bass repair problem, good place to ask?

Wilko121

Hey all, Never used this before and im hoping sum1 can help me out.

I have been given an ibanez sr 300 dx bass. Now theres alot of bow on the neck, too much to play comfortably. An the value of the guitar doesnt warrant the purchasing of a new neck. So i attempted to fix this.

Upon starting I noticed straight away that the bearings in the whole where the alan key goes was quite worn.

When I tried to relieve the bow on the neck, this top piece I have been moving came off. Its about one inch long, the alan key inserts at the top and the bottom screws onto the truss rod.

This is an image of what the truss and this piece look like, It is not the actual guitar.
https://ssl.sonic.net/todd1216/images/trussrod.jpg

At the moment I have open the fret so is resembles this, This not the guitar.
http://guitargarage.blogspot.com/2008/01/one-way-to-repair-fender-trussrod-63.html

At this point I am not sure what the problem is.

Could it be that the truss was tightened too much and when needed to be loosened the screw released on the top?

When the strings are loosened there is no bow on the neck, it is straight.

Any help here would be hugely appreatiated.

Dord

Ok, so by the sounds of it the neck is bowed (which way?). You tried to alleviate this by loosening the truss rod and the truss rod nut came off. I'm kinda lost after here... did you cut a chunk out of the fretboard? :eek:

Post up a picture of the neck if you can.

Doctor J

This is one of two things, either you've loosened the truss rod and the bolt has come off. Not a big issue, just put it back in and turn it the other way until it starts to purchase. Then carefully adjust until you achieve the relief you desire.

Or

The truss rod may be broken. If so, you're probably looking at a new bass, given the amount of money it would cost to repair.

Wilko121

When the strings are in tune the action is very high

When they are loose the neck is straight

this what the truss looks like, sry about the quality
http://s413.photobucket.com/albums/pp219/wilko_01/?action=view&current=Image040.jpg

Eoin Madsen

Can you take a pic from farther away? You would need to tighten the truss rod to straighten the neck more (the truss rod should oppose the tension of the strings).

That pic looks like a piece of the fingerboard fell off.

Wilko121

An1 know how i can go about buying a replancment part?

I have checked ibanez.com but I doesnt have any purchase options

this is the part i think i need
http://s413.photobucket.com/albums/pp219/wilko_01/?action=view&current=Image034.jpg
The silver peice

Dord

Eoin Madsen wrote: »

Can you take a pic from farther away? You would need to tighten the truss rod to straighten the neck more (the truss rod should oppose the tension of the strings).

That pic looks like a piece of the fingerboard fell off.

He took it off. If you read the links he posted in the first post he got the idea there. :eek:

Wilko121

ye I know its a bit daft, I needed see how free it was.
I know more about wood than guitars and fitting a piece shld be ok.

An1 have any idea where i could get the silver nut without worn threads?

Doctor J

Since you have taken the nut off already, you could just cut a slot in the top of it and use a flat headed screwdriver instead of an allen key to tighten it back on and make further adjustments. It would have come out without removing a piece of the fretboard too, just use a magnetised screwdriver.

Wilko121

Is it possible i have a double action truss?

And by tightening i may make the problem worse?

Homer Sexual

Sounds like your bass is properly ****ed. Oh well. I'll take it off your hands if you want. It probably wouldn't fit in the wheely bin.

Doctor J

You need to tighten the bolt on it. The tension of the strings will bow the neck forward. You need to apply tension to the truss rod by tightening it, which shortens the amount of the rod inside the neck, which counteracts the pull of the strings, which straightens the neck. The problem is you've cut a chunk out of your fretboard despite your truss rod being installed the opposite way to the 63 Fender you linked to.

Cut a slot in the silver nut you've removed so you can tighten it using a flat headed screwdriver. Put it back on and tighten it.

Wilko121

Very good, thanks a million m8!

Wilko121

Lookin good. Neck is straight again and glue/wood filler is drying where the whole was.