Hi I'm planning to buy neck damaged american special rosewood HSS. Owner said that he had it shown to luthier, and truss rod have to be replaced. So my question is, can trussrod be accessed by removing fretboard or by removing strip from back of neck? I have understood that fender uses/have used stripes in necks where trussrod routing is made from upperside.
If a truss rod needs replacing, a neck is usually shot....junk....good for the scrap pile.....I would only pay what a loaded body is worth. How much is this guitar?? Replacement of truss rod is not a usual procedure, besides there could be another issue like the neck being twisted or warped.....usually the neck just gets replaced entirely. Welcome to the forum!!
Well, it's cheaper that what parts would cost, price is actually near what blank body would cost. I have repaired few warped necks: removed fretboard, clamped and forced neck to it's correct form and then heated. Trussrod have been replaced in same process. As I understand, its not warped, but you cannot straighten bow with trussrod. I dont know if problem is broken trussrod nut or trussrod it self. I think that American strat could be worthwhile to repair, or even try. If it were ch/mx,i wouldn't bother. Correct me if i'm wrong, if trussrod is routed from back, it isn't possible to access it by removing fretboard.
If it's a rosewood fretboard, the rod was inserted before gluing on the fretboard. If it has a skunk stripe that is purely for looks.... If it's a solid rosewood neck, the skunk stripe would need to be removed.....
Remove the skunk stripe seen it done on you tube when they replace Chinese truss rods for better quality?
Welcome to ST. My assumption would be that the "luthier" didn't have the knowledge or tools to repair the trussrod. Given your experience level I'm hoping/expecting you will be able to repair the existing trussrod or at worst replace it.
It is similar to this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratASHRBLK--fender-american-special-stratocaster-hss-black I thought it would be good idea to ask first, it wouldn't be nice if I remove fingerboard only to find out that i couldn't access rod. Seller told that trussrod replacement by professional luthier would cost so much that he couldn't afford it. Thats why it it quite cheap.
Try the StewMac YouTube channel for vids on truss rod repair/replacement. StewMac sells specialty repair tools for truss Rod’s and the Rods. https://www.stewmac.com/Materials_a...ble_Truss_Rods/Traditional_Truss_Rod_Kit.html
The American Specials were the cheapest American Fenders (often going on sale for $549 USD) so right out of the gate, you are not working with a high value instrument. As you can imagine, most people would not put $450 truss rod replacement into a $550 guitar.
If it's cheap enough to buy, i would. Just to do the truss rod replacement myself, and not worry about failing at it. But as said above, it's not a "high end" guitar to begin with, and i wouldn't pay much for it. It might be cool to practice doing fret work on it. Who cares if you butcher it, it's already buggerd.
I have seen some YouTube videos where they heat the fretboard and remove it. Realize though, this is really invasive, and might not go as planned. Even if you are successful in removing the fretboard, and replacing the rod, you still have to put it back together. The fretboard will most likely need to be reworked after it is glued and clamped back on. Unless it lines up perfectly with the neck again (which it probably won't). Like I said above, if it's cheap enough, i would do it just to see if i could.
. I've done that work. Removed frets with an old clothes iron, then heated the fingerboard while using a thin putty knife going slow to separate it from the neck. Get access to the truss rod. Then reglue the fingerboard and install new frets (stainless steel). It's not a bad task but don't be in a hurry. .
Before you remove the fretboard, make sure you put 2 "locator pins" in one of the fret slots - otherwise it might not key together when you glue it back.
Question for those that have been "in there" to replace a truss rod. Does the wood get crushed at the contact points of the rod? In other words, can having a rod cranked down on a neck, crush the wood and give you less adjustment?
Yeah, the fibers can get crushed over time. That's why you sometimes see that someone has added a washer or two behind the truss rod nut; to give back the range of adjustment lost to compression.
@jvin248 that's how we were taught to do it in collage .another way is to do the same but cut through fret board about five frets in from the heel beat and de fret and remove that section of board with heat and remove it from the heel end , that's usually only done on bound necks like gibsons though because you can hide it after wards when you re glue the binding. Suppose you could do it on a strat , just keep saw dust to mix with filler for when done to repair the side of neck. Less time consuming and only partial re fret.
Although i'm not luthier, or even carpenter, i have managed to save few necks. It isn't that complicated job, it just takes patience to get it done. And that is the reason, even if it is one of cheapest, it is still American strat. If I manage to fix trussrod, I have somewhat good strat, and even if I dont, I have body and hardware. Because i'm doing this for myself, not for sale, I think it's worthwhile trying to save neck. And in any case, I think that at least I'll learn something new.
Little update. Seller said that(sorry don't really know correct phrase) that rod's nut rotates empty, still don't know if nut has been spoiled or does it have issues with rod itself. I assume that fender uses single action truss rod?
It's a single action on the American Special. The American standard/deluxe/elite etc. use a dual action. The American Special neck isn't much better than a Mexican so just don't pay too much for it. Don't get me wrong - I really like them - but you can get an Allparts neck that'll be just as good and cost you the same as doing the truss rod.
American special is discontinued serie, so finding info isn't that easy. New trussrod is somewhere around 20€ and new frets 30-40€, so much cheaper because i can do repair myself. It might be philosophical question, but if I want US made fender stratocaster, is it still US made fender stratocaster if I change neck from different manufacturer.
