and research how to adjust their truss rod in the first place.
You can get a top notch neck from Warmoth for less than $260 right now but if you’re trying to save a vintage neck the StewMac tool is definitely not only cheaper but also totally worth it.
So to sum up, I agree with you but for the reasons stated I presented the information the way I did on purpose. I hope that clears things up, and thank you for watching and commenting. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.
@@REXYLAB I want to make it clear I didn't mean to sound overly critical. It's a good video. I just wanted to make sure people knew that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. And the StewMac tool isn't something just anyone should attempt either. It does rquire a certain amount of experience with wood working tools, and rethreading the rod could get ugly if you aren't careful. It's certainly easier to bolt on a drop in replacement neck.
Keep up the videos. We can use all the info we can get to keep our instruments playing great. They always need something. They do wear out. Just like us.
@@onusgumboot5565 I didn’t take your comment as overly critical at all. You certainly have a good point about not having to get the entire tool.
You also have another good point about the fact that owning a tool and being competent in its use are two different things.
I certainly hope you keep watching my videos and if you have anything to add in the comments I’m happy to have a pleasant exchange anytime.
My main goal has been and will continue to be to provide as much information about this stuff as I can. Certainly nobody can know everything so it always makes me happy when the guitar community chimes in and helps out. Because we are a community united in our love of guitars.
Therefore I appreciate you contributing to the subject. Please continue to do so, you are a valued member of the guitar community with experience to offer.
Hi great video. My brand new Yamaha TBRX. 174 came with an Allen key that is too loose for the truss rod. It’s a 4mm. I tried a 4.5 mm and that is too big. So it’s between standard sizes. How would you recommend adjusting this?
Sorry I’m just seeing this now. It’s a Yamaha so it’s metric. That being said it won’t be a weird metric size. I would look very close
To see if it’s stripped or if maybe it is meant to be adjusted with a traditional truss rod wrench and not an Allan wrench.
For what it’s worth my Yamaha bass is a heel adjustment and it takes a 5mm. Let me know what you figure out.
Squire strat ' truss rod is maxed out ' still too much forwards bow. Already tried forceing a back bow and tightened it up' still too much forwards bow.
Can I shim it with a small washer to get more adjustment?
That is something people sometimes do but it’s kind of risky. Reason being those threads are only so strong. I have seen people over tighten them and just shred the threads to where the truss rod needs to be replaced.
That is a big job and not worth doing on a squire so I would avoid that at all costs.
There is a good chance it has been adjusted wrong or under tension where those tiny threads are expected to do all the work. Here is what I suggest you try.
The first thing I would do is back off the string tension all the way and then take the nut to adjust the truss rod completely off (if it’s dual action you can’t take it off but I’m willing to bet it’s single action because I’ve never heard of fender doing dual action truss rods on a squire).
While the nut is off use a Q-tip to put Vaseline or bees wax on the threads and the Bering surface of the nut. Friction is the enemy and you want it to be as smooth as possible.
Before reinstalling the nut look very close for any damage. I have had occasions where someone said they wanted a simple neck adjustment and the neck was broken or the truss rod was damaged. It’s important to take your time and be sure.
Get a straight edge and check how flat your neck is with no strings on and the truss rod nut still uninstalled. In extreme cases it might have been left this way so long that the wood is warped and more extreme measures need to be taken, let’s hope that isn’t the case.
If you do not have a straight edge (notched for guitar is best) you can substitute a metal yardstick or something like that. Understand that is not ideal and you’re just seeing how badly bowed it is.
Reinstall the truss rod nut that has Vaseline or beeswax on the threads and bearing surface. Tighten it until it is in a back bow. Be firm but don’t force it.
Reinstall the strings and tune to pitch. If you were successful you might not be able to do this because of the back bow forcing the strings on the fretboard, this is good. Gently loosen the truss rod nut as to relax the neck out of the back bow.
This part is important, loosen it in small increments and give it a little bump back, righty tighty after loosening it. With the lubed threads if you don’t give it a bump into tighten mode it will gradually loosen itself on its own!
Once you have found the proper balance and the neck has the relief you want tuned to pitch you are done.
If that didn’t work let me know and we can see if more extreme measures need to be taken.
No matter what DON’T FORCE ANYTHING! If you get frustrated set it down and come back later.
