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That darn truss rod nut
Hello everybody! First post here.
I have a Epiphone Texan FT-145, which I bought on eBay a year ago. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to get it checked up and drove out to a experienced repairman. He found that the truss rod nut has had quite a workover and it just wouldn't budge. He tried a couple of things, including drilling a whole straight through and trying to get it loose that way. Nothing helped. He even removed the saddle to get more room, to no avail. He then tried to dremel out a straight line, so a big flat head could be used instead. Nothing. Now I wanna try you guys, before I hang it on the wall one final time. Attached a pictures of the "massacre". Best regards, Shopped for clarifiction: Non-shopped: Last edited by Glennwillow; 10-29-2014 at 09:11 AM. Reason: language |
#2
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If they haven't been adjusted in a long time they can be buggers.
I'm assuming he's already tried a penetrating oil? Is enough of the nut exposed to cut through it? Heat? Maybe a high temp soldering gun directly against the nut? Heat the nut quickly so you don't damage the wood around it? Let us know how you get it resolved. Obviously the nut need to be replaced. |
#3
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Hi pfrost89...
First of all, Hello and Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined, and it's a bummer the nut is stuck. May I suggest a different repair person, perhaps a luthier (one who actually builds guitars)? Different guys, different skill levels and/or experience in the past. I have different repair techs I visit, and some are better at resolving rarer issues. We have one older gentleman (in his late 70s) who has been an authorized Martin tech for over 45 years. He is the best with stubborn instrument issues, because in 45 years, he's seen it all more than once...and figured out many ways to get things done. It would be better if you were to post a smaller version of your pictures, because your full-sized pics are causing the page to reformat and some of us are having to scroll to read your text (it's wider than the screen). Hope you get it resolved soon...that's not a situation which should cause you to hang it on the wall for a last time. |
#4
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I will give another guy a try then. Unfortunately, there isn't anybody else in my town, so I will have to wait a while, until I can afford to ship to another city.
I have downscaled the pictures - thank you for the advice! |
#5
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Just don't booger it up so no one can fix it for you.
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Blessings, Kip... My site: Personal Blog Yamaha LL16R-12 L Series A.R.E. Yamaha FG-75 Fender CF 60 CE Ibanez AF75TDG Epiphone Les Paul Std PlusPRO Eastman MB515 Mando Yamaha YPT230 Keyboard |
#6
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If you want to have another go at it I would get some Liquid Wrench. Apply a drop or two with the guitar sitting upright so gravity draws it in to the joint and let it soak over night. Then use some type of punch and hammer to gently tap it a few times. Do this for three or four days in a row very carefully and as neatly as you can. Then try to loosen it again.
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#7
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That **** truss rod nut
Welcome to the AGF!!!
Make certain you are turning the nut counterclockwise, to loosen it. Make sure your Allen wrench is the correct size, as they're not all the same. After allowing penetrating oil to seep in, it should turn easier, providing it's not cross-threaded. Is there enough room around the outside of the nut to grip it with a needle-nose Vise Grip? You didn't mention in your post the reason your tech wanted to adjust the truss rod. Is the relief out of spec? Let us know how you get it loose. Glen
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Yamaha FG-375S Jumbo Martin DXME/D-35E/DC Aura/000-14 Custom/D-16E Custom/ 000C Nylon/0000-28HE/Concept IV Jumbo/00-16C/D-4132SE Gibson LP Deluxe/ES-347 TD/Chet Atkins CE Fender MIA Deluxe Strat Art & Lutherie 12-string Bellucci Concert Sigma CR-7 Recording King ROS-06 FE3/RPH-05 D'Angelico "New Yorker" New Masters "Esperance SP" Hermosa AH-20 “I never met a guitar I didn't like.” |
#8
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Quote:
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Brandon "Life has no limit, if you're not afraid to get in it"-Mason Jennings |
#9
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May I suggest that you edit your profile to display your location? You may not know of other techs, but some other members may, could even be one that reads the forum.
Good luck with it. Joe
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#10
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You are using a nut driver with a 5/16" socket I hope!
Or a truss wrench like this one with a 5/16" socket: http://www.ebay.com/bhp/gibson-truss-rod-wrench If you're using a metric tool it won't be the right size and will strip the outside of the soft brass nut. You need a more skilled and more experienced repairman or luthier to work on this guitar. I suspect the guy you took it to lacks experience and I wouldn't let him work on my guitar any more if I were you. The nut is replaceable once you get it off -just don't damage the threads of the truss rod itself.
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Taylor 512...Taylor 710B...Blueridge BR163...Blueridge BR183a...all with K&K's & used w/RedEye preamps Seagull CW w/Baggs M1 pickup...National Vintage Steel Tricone...SWR California Blonde Amp |
#11
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Thank you all for the many replies and suggestions!
@Kip Carter I haven't been able to move the nut at all, so I'm sure it's not any worse than it was before. @Bingoccc I will give that a try, thanks! @scottishrogue It won't turn at all! The nut was stripped when I got it, so we have dremeled out for a flat head instead. There is not enough room to get vise grip in there. I have tried though! I will let you know, of course! @joemcg Done and done! Good advice! @Gypsyblue No nut driver. It was a hex the nut which was stripped when I got the guitar. As written, I will try another guy when I can afford it. |
#12
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Quote:
Good luck! It's not that bad, by the way. A new nut should fix it up. A skilled and experienced repair person should know just what to do.
__________________
Taylor 512...Taylor 710B...Blueridge BR163...Blueridge BR183a...all with K&K's & used w/RedEye preamps Seagull CW w/Baggs M1 pickup...National Vintage Steel Tricone...SWR California Blonde Amp |
#13
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Quote:
Last edited by pfrost89; 10-29-2014 at 12:21 PM. |
#14
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Quote:
That is such a downer. I empathize totally. But I respect that you took it to a pro, instead of doing what I did. A few years ago I had an old Gibson electric and that doggone thing would not move. So it goes without saying that, being something of a redneck, I turned harder ... that's what they teach ya at the Voke. Well that was the end of that truss rod and I ended up selling the thing at a yard sale and tried to put it out of my mind.
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And I thought, "I've fiddled all night, and lost! You were good, hillbilly ... but you've been bossed." - Mountain Whippoorwill (Or, How Hillbilly Jim Won The Great Fiddler's Prize), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
#15
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cut nut
it may be possible to use a thin metal saw blade by hand and very carefully cut the nut down to almost the threads and then spread it apart with a screwdriver blade or similar, this job would take patience and most likely improvising the saw blade tool but would avoid taking the guitar apart
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Tags |
broken, epiphone, nut, truss rod |
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