A Fender baritone came in to be set up and to confirm it was a genuine Fender. The parts checked out. The setup stopped at the first step: the truss rod spins without taking up any tension, which means it is broken.
- Instrument
- Fender baritone
- Tech
- Dave Eastwood
- Customer complaint
- Setup, and check whether it is a genuine Fender
- Diagnosis
- Parts genuine Fender; truss rod broken, it spins free
- Work performed
- Neck and pickguard removed to check the parts; truss rod adjustment attempted
- Parts
- None
- Bench time
- 30 minutes
- Outcome
- Parts confirmed genuine; setup not possible until the truss rod is repaired
What Came In
A Fender baritone. The owner wanted it set up and wanted to know whether the guitar and its parts were the real thing.
What We Found
With the neck and pickguard off, the parts checked out as genuine Fender. The setup needed a truss rod adjustment to begin, and when Dave went to make it the rod just spins. It is not taking up tension, which Dave read as a broken rod.
What We Did
Removed the neck and pickguard, checked the parts and found them genuine. Tried to adjust the truss rod to start the setup; it spins free. About 30 minutes on the bench.
Result
The parts are genuine Fender. The guitar could not be set up because the truss rod is broken.
What does it mean when a truss rod spins freely?
A nut that turns without ever firming up has usually failed inside the neck: a stripped nut or a broken rod. That is a repair, not a setup, and it is worth checking before you buy any guitar whose action you cannot dial down. On a Sterling bass that came through earlier the same symptom was only a loose nut, so it is worth having it looked at before assuming the worst.
Related
- The Repair Vault
- Guitar Repair at Paul's Guitar Hideout
- How to Know If a Guitar Is Worth Repairing
- Used Guitar Buying Checklist, What to Look For Before You Buy
- Sterling StingRay Ray34: Truss Rod Nut Working Loose
Bring It In
Buying a guitar you are not sure about, or one whose truss rod does nothing? Have it checked before you commit. Guitar repair at the Hideout.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com