Trussrod - can't tighten it

Strat_a_tat_tat

Your advice would be appreciated...

CS Fender Strat... the trussrod  adjustment is the old fashioned sort (ie remove the neck and use a flat head screwdriver to tighten / loosen). Trouble is... I'm trying to reduce the amount of relief in the neck - and the trussrod is incredibly tight. So tight that I can't turn it any further.

I've tried slackening the rod and retightening (only a couple of times) and it still doesn't get past the same point of adjustment when I try to tighten it up again.

Is there any way I can remedy this? Any cunning tricks of the trade?

richardhomer

It could have run out of thread - which is why you can't tighten it any more. This is highly unusual on a quality guitar - if you've bought it recently, I would be returning it, if I were you.

One possible cure, is to remove the adjustment screw and find a washer that will fit behind it that is thick enough to give you some extra adjustment - but thin enough to not make the nut proud of the butt of the neck, preventing you from refitting it to the body.

Strat_a_tat_tat

@richardhomer Thanks for the suggestion. I'd be surprised if it's run out of thread. I've owned the guitar from new (about 7 years) and it's never had a lot of rod adjustment (just the usual small adjustments for Spring and late Autumn that most Fenders seen to need... so it gets tightened about half a turn... then slackened about half a turn... most years)

thermionic

I bought my Strat new (a MIM, not a CS) and it had that problem from the off. A spacer fixed it - I used a lockring from a bike inner tube valve, ground down the knurling on a dremel. It's a common problem, due to the wood behind the nut compressing.

Dan Erlewine mentions this fix in one of his books, and that's good enough for me!

WezV

I would at least try taking the nut off and reassembling because you may find the issue when you do... might as well stick a washer in there whilst you can.

stickyfiddle

I have the same issue on my strat. For a heel adjusting rod, is it literally a question of loosening the rod until the nut falls off, then putting it back with a washer included? 

ICBM

Yes.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Thanks for all the advice.

So... I've never taken a truss rod apart.  Scary stuff! 

Is it just a case of undoing the nut that's at the heel end of the neck? Is it that simple - or is there any stuff to be aware of?

WezV

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Thanks for all the advice.

So... I've never taken a truss rod apart.  Scary stuff! 

Is it just a case of undoing the nut that's at the heel end of the neck? Is it that simple - or is there any stuff to be aware of?

It's that simple on a vintage rod

vertigo88

Clamping the neck into a back bow and then tightening up the truss rod has worked well for me in the past. If you search "Dan Erlewine straightening a vintage bass neck" into youtube he explains how do it.