Save my neck - truss rod at max

mikem8634

I picked up a secondhand Guitarbuild neck a while ago on ebay. I finally got around to using it and there is still relief in it despite the truss being fully tightened. I would try a washer but the nut (heel end/vintage Phillips) just turns when loosened and doesn't come off.

Now, the action is playable, but the real issue is that I bought this to try out a couple of things - really chunky profile and a compound radius - and I'm just not getting along with them.

So, in an ideal world I would move it on, but I'm not going to do that if the truss rod is knackered. It's 1 piece maple with a skunk stripe and plug which isn't exactly ideal for a truss rod repair.

Is it salvageable?

SteveRobinson

If the nut tightens then the rod is probably okay. If you can loosen it then maybe it's just jammed against the sides of the channel? Can you get pliers on it to pull it out? Maybe a self tapper down the middle if there is a hole in the centre of the nut?

ICBM

SteveRobinson said:

If the nut tightens then the rod is probably okay. If you can loosen it then maybe it's just jammed against the sides of the channel? Can you get pliers on it to pull it out? Maybe a self tapper down the middle if there is a hole in the centre of the nut?

This, or fold a piece of thin card around the end of a screwdriver so it's a really tight fit in the slot, then it should be possible to pull the nut out. In the worst case, epoxy something into the slot - you'll be able to clean it up later with heat once it's out of the neck.

mikem8634

Great advice @SteveRobinson. It was really jammed in there. But now it's out, many thanks. The end of the truss rod is a good half inch down the channel, it's going to be a bit a bit of a faff getting a washer down there.

I'm made up that this one isn't a total write off as it's a really nice neck. Wisdom to the rescue again.

mikem8634

Ordered some 10mm M5 washers from ebay but seeing as the channel seems so narrow I also ordered some 9mm diameter M5's from here - https://www.accu.co.uk/en/flat-washers/404914-HRDW-M5-A4.

I'm sure they've taken a half day after my mega order!

DrBob

Sorry for the slight thread derail but chunky profile & a compound radius sounds dreamy ! I’d always assumed GuitarBuild necks would be generic “C”

mikem8634

No problem @DrBob the chap I bought it from said it was a custom build. These are the specs -

Stainless Steel frets, medium jumbo
 
Profile - chunky 50s 

Radius - compound 7.5" to 10" 

Frets - 22 

Scale length - 25.5" 

Tusq nut 

 

Width at nut - 42.5mm 

Width at 12th fret - 51.5mm 

 

Width at heel - 56mm 

Depth at heel - 26mm 

 

Thickness at 1st fret - 24mm 

Thickness at 12th fret - 25mm 

 

Inlays - black side dots only

Heel Truss

DrBob

That sounds killer man !