I just picked up a 1996 Strat from a friend who got it a while ago (Not new). The price was a steal, that's what friends are for I guess! Anyway I can't get the truss rod nut to tighten enough to pull the action down enough? I'm to the point where it's starting to strip the hex heads and I don't want to strip out the nut on the rod. I thought maybe I was running out of threads so I was going to back the nut out and add a washer. The nut won't back out it starts to tighten again, so now I'm thinking it's a dual rod and the nut is permanently attached to the rod? What should I do? I clamped the body to a desk and pulled down on the neck to try and pull the neck straight but I still can't get the nut to turn, it's like it bottoms out? Should I clamp the neck in a few places and pull it straight and try again, or am I missing something? I was told it's a Robert Cray Strat? It's got lace sensor pickups, it's cream colored with pearloid pickguard and a roller nut, locking tuners and 2 point trem. I'm not sure if everything is original, I am sure it's a 1996 and it's an American Strat. My bud was looking for the paperwork for it, he said he has all the papers on it somewhere. Anyway I'd like to straighten my neck out so I can lower my action more. I've been playing for 15 years so I know my way around most guitars but I've never had a neck this stubborn! Please help!

Have you first adjusted the saddles and bridge?? .. when the truss rod feels hard to adjust you shouldnt keep going.... be careful also if its an american strat it has a micro tilt adjustment screw in the back of the neck pocket too.. all those things have to be properly adjusted ...

I started to play with the saddles but the action is so high right now and I'm still buzzing, I hate to go higher I'd rather just sell the guitar, I don't need the action super low but I would think I could at least get the neck close to straight. I just clamped the neck down so it was basically straight and still couldn't budge the nut any further. I kept backing it out and then turning it back in and it stops in the same place every time, it really feels like the threads are bottoming out. The nut is pretty far down inside the guitar, I'm thinking over the years someone kept tightening it and it kept sinking into the wood. Since I can't back the nut out I think I'm pretty much screwed. I've adjusted quite a few necks and never had this problem. I'm hoping maybe in a couple days it will settle backwards a little more and be fine? I guess my "steal" wasn't really a "steal" after all. I checked the micro tilt, the screw's backed out all the way so that should be fine. Is there some way I can remove the nut if it's a double expanding rod, or whatever that is called where it screws out to stop backbow too? This sucks!!!

Thats bad... if the truss rod is messed up I would assume it is useless now One of my biggest fears is have any of my guitars truss rod messed up.... I dont know if there is a way to fix a truss rod .. maybe if you take it to a guitar tech they will be able to do something

I'm gonna take it to my buddies tech and see what he makes of it.