Truss Rod Adjustment Tool

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:22 am

My 4004 needs a neck adjustment like pronto and I don't have a proper tool to do this (and I probably can't get one soon enough to have stuff squared away for this weekend's gig.

Can someone recommend a specific common wrench/socket that a tools-challenged guy like me
can get at Home Depot or Sears?

I'm sure someone where knows this magic, cuz this place ROCKS!

Thanks,

-T

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:30 am

I bought a RIC one. It sucked. It was defective. It had some sort of metal blob stuck inside of it so that it would hack up any nut I'd put it on.

Then I went to Sears and got a ratcheting(not really necessary) nut driver that you attach 1/4" drive sockets on. I use it with a small extension. Works WAY better than the RIC one ever did for me.

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:44 am

Excellent. I'm gonna go get one tonight

The weather is starting to change here in New England and the bass needs to get some of the relief taken out of it.

On the subject of tools, are there any commonly available files that I can get to lower the nut slots a little bit?

Might as well score some of those as well.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:52 am

I got my nut files at Stewart MacDonald. They are made in widths to match the different string sizes. They aren't very expensive, should last you a long time, and are made specifically for the job.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:01 am

Any thin 1/4" nutdriver will work. I use one that came out of a Sears tool set, it's a handle with different sized nut driver attachments that plug into the end of the tool.

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:15 am

I got a set of Husky sockets and a handle. At the same time I got a set of hobbyist files that should work ok for now. I hoping the neck adjustment will obviate the need for filing nut slots.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:03 am

ya ... what they said ...

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:41 am

Thanks guys!

I tightened up the rods in both my 4004Ls and they both are playing much better now. I still need to work on the nut on both basses, as the slots are definitely too high.

For the longest time, adjusting the neck on Rics has been some sort of scary thing that I didn't want to attempt myself. Turns out it's easy as pie.

And, after all, who doesn't like pie?

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:59 am

I like pie. Just not as much as this guy:

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:33 am