Jimryan Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Afternoon all, A mate's given me a bass to make playable again. It's a squier P special from 2000 in shoreline gold, with a lovely Jazz profile neck that the original owner de-fretted. It's spent the past year in a shed. The truss rod is in severe need of tightening, but the Allen bolt has completely rounded off. I read another thread with a similar problem, and it suggested a Philips screwdriver. Tried that and that can't even get a bite. I'm determined to find a way and not admit defeat. Any suggestions? Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Got any pics of the offending article? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimryan Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 [IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/image-10_zps9505be3a.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Yep, that's chewed! I once got a mate to tag weld (not sure if that is the 'proper' term) a nut to the end of a chewed up truss rod but it wasn't on a Squier so I've no idea if you could get into that to do it. You might be able to use a tap/die but the hassle and cost (if you get someone to try and do it) of that or taking off the board probably doesn't make it cost effective... look for a cheap replacement neck on Basschat or eBay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimryan Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 My mate knows its shot to bits, just wants it made more playable. When I got it, arrows could be fired from it, it needed a shim (is there a limit to shim size?) a clean up, pickups needed adjusting, everything imaginable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugget Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 [url="http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht302-24-pce-tap-die-set?da=1&TC=SRC-tap"]http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht302-24-pce-tap-die-set?da=1&TC=SRC-tap[/url] Get a cheep tap set and VERY carefully tap the hole out, you then can lock in a screw with hex head and adjust. Put a llittle pressure on the neck in the way you want it to bend by pushing up or down on headstock so the new screw wont have to work as hard to turn the truss rod no guarantee it'll work but might make it playable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numptydumpty Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht123-screw-extractor-wrench-set you may find one of these extractors would fit the remains of the hex socket.then remove the nut type sleeve and buy a new one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimryan Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 Cheers for the suggestions guys. Wasn't planning on forking out for tools and bits and my mate definitely doesn't want to. I've done the best I can with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Could be worth a trip to local engineering workshop or garage. They might have a suitable 'easy out' or even a left hand thread bolt. A fiver in a used note well spent. The other tactic that can work is to find a suitable width (sacrificial) flat head screwdriver. It needs to be a tight fit jammed across two opposite angles of the rounded hex adjuster. It may need filing to fit, it needs to be a tight fit. There is only one way to go, unscrew and remove. If you get it out, replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Just a thought.... You said it was de-fretted... were the holes where the frets were filled in? Or were they left open? If its the latter, you might be able to rescue the playability without the truss rod being adjusted... Fill in the slots with some wood veneer and pva glue, sand it all flat you could use light gauge strings (40-100) as well to ease the amount of work the truss rod needs to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Drill a diddy hole in it, screw a big old screw in there til it becomes a new head. You can now tighten the truss (you can't ever loosen it again mind) but does work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 This might help. http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?t=29845 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobothy Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Always try an old torx bit and see if you could, with a bit of encouragement, get it to bite then take off the nut and replace it with a new one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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