Let me know how it goes and if this job seems out of your comfort zone take it to a professional.
Is it really important to wait out 2-3 hours after each adjustment (As I have read on google and few others who say wait it out 5-6 hours) .... I think this is being over dramatic ..... Would love to hear your thoughts on this please ... Thank you ! Subscribed liked and shared your channel with a Fb group of 353k bass players :) I'm from Dubai
Great question, and no… that’s just silly.
But people are being cautious or repeating what a nimrod said that they heard (or both).
Now it might move if there is something wrong, but… that is usually not the case.
Here is what is important though. Always give it a bump righty tighty if you loosen it and it winds up perfect. If you don’t then mechanically it will want to continue loosening itself as you use the instrument. Maybe in a few minutes or maybe a few days but it will loosen if not bumped a little in the tightening position. It doesn’t take much, just a bump.
@@REXYLAB Already started applying the little bump solution since yesterday ... Heard you speak about it in the video 😉👍 Thanks once again you have been so kind and also so informative, cheers
I have an Yamaha RBX 375 and a part of the truss rod (about 0.25") it's below the neck, like if it had descended. Is this a problem? I'm asking because due to this I can't use the allen key there, due the reduced space.
Great video, I learned a lot!!!
Shoot me some pics to eddie@rexylab.net and we’ll figure it out.
Is the Stingray 5 bass equipped with a dual-action truss rod?
@@Kai-Riff no idea, never worked on one. That information should be available on their website.
Dual action truss rods are cheap and plentiful though. If they don’t put one in there should be a very good reason for that.
Sir, I desperately need some help. I've been playing bass and have adjusted truss rods several times with no problems however I have a weird situation today. Using the righty tighty lefty loosey method from the headstock I weirdly find that when I turn it towards the left .. (Towards the G string (5 string bass guitar) .. my truss rod 'tightens' and the forward bow increases (making it very hard to play when turned to pitch). This is a Ibanez GSR205B (Great bass). I've worked on this for 3 days (total of about 8 hours) I am exhausted and disappointed. I want a straight neck for smooth easy playing.
Again, the rod loosens when I turn the rod clockwise (towards the B string) and tighens when I turn it counterclockwise (towards the G string) ... why is this so ? Should I continue tightening it towards the G string to see what happens ? Does it do some sort of full rotation or does it reset ? ...... I imported this bass from Germany from a renowned Ibanez dealer (8 years ago) .. am surprised with this behavior ... I even tried loosening it (turning the rod towards the B ((clockwise) and when it's fully loose it's still forward bow ... no matter what I do I am not able to straighten it ...
What could be going wrong here .. please help ..
I bet this is a dual action truss rod that has gotten too much lefty loosey. If that’s the case it needs to be returned to zero. Try going righty tighty and see if after it loosens up if it doesn’t start tightening it again.
Do this with no string tension at all. If my guess isn’t correct it will just get looser. If I am correct it will loosen up as you go right and then reset itself and start to tighten.
Do this gently and if you feel a little of resistance stop.
One other way to tell if it is double action is to try to take off the truss rod nut. You can do that with a single action truss rod, no problem. But with a dual action it is welded on so it can’t come off. This is why you can actually force it into a back bow.
Give that a try and if it works let me know. If it doesn’t stop and let me know that as well. I’m here to help so we will do our very best to fix this problem for you.
@@REXYLAB My GAAAADDDD it worked !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10 hours of stress all relieved ! I am so happy man ! I didn't know this for 2 decades of bas s playing ! You saved my LIFE and I feel fantastic ! Thank you thank you ! After three full turns it started getting Tighty and oh boy it's beautiful 😍 ! Your bet was jackpot right it's a Dual Action Truss Rod (Now I know) God bless man !!!
@@patrickdavid6525 it genuinely made my day that this solved your problem, deescalated your stress, and most importantly, got you playing your bass again.
My channel is full of stuff like this and if you have anything you think I should do a video on let me know and perhaps I will.
@@REXYLAB Thank you ! 🙌
Hi, I bought a used RGD71AL-ANB a couple years back, and the neck's always been straight and comfortable for me. Recently, a friend changing the strings found the truss rod was already at its limit, not tightening further. Any thoughts on what might be happening? I'm not savvy about guitar setup. As I said it's fine for now, but thinking ahead for a potential sale and wondering if this is what is called a maxed-out truss rod? If it is, I'll mention it when advertising. Kinda bummed the shop didn't give me a heads-up about it when I bought it
Were really heavy strings put on it for some reason? Drop tuning perhaps?
