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So yesterday I pull my son's guitar out of the case to see if there's any adjustments required. It's a dread I finished a few months back. I noticed that the bridge was starting to lift. I was disappointed, but not terribly surprised --- I glued it with hide glue, and I had a couple obstacles getting it clamped up. I expected it to lift right after stringing it up, but it held for a while. No biggie; I glued it up properly again last night.

So this afternoon I go out to set it up. There's about .009" relief; well within tolerances, but I prefer minimial relief. So I went to adjust the truss rod, a TRSD from LMI. Pop! Something bad happened. I'm not sure what, but something in there broke. Now, the bolt in the end is generally very loose; it tightens just a little, but then on turning a little more, it loosens again. I assume a thread broke or something. At any rate, it won't adjust the neck at all.

Fortunately, there is still about .009" relief even with the truss rod incapacitated, so it is certainly playable. But I've never had an LMI truss rod bust on me before, and I'm annoyed that someday (when I have more enthusiasm than I do today about the whole thing) I'll have to replace it.

Kelby, I feel your pain. I got into a bad batch of rods. So far 3 have broken on me. I've started testing them before I install to make sure everything moves freely. But I still tighten them with eyes closed and teeth cringed.

Sorry for your truss rod problems Kelby, fortunately, you're still able to play this one, i think i'll start testing them out as Paul said, i hope you'll find the courage to fix that up one day!

Good luck!

Paul, did the 3 break after you had them in the guitar? That is really bad.

It was a huge relief that it was in my son's guitar. I am preparing to start offering guitars for sale (I'm about six months away), and I would have been heartbroken if it had happened on a customer's guitar. My son (ten years old) not only doesn't freak out about such things, he assumes it's just one of those things that dad can fix --- to him, it's no different than when I change his strings.

I will definitely test them from now on to make sure it moves, but how do you test it to ensure it will withstand the stress of moving a neck?

Two on customer's necks. That SUCKED! Since my TR access holes are so small that the rod can't be pulled out from it. Remove the fingerboard, replace the rod , and try to get the board back on straight, refinish the edges, refret. Don't want to do that job EVER again.
To pre test I just run the screw all the way to both ends to make sure there is nothing bining. I've also started putting a dab of grease on the threads. Seams like it should help.

Paul,

Im no expert on fretboard removal but last time I had to remove one I took out 2nd and 11th frets, drilled 1.5mm hole through into neck and stuck some 2mm brads in and nipped the heads off. I worked the fretboard off leaving the brads sitcking out of the neck ready to guide the neck back on.

martin beat me to it; i do basically the same thing only i use the little pins lmi sells, or used to sell anyway, for the purpose. i just drill before removal, then insert the pins to relocate and glue. to remove them just heat with a torch or soldering iron and they pull out quite easily. they are small enouth that they don't leave tell tales with even very fine fretwire on mandos or banjos.

If you read Mario's article in Guitar Maker, he notes that he disassembles all his truss rods to check them out first and then reassembles them adding a little thread lube. Good preventative maintenance IMHO.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

The two-way rods are welded, and can't be disassembled.

Truss Rod Repair
Kelby--Not sure where your tr has failed but thought that the above tool might be of interest. Very expensive, perhaps the OLF could buy one and rent it out.
Anyone ever used one of these, or perhaps a homemade version?

Nelson, of course that would work fine for a single action, Gibson style rod, but may not work for Kelby's LMI TRS double action rod as I think the "nut" which is turned is welded onto the lower rod.

I could be wrong though, it's happened before

Great suggestion though, that looks like a great little repair toolRod True38985.9478009259

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