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Post subject: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:44 pm
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I just bought a MIM Strat w/ maple fingerboard second hand today. The guitar is only a year old and was bought by someone who never learned to play it. It's in almost new condition but has a pretty good bow in the neck. I figured it would be no problem for me to adjust. Done it a million times. When I got it home, I realized that the truss rod nut is rounded out pretty badly and I can't get any grip on the nut. I did some searching and found out about the Gripper truss rod wrenches and had a few questions. Has anyone here used one? What size do I need for a year old mim Strat? What size is the stock allen wrench that you're supposed to use? Anyone have any other suggestions? Any help is greatly appreciated. :(


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:19 am
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leemelone wrote:
I did some searching and found out about the Gripper truss rod wrenches and had a few questions. Has anyone here used one? What size do I need for a year old mim Strat?

Hi leemelone: hopefully someone with full knowledge of this will post the answer.

But just in case they don't, I haven't used the Gripper wrenches but I have some experience of Stewart-MacDonald's customer services department and I'm pretty sure you will get the answer to that bit of the question from them, if you care to ask. I've always found them very helpful on this sort of issue:

http://www.stewmac.com/customerservice/contact_us.html

Good luck - C

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:16 pm
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Try the gripper wrenches from stewmac.com I believe the MIM standards use a 4mm allen wrench. If the truss nut is rounded out too bad, even these might not work. But, you CAN actually replace the truss nut on the MIM strat! I seen it in this forum recently! If you can get the old nut out, you can buy a new one from eBay or whatever. Good luck and I hope you get it turning soon!


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:37 pm
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Ceri wrote:
leemelone wrote:
I did some searching and found out about the Gripper truss rod wrenches and had a few questions. Has anyone here used one? What size do I need for a year old mim Strat?

Hi leemelone: hopefully someone with full knowledge of this will post the answer.

But just in case they don't, I haven't used the Gripper wrenches but I have some experience of Stewart-MacDonald's customer services department and I'm pretty sure you will get the answer to that bit of the question from them, if you care to ask. I've always found them very helpful on this sort of issue:

http://www.stewmac.com/customerservice/contact_us.html

Good luck - C


Very helpful post. I contacted them and got the info needed. :D


Last edited by leemelone on Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:40 pm
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Steve-oh-no wrote:
Try the gripper wrenches from stewmac.com I believe the MIM standards use a 4mm allen wrench. If the truss nut is rounded out too bad, even these might not work. But, you CAN actually replace the truss nut on the MIM strat! I seen it in this forum recently! If you can get the old nut out, you can buy a new one from eBay or whatever. Good luck and I hope you get it turning soon!


You're wrong about the size I need and I already mentioned the truss rod gripper wrench.
Thanks anyway.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:37 am
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leemelone wrote:
Steve-oh-no wrote:
Try the gripper wrenches from stewmac.com I believe the MIM standards use a 4mm allen wrench. If the truss nut is rounded out too bad, even these might not work. But, you CAN actually replace the truss nut on the MIM strat! I seen it in this forum recently! If you can get the old nut out, you can buy a new one from eBay or whatever. Good luck and I hope you get it turning soon!


You're wrong about the size I need and I already mentioned the truss rod gripper wrench.
Thanks anyway.


Wow! Talk about needing a lesson in forum manners. :roll:

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 10:34 am
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bluesky636 wrote:
leemelone wrote:
Steve-oh-no wrote:
Try the gripper wrenches from stewmac.com I believe the MIM standards use a 4mm allen wrench. If the truss nut is rounded out too bad, even these might not work. But, you CAN actually replace the truss nut on the MIM strat! I seen it in this forum recently! If you can get the old nut out, you can buy a new one from eBay or whatever. Good luck and I hope you get it turning soon!


You're wrong about the size I need and I already mentioned the truss rod gripper wrench.
Thanks anyway.


Wow! Talk about needing a lesson in forum manners. :roll:


+1 :|

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 10:41 pm
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leemelone wrote:
I just bought a MIM Strat w/ maple fingerboard second hand today. The guitar is only a year old and was bought by someone who never learned to play it. It's in almost new condition but has a pretty good bow in the neck. I figured it would be no problem for me to adjust. Done it a million times. When I got it home, I realized that the truss rod nut is rounded out pretty badly and I can't get any grip on the nut. I did some searching and found out about the Gripper truss rod wrenches and had a few questions. Has anyone here used one? What size do I need for a year old mim Strat? What size is the stock allen wrench that you're supposed to use? Anyone have any other suggestions? Any help is greatly appreciated. :(



If you can get the old truss-rod nut out, I'd replace it. I had the exact same issue and I changed the nut a few weeks ago. It worked a treat. You can find them in packs of 2 on ebay or amazon for less than $10. I was not able to tighten my nut, but I was able to back it out. It did fit through the plastic sleeve around the truss-rod hole, but it was a bit of work due to some glue that had gotten on the nut.

I got mine here:
http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Truss-Mexi ... m_sbs_MI_1

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:22 am
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My Mexican Fender MIM uses a standard Imperial size 3/16" Allen Key. It fits perfectly and is not loose at all.

I tried the Metric 4mm and 5mm but they will not work as 3/16" is 4.76mm which is not an existing preferred metric size.

It was very frustrating to find most Fender Truss Rod recommendations was for 1/8" or 3.18mm which is way too small for my MIM.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:43 am
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Anthem,

Yes American fender always use 1/8 inches Allen. For MIM I don't know.

The problem is many of Allen wrench / key sold in the market are cheap and they are not the good size. The Allen wrench / key Fender give with guitar are most of the time cheap. They won't fit thight and damage truss rod nut.

That is why you must use a 3/ 16 inches and a proper reading of this will show it is a 1/8 Allen tool not a 3/16.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 6:59 am
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I've heard of people fixing this by taking an oversized metric allen key and grinding it down so it just fits into the truss rod adjuster. That's a lot of work though.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:36 am
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GilgaFrank wrote:
I've heard of people fixing this by taking an oversized metric allen key and grinding it down so it just fits into the truss rod adjuster. That's a lot of work though.


It 's cheaper to buy some good tool. Home made tool can ruin truss rod nut.


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:59 am
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stratele52 wrote:
GilgaFrank wrote:
I've heard of people fixing this by taking an oversized metric allen key and grinding it down so it just fits into the truss rod adjuster. That's a lot of work though.


It 's cheaper to buy some good tool. Home made tool can ruin truss rod nut.


I agree, the last thing you would want to do I ruin the truss rod nut. But in this case becaue the truss rod is already ruined, IMO it's actually not a bad suggestion.

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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:04 am
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Stew Mac have a video showing how Gripper truss rod wrench work


www.stewmac.com/shop/Truss_rods/Wrenche ... &tab=Video


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Post subject: Re: MIM Truss Rod Help
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 6:29 pm
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socal323 wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
GilgaFrank wrote:
I've heard of people fixing this by taking an oversized metric allen key and grinding it down so it just fits into the truss rod adjuster. That's a lot of work though.


It 's cheaper to buy some good tool. Home made tool can ruin truss rod nut.


I agree, the last thing you would want to do I ruin the truss rod nut. But in this case becaue the truss rod is already ruined, IMO it's actually not a bad suggestion.


Absolutely, I should have stressed that grinding an allen key to fit is only ever a last-ditch desperate measure to get a truss rod to turn when the adjuster is too badly stripped to take a normal key.

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