truss rod unthreading

[Dan Erlewine]

I saw a post on the other Fender Forum re: a fellow "unthreading" his broken Jazz Bass truss rod. He had his terminology mixed up (referring to "hex" in some weird way). The gist was that he had pulled the rod half-way out of the neck and needed advice.

Someone sad that Fender truss rods don't "unthread." I know that some don't, but I seem to recall unthreading one and replacing it quite a few years back (that is why I don't recall it exactly - I know I have done some repairs that I was quite pleased with in the past, but then years later I cannot necessarily recall "how" I did the repair).

I do know that I removed the fretboard between the nut and first fret on one Strat from the early 60s, cut the anchor lug, put in a new threaded lug, and inserted a threaded-lug-connecting truss rod by turning it into the lug with a special tool I made that captured the opposite threaded end of the truss rod and it had a set-screw on the butt-end of the rod to enable turning the entire rod. It worked. I still have the weird one-off tool in a drawer (that is how I recall that one).

By the way, many many times I find a strange caul, jig, or Rube-Goldberg-style tool from years past that I cannot for the life of me figure out what it does! Does this happen to some of you?

Anyhow, the "lifted" fingerboard piece shrank in width instantly and needed to have a matching piece grafted on before replacing. In the end the repair was invisible.

That is one repair I remember. However, does anyone know IF in some years, Fender had a threaded rod-to-lug connection instead of a peened-joint or welded joint?

I have not needed to repair such truss rods too often, and without doing some research with friends at Fender, I don't know. That thread did get my curiosity, though, and if I go back to that thread I would like to help him out.

I asked the fellow what year? what model? why did he get halfway out and stop? Which end of neck was it adjustable?, and etc. Haven't seen the answer.

Also, I made mention there of this new Fender Forum, and its sister Les Paul forum, and that I am not guitar-political. I haven't been banned there yet which I think is a good sign.

When we have the time, all of us will visit and post at guitar forums that make us feel welcome, and attract our interest. I have a good deal of time invested in these two "sister" forums, and feel as if I have made friends here. There are friends and good topics at the other forum(s) too, however.

thanks, dan

[Scott Lentz]

Dan I repaired a Fender rod once it was a rosewood board and I went in from the top between the first and the nut. I drilled ahole through the rod and anchored a stainless pin through the block and rod! removered the first fret and and fit a piece of rosewood and it was invisable!! If the rod will not go all the way back in the block you have a serious problem! And if its a maple neck there is the problem of matching the maple and the finish, all and all not a job for a unexperienced, or a set up shop.

[Dan Erlewine]

Scott: Thanks! I have pinned a couple myself. If you had the right piece of rosewood to match then you were in luck! I suspect that you save alot of scrap wood, right? To someone starting out (or to an old-timer for that matter) two of the best tips I can give (and one is actually sort of a "secret," but there are no secrets here in the shop) are: 1) save scrap woods that are used in guitars for use later in patching ; 2) the "secret" is: buy "basket case" guitars cheap when you can JUST for the wood in repair work.

It has been invaluable to me on repairs of (especially) vintage acoustic guitars, to have a fair number of chunks, bits, and pieces of old Martin, Gibson, Gretsch, Harmony, and etc. guitars.

If anyone has some junk stuff out there, and you don't plan on getting into the biz, please email me. I always want broken wood from guitars.

I also save ALOT of used frets from guitars during a refret - only the good ones (usually at the upper end) and re-use them for partial fret replacements later.

I also save WAY too much JUNK, too. I admit to being a pack-rat.

de

[Ed Rafalko]

I have a buncha korina scraps.;)

[frey]

Dan how the hell did ya cut that out of there?
there isnt much room there what did ya use to get that out.
I allways wondered how you would ever get it threaded back in
so when I make my necks and my own rods I lay it in and
silicone it in place at the end then glue up the fingerboard.
Then once its dry it would be in place if it were to be backed out
then i might get lucky and get it back in. Not that Id take it out...
I worry every time I route that area for the anchor to sit in
cause when I shape the neck on back im just waiting to see rod
never have thankfully...wondering how that was cut out of there
no room at all there.....neat idea ...!
my guess was dremel tool with cutoff wheel?
steady handed work there indeed.

[frey]

Scott I think i saw pictures of that job you did correct me if im wrong a small rectangular piece was taken out and replaced back in. I was amazed at that the repair was virtually invisable.
Rosewood dust and epoxy? great job on that one seems to be a real headache to get back in there. If the rod busts and the other end was welded or peened then ya got to go fishing in there..
I take it you heated the rosewood there with iron to get glue to soften or was all the wood lost there and you had to match afterwards how would that small square lift out unless heated..
for maple id almost consider drilling the plug from the headstock side unless you could blend that maple..on rosewoods the
anchor is in between first fret and nut but on maples it seems you
must get that anchor up from heel side into headstock end and
then plug from other end just curious how deep they went
guess the only way to know is xray...ill ask for my 59 neck and see what it would cost later on this...I know a dentist and he may do it for me now i gotta know too... good question

[Dan Erlewine]

Originally posted by frey
Dan how the hell did ya cut that out of there?
there isnt much room there what did ya use to get that out.
I allways wondered how you would ever get it threaded back in
so when I make my necks and my own rods I lay it in and
silicone it in place at the end then glue up the fingerboard.
Then once its dry it would be in place if it were to be backed out
then i might get lucky and get it back in. Not that Id take it out...
I worry every time I route that area for the anchor to sit in
cause when I shape the neck on back im just waiting to see rod
never have thankfully...wondering how that was cut out of there
no room at all there.....neat idea ...!
my guess was dremel tool with cutoff wheel?
steady handed work there indeed.

FREY: You are right, there wasn't any room to get down in there with a hack-saw or torch. I believe I used a rotary-handpiece or Dremel tool and wasted a few cutter-bits in the process. I don't think it was an abrasive cutoff wheel. I know it wasn't.

dan

[Jim Shine]

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember Bryan used a dental burr in a Dremel tool to cut the rod in a Jazzmaster restoration he did for you (it was a '64ish Jazz done in Candy apple red).

[Teleologist]

I only hope that if I ever break a rod, it'll be one of the new-style 'user-replaceable' stovebolt types in my newer Rickenbackers. ;-) I've often wondered why builders don't use this type of rod on bolt-on guitars? It's self-anchoring and could go in from either end(needs a headstock plug though)????