Truss Rod replacement for 2004 JP6

[BurntRice]

Hi guys,

I recently sent my JP6 to a shop for setup. I was told that this is not possible as the truss rod seems to be broken. We sat together for a while and tried turning the wheel a few rounds and indeed the neck did not move at all.

I would love to get this repaired, any one with a similar problem in the past?

Thanks in advance!

 

[beej]

Was there any resistance as you turned the wheel? Did you try pressing/pulling the neck to encourage movement when you did it? Perhaps it's just stuck?

If it's toast, you'll have to get in touch with MM directly to talk about options. Link in my signature.

 

[tbonesullivan]

How much resistance did you feel when you were turning the wheel? Did the tech try removing the wheel nut? It's possible that it got stripped out somehow.

 

[BurntRice]

Hi both,

Thanks for replying to my question! We almost did not feel any resistance when turning the nut in either direction.

Should we take apart the guitar to check the nut in this case?

Thanks!

 

[Mick]

Try another shop..

 

[Lou]

I'm not sure it's broken, but it could be loosened. It should do something eventually if you turn it clockwise. If not then something is likely up with it.

 

[BurntRice]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your tips, let me check out if the truss rod might be loosened and get back to everyone here.

Thanks!

 

[BurntRice]

Hi guys,

I gave the nut quite a few turns in a clockwise direction however the neck has not really moved. One thing I did notice though is that the washer(?) between the nut and the neck seems to be very loose.

I will go ahead and contact MM support but please feel free to let me know of any other comments that you might have!

Thanks again!

 

[tbonesullivan]

Ok, well that would explain why nothing is happening. The "wheel" IS the truss rod Nut. That wheel is what puts pressure on the end of the neck directly. If the washer is loose, then the nut is not putting any pressure on the neck, which is why nothing is happening.

I would recommend pulling the neck, and seeing if you can remove the nut entirely, and then check the threads on the nut and on the truss rod.

 

[Axis_SC]

This happened to a brand new Peavey HP2 recently... I pulled the neck and just had to push the whole truss rod assembly/cartridge into its slot.... Just using my fingers. It literally took 2 seconds. It seems it just wasn't seated proplerly, by just a hair...

 

[BurntRice]

Hi guys thanks for everything, this is really helpful!

When you say "pull the neck" I am assuming you mean remove the neck from the body?

Thanks again!

 

[Axis_SC]

Yes... Remove the neck... You don't necessarily even have to remove the strings... Just completely slacken them to remove the tension though!

 

[BurntRice]

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for all the good advice you have given. I removed the neck and did a quick inspection of the truss nut etc, sadly it does look like the truss rod is broken. Unfortunately I was not able to upload a picture directly here but used imgur. Please let me know if you have any comments, or if you know of another way out of this!

Broken truss rod - Album on Imgur

I will take the advice from beej and get in touch with MM.

I would like to thank everyone who helped me out along the way, this forum is full of excellent, helpful people and I will be lurking around and hopefully contribute like you all have whenever possible.

Thanks again!

 

[GWDavis28]

Wow that really bites, never seen that before. Guess there's a first for everything huh.

Good luck with MM. Glenn |B)

 

[tbonesullivan]

dang!!! Looks like there may have been some type of defect with the steel the truss rod is made out of.

 

[BurntRice]

Hi everyone,

I got in touch with Customer Service and they confirmed that they do not fix broken truss rods, but I can send back the old neck and get a new one.

I got in touch with another luthier as well and he confirmed that he should be able to fix the truss rod problem, of course now the issue is I do not know where to get a new truss rod for him to install. I am thinking stewmac.com might sell one, but anyone here knows the exact specs of the truss rod for the JP6, and where I can get one as well?

Thanks again

 

[beej]

I don't recall hearing of anyone replacing one before. I suppose he would be able to see what's in there when he gets the fretboard off.

Is it much less to have the work done and replace the rod, than to get a new neck? I'd think you would be in a similar ballpark. Plus then you have a factory original neck (with a warranty).

 

[tbonesullivan]

I would find out how much the new neck would cost. Truss rod repair like this is NOT easy or inexpensive. If it was just stripped threads, they can do something, but for this they will need to steam the neck until they can get the fretboard off of it. This often can damage or destroy the fretboard in the process.

Then, the tech would need to uncover the entire truss rod channel, and the old truss rod would need to come out, complete with the anchor. Then a new one is installed, and then the top of the truss rod channel needs to be replaced.

After that, the fretboard, if it survived, needs to get glued back on after being prepped. Then it will often need a level and crown due to changes in the wood. Also then some refinish work may be needed.

So yeah... not sure that's a road you want to go down.

 

[BurntRice]

Thanks as usual for your advice guys!

To be honest due to where I am (Singapore) it should cost roughly the same based on what the local dealer and luthier quoted me. My preference would be to repair the neck to make it playable as this guitar has lots of sentimental value to me and I want to keep it in one piece as much as possible.

If the neck cannot be repaired then I will probably keep the guitar as it is for memory's and buy a new EBMM. I like the JP15 Sahara Bursts quite a bit too!

 

[BurntRice]

Hi guys,

Thanks again for all your advice, I am glad to say the works are complete!

I managed to get the entire fretboard removed, truss rod fixed and neck put together again by the awesome guys at NNG Guitars (nngguitars.com), a trusted luthier in Thailand. Their prices were super reasonable!

The refinish job was then done by Steven Lee at Sinamex Guitar Hospital in my native Singapore.

I have attached a gallery of pictures, from the cracked finish, to the broken truss rod, and pictures of the repairs for anyone who is interested. Please let me know if you need any information at all regarding these repairs.

Fixing the cracked finish and broken truss rod of an EBMM JP6. Many thanks to the EBMM forums, NNG Guitar (Thailand) for the neck works and Steven Lee (Singapore) for the refinish! - Album on Imgur

Thanks again everyone, my JP6 is as good as new and I am super thankful to everyone who helped along the way!