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Post subject: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:02 am
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Hi,

I have an American Deluxe Strat HSS

I need to adjust my truss rod, google says that an 1/8" allen wrench is used to adjust

It is extremely frustrating that every 1/8" wrench i can find in every hardware store in town has too much play, i do not feel comfortable turning this wrench with this much play

If 1/8" is the correct size, and apparently every wrench in this town is not quit within specs, can someone can point me to a set that they have had success with as far as specs and i would feel a bit better ordering

Thank You, Have a great day!


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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:08 am
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The walls of the adjuster socket are slightly flared -- the open end is slightly bigger to make it easier to get the wrench into the socket down in that blind hole. So the wrench only fits snuggly when it's seated all the way down in the socket.

Dust, polish, grime can build up in the socket so that the wrench can't be fully inserted. (Sometimes they even come that way from the factory, with finish overspray and polishing compound packed into the socket.) Take a thin pointy thing (like a small screwdriver or a straightened paper clip or something like that) and scrape the floor of the pocket while holding the guitar so that the socket is pointing downward (to let the debris fall out). That often fixes it.

If the guitar has had a previous owner (or someone else worked on it) it's possible they rounded out the socket a little by not sticking a tight fitting wrench all the way in. If that's the case, you'll need to get a 9/64" wrench and file it down (so it ends up a little bigger than 1/8"). That's very tedious because wrenches are made of hardened steel, but avoid using a belt sander or grinder because the heat generated may undo the hardening.

If you're tightening the rod, "helping" the adjuster can make it easier to turn so that you can safely use a slightly undersized wrench. Loosen the strings before tightening the rod, and/or clamp the neck/body between your knees (so that you're supporting the body/neck joint) and gently pull the head back with one hand while turning the wrench with the other hand. (People with older Rickenbackers are very familiar with that technique -- you can break the fingerboard loose if you try to straighten the neck on those just by tightening the dual rods without manually pulling the neck.)


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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:07 pm
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I would invest in a set of metric and SAE for future projects.


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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 4:41 pm
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I bought one of these from StewMac. I would never go back to using an standard Allen Wrench. Fender uses the 1/8th model (if I remember right) 6107-G.

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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:24 pm
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If you seat it correctly, the wrenches seat deeper than you may expect. Then they are quite a good fit. You may have to get it in the nut, then wiggle it and press it with a little firm pressure to get it seated in there.......glue, wood dust, finish material......any of this factory residue can make some truss rod nuts a little hinky. I wouldn't use the Stew Mac tool just yet....


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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:42 pm
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Steve-oh-no wrote:
If you seat it correctly, the wrenches seat deeper than you may expect. Then they are quite a good fit. You may have to get it in the nut, then wiggle it and press it with a little firm pressure to get it seated in there.......glue, wood dust, finish material......any of this factory residue can make some truss rod nuts a little hinky. I wouldn't use the Stew Mac tool just yet....

I know everyone has their own way of doing things and like what they get use too. And I do not at all want to come across as a know it all either. :) I used standard Fender issued Allen wrenches for years. I do not know how many truss rod holes I buggered up trying to get the wrench through the strings and into the hole. Then on top of that, only getting a slight turn because of the L shape of the Allen wrench hitting the strings, not to mention, often just plain not getting a good grip.

When I bought this truss rod tool from Stew Mac I use it on old guitars and news ones as well (mostly NOS or like NOS 90s Strat Plus'). A couple things that made life easier was the fact it has a long handle which makes it very easy to get through the strings, into the hole and too the nut. The long handle allows a lot of downward push into the nut to make sure it is in snug. I will work it up and down a few times and the tapered head locks right in a nut, new or worn. I have had older 80s Strats that the truss rod had not been touched for years that are stiff and hard to turn. With this tool I was able to get a firm grip and gently work the rod back and forth until it turned smoothly. Like i mentioned, I would never go back to the plain old Allen Wrench. With the right tools, the job is already 1/2 done! LOL! Anyhow, I do not work for Stew Mac either! LOL :lol: :lol:

Edits: Typos

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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:47 am
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Mr. X - Thanks for pointing out that StewMac tool. I have an American Deluxe that has a slightly loose fit with the Fender hex wrench unless it is perfectly seated. I was worried about it getting worn accidentally and figured there's no fix for that. I'll be ordering one!

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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:54 pm
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The best types of TR allen keys have a rounded tapered end for aiding in fitting in the hole and not stripping the hole out. An 1/8" allen key with the long end tapered and rounded for that purpose is essential. I went and bought a guitar repair kit from Cruz Tools...a dozen common standard & metric allen keys, some with the ends I mentioned, feeler gauge, perfect adjustable screwdriver/wrench with common screw and nut wrench sizes, a bridge pin/string winding tool, a working capo, side cutters, bright little flashlight and all in a nice zipper case. $75 and its worth it if you have numerous guitars and little cash to tweak them. Usually, Fender, Gibson, Martin, Gretsch, Yamaha, etc. give you a truss-rod wrench. Go to your retail musical instrument place...they'll get you a stock TR tool for near nothing. Take care.


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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:28 pm
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I gots me some of these.....

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It even says "Fender" on the handle so it must be right 8)


The end of it looks like this...kind of a "ball" so if you can not get in on it perfectly straight (string tree in the way etc) you have a little play as far as a small angle.

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I don't recall where I got them and 99% of my guitars use a Phillips/flathead at the base of the heel being vintage old school style, the guitars that do have the allen headstock truss rod adj these seem to do the trick quite nicely. However I think my P-bass uses this one at the neck heel instead of a phillips/flathead as opposed to my strats and teles.

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Post subject: Re: truss rod wrench assitance please
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:56 am
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ebaysux wrote:
I gots me some of these.....



It even says "Fender" on the handle so it must be right 8)


.



No, you have to check , most of allen wrench tools coming with Fender guitar ( I know it is not your allen wrench ) I see ,was not reliable for truss rod , they are loose . Good quality tools fit thight


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