@@REXYLAB It has 0.10 strings (same as before), It's standard tuning
@@robruths and it’s a fixed bridge no whammy bar, correct?
@@REXYLAB That's correct, no whammy bar
@@robruths why was this person tinkering with the truss rod if there was no problem with it? Did they do it under string tension or with the strings off or slack?
2022 Sire M7 6 string bass owner here.
I'm facing a serious stripped truss rod problem after just 2 or 3 adjustments. Obviously the wrench it came with was too small and/or poor quality. It's a dual action truss rod, so replacement of the nut is not an option. Help?
Oh shit!
First, stop and put it down. Resist the urge to mess with it until you’re head is completely clear and you are totally calm.
Then carefully try to adjust it with absolutely zero string tension on it and a new wrench made out of the best metal possible (I suggest going to a very high end hardware store to find one, like Shannon hardware or the like. NOT Lowe’s or Home Depot or anything like that). Go slow and be careful. If at any moment things start going wrong, STOP!
The urge to jump right in is usually very strong but it almost never serves you well in such a situation.
Where is the adjustment and what is the wrench? I would guess it’s Allen if it’s dual action.
Lastly, it can be fixed no matter what. Here is a link to a video I did replacing a truss rod on a very rare Jackson bass from 1988. I encourage you to watch it all the way through before you touch your bass so you understand fully how big a job it is to replace a truss rod.
Do not despair, I am here to help. If it turns out you have no other opinion you could even send it to me for the repair. It would be expensive. After you see this video you will understand why.
Let me know the wrench and location and I’ll give it some thought while you check out this link.
th-cam.com/video/LSlijbt50ns/w-d-xo.html
@@REXYLAB I'm from Macedonia so repair is not an option. It was an allan wrench and the adjustment is at the headstock. Took it to a good local luthier and he is facing the same problems since literally every wrench he owns doesn't work. My last option is ordering a StewMac gripper luthier truss rod wrench which is speciffically (apparently) made for working on chewed up truss rods. The truss rod on this bass is 4mm so i guess i should order the 4mm triple band wrench?? Let me know what you think. I bought this bass last May and it cost 1300 euros ...brand new. I never had a problem like this with none of the bases i owned (Yamaha 6 string, Fender Steve Bailey 6 string, HB 7 String and many others). Thank you for the quick reply.
@@stratrovarius wow! One of my videos made it to Macedonia! Give me just a moment because that is just so cool!
Ok, back to your issue.
Yes, the StewMac tool you speak of in that size is probably your best option. I can tell you with great confidence that StewMac tools are very good and their policy on replacing things if they fail is outstanding.
I would absolutely adjust it into a slight backbow with no string tension and then gently loosen it to your desired level of straightness (however straight you like it) and then bump it slightly back to tighten like I showed in this video.
If that does not work I will be happy to brainstorm ideas with you to make it right. I do believe that the StewMac tool should work.
Just be careful and take your time.
I still hope you watch the link I sent you. I’m really proud of that job and it will show how involved replacing a truss rod is.
So...on 11:24 you point out that the nut is loose for a significant amount of turns until it starts tighning again. Is it possible that the nut on bass is also in loose position,but the luthier think is actually worn out?????? (I know i tightened the neck pretty much to get low action before taking it to him for a set up and string changing). I'm still gonna order the Gripper truss wrench, anyways.
@@stratrovarius if you can’t feel the wrench biting in the truss rod or slipping then it is not just loose.
The best thing you can do in this situation is not touch it until you get the new tool.
I know the urge to try anything is strong but resist it.
If you checked out the link I sent you will see how the people that destroyed the truss rod in that Bass mangled that thing. It is obvious to me they were trying to take every possible shortcut instead of just fixing the problem correctly.
By the time the owner brought it to me he was so frustrated about it that he was ready to burn it in his backyard rather than just leave it to be fixed.
I still don’t understand that mentality but he was about to do it.
Get the StewMac tool and do it right. Don’t look for shortcuts, at this point they will only make you wish you were patient after the fact.