Question about early 4003 truss rods

[Freez]

Hello all, I have a 1985 4003 with the split guard; the truss adjustment nuts are under the pickguard as opposed to being under the truss rod cover. With these type of rods, is it safe to adjust them like a normal Fender style rod, or must you clamp the neck to keep the fretboard from popping off? I am unclear on this and don't want to screw it up! Thanks all!

[songdog]

I don't have "the book" at hand to reference right now... but I'm pretty sure the split pickguard was used on the early 4003, which used the same "hairpin" truss rod as the 4001, just turned around (adjustment under the pickguard instead of at the headstock).

So no, you can't adjust these like the newer 4003 or a "Fender style" rod. You have to loosen the nuts, manually move the neck to the right position, and tighten the nuts to hold it there.

Look up "Joey's Bass Notes" for a very clear and detailed description of this process. If you do it right, there should be no danger of the fingerboard popping off.

[cjj]

Yes, the early 4003 models used the same "hairpin" truss rods as the 4001. These rods do not "adjust" the neck, but rather, lock it into place. They are actually amazingly stable, but being different from what other truss rods do leads to a lot of confusion.

Changing the adjustment to the body end made it less likely you would pop the fretboard, but it still needs to be adjusted by moving to the desired position and then locking it into place with the rods...