I have not interacted much within the forums but I have read many posts. It is definitely one of the friendliest networks I have kept up with and now that I have run into a bit of a dilemma, I was wondering if anyone in here has some advice.
I recently got a used US G&L L2000. It looked good and sounded good but when I got it home to do a full setup I found that the truss rod nut was seized. Trying to turn a negative into a positive I contacted G&L for help. They advised me to replace the truss rod nut. So I bought one off their site. I replaced it but I have come to the realization that the trust rod is done.
I contacted G&L again to see if I could replace the neck. It is possible but it going to cost a minimum of $500 USD . I am at the point where spending more is not really an option.
I was thinking of offering the bass for $500 USD thinking someone who has the funds can essential get a neck of their choice which G&L will fit, assemble and setup (you have to send the bass into them).
Does that seem like something that someone would like to do and where is the best place to post it if so?
Ouch!
I came across a few trouble ones. Itās not terribly difficult if you have the skills and/or have done it a few times before. Thereās learning curve. Iād check on YouTube if thereās a way to loosen the truss rod maybe you get lucky. May be itās just some kind of glue that melted.
Almost every fix on the neck is big bucks. Here in SoCal my tech advertised on the website that fretwork starts at $400. Truss rod same.
Well, the easiest way is from the fingerboard removal. Iāve done it on my squier p bass. You also need to put a guide pin so everything go back to the same place.
I have watched one fretboard removal job to replace a trussrod and its no easy feat. I have done a lot of work on my basses but that job may be above my abilities. Additional Iād have to find a truss rod to replace the old one if it is mangled. I was lucky enough to get the old nut out. It oddly bent backwards into the wood. Even when I replaced it, as I screwed it in, the new nut began bending at an angle and into the wood of the nut hole.
If your local luthier said comparable neck work is $400, $500 is not too bad for a new neck. Even if I did eventually raise the funds to replace the neck, I now have a bad vibe about the situation which will not make the bass a joy to play. Sounds odd but thatās just me.
Thanks for the advice, Iāll tinker with the idea but with my limited wood work experience I probably have to find another solution.
āI now have a bad vibe about the situation which will not make the bass a joy to play. Sounds odd but thatās just me.ā
Not odd at all. If you donāt like whatās under your fingers, you wonāt get the best out of it. But can I offer another perspective? You could not have reasonably known this was a problem. So, of you were to spend the money and keep this bass in your collection, could you find many years of enjoyment in the knowledge this bass is fitted as best as it could be?
Thanks for the suggestion. I checked it out but Warmth doesnāt make them for G&L. There are a couple of others that may make a custom fit but considering the price I might as well keep it OEM.
It probably would be an even better instrument with a new OEM neck fitted and prepared by G&L. In the end its just me and how I feel about the whole situation. Iāll give it a bit more thought.
Another option is MJT. They do custom necks and have a very good reputation.
I agree that your situation sucks, and I would be having the same thoughts, wondering if itās worth trying to salvage. Are you sure the truss rod is broken or unworkable? It happens, certainly, but you have to really try to break a truss rod. Has a good luthier taken a look at it? If I missed that part of the conversation, I apologize.
I am rural so luthiers are a bit hard to get to. But you are right it does take a bit to break a truss rod. I have bought and sold many basses and guitars, even fixed a bunch, but never had or broke a truss rod.
To explain more in detail, as I always do when I get a new instrument, I preform a full setup, clean it up, get all specs back to factory measurements, new strings & battery, etc. The bass neck had a little too much bow so I went to straighten it out. As I tighten the truss rod nut, it felt very tight to the point that it did not want to move. After further inspection I noticed the nut was slightly bent back (away from the fretboard) into the wood. Thatās when I contacted G&L. I told them the nut was seized and if I continued to tighten the nut would begin to strip. They recommended to replace the nut with a 1/8" nut and pointed me to their website for purchased. This is where things started getting murkier. The nut I removed (and you can only remove the nut from basses 2014 and earlier, mine is a 2000) was a 4mm nut. According to their site 1/8" were used before 2006. So now I am thinking someone has had their hands in here before. I ordered both the 4mm and 1/8" nut.
To make a long story short both did not work out and both started to angle into the wood as it tightened as the previous one did. This happened with and without the spacers provided. I believe I could see a spacer already added to the threading of the truss rod. So now its a question of replace or release.
As a side note for anyone reading this. I should have 1. looked more careful into the truss rod area and seen slight marks from over use and 2. when buying parts look around for cheaper alternatives. Those 2 nuts cost me $70 CDN and I could of got the same nuts (by Fender same hex and thread size) for $30 off Amazon.
Thanks again to everyone for their input. I am going to try to become a more active member in these forums because you all have shown its a very friendly place.
Ah, okay, I didnāt realize you had that level of experience. I can do the basics, but encountering a truss rod that wonāt turn gets a solid, āNope!ā And it goes back into the case for someone else to deal with. It sounds like you have done just about everything you can do.
So, yeah, it is now a case of salvage job vs. catch ān release.
From what you describe, your truss rod isnāt broken, but perhaps marred threads?
As far as āfrozenā truss rods, folks talk about 3in1 oil as a remedy. Google over on talkbass for lots of ideas, did not find any on StewMac.
