is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

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noirengineer
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is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by noirengineer » Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:54 pm

I recently saw a an ad for a vintage fender neck, it was pretty
cheap.. but the only problem was the truss rod was messed up and
part of the end of the rod was removed to fix it at one point, but didn't
work i guess...  the seller mentioned can be fixed by good luthier..

is this true?  what's involved?  typically expensive ? will it mess it up in the end?

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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by Stereordinary » Tue Sep 09, 2008 2:41 pm

It depends on how it's broken.  I don't totally follow what "part of the end of the rod was removed to fix it" or for that matter what other damage may be involved, but I'd say that 90% of the time a truss rod is fixable.  What kind of neck is it specifically?  I may be intereted if you don't go for it, because I'd love to take a crack at the repair myself.
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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by noirengineer » Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:00 pm

"Truss rod is non-functioning.  It was repaired at one time and a small
piece was taken out of the heel to access the tightener."


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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by Stereordinary » Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:02 pm

It looks like it's just a missing nut.  You can get a replacement from StewMac for only a couple bucks.
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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by theworkoffire » Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:55 pm

I'd expect the thread is stripped - I doubt someone would remove wood from (under?) the heel if it was just a missing nut. If it is a stripped thread it will need the truss hole drilling with a special hollow bit and a new thread on the shaft - StewMac sell the tools. You should ask the seller if they can still see the end of the rod in the hole.

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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by zhivago » Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:37 am

check out this thread...

index.php?topic=163.0

I posted this a while back...in the pdf you can see step by step truss rod replacement on a '64 Jazzmaster

enjoy :)
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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by theworkoffire » Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:32 am

zhivago wrote: check out this thread...

index.php?topic=163.0

I posted this a while back...in the pdf you can see step by step truss rod replacement on a '64 Jazzmaster

enjoy :)
Not a repair for the faint-hearted!

I always forget about that article - absolutely fantastic.

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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by zhivago » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:15 am

I still have the magazine...it's beginning to fall apart, but I still got it...13 years later :)
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Re: is a broken truss rod on a vintage neck fixable?

Post by fullerplast » Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:25 am

On my '63 Jag the truss rod anchor broke loose. The guys at Lay's guitar removed the fretboard at the first fret, reattached the anchor and replaced the rosewood with a matching piece... The repair was all-but-invisible.
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