Broke the Truss rod!

[fusionbear]

I was adjusting my son's G&L L-2500 tribute bass today and couldn't get the proper pre-tension. I didn't want to break the truss rod, so adjusted it slowly. When I went to tension the strings, I heard a snap! The truss rod broke. Now what?

I'm really bummed because my son really loves this bass, what should I do?

[LuvMusic]

My advice is take it to a good luthier. Good luck!

[mjm59]

Ooooh, I really feel for you. Kinda makes you sick to your stomach after you realize that sound wasn't a gunshot and you notice the neck is doing a spot on imitation of a banana. Depending on how much your son really loves that particular neck, it would probably be less expensive to buy a new neck. I snapped the rod on an acoustic guitar (Wechter 12-string Pathmaker) and the repair cost $850; granted, this was a set neck on a handmade instrument, but I think the process will be pretty much the same for a bolt on neck.

I brought the instrument back to Abe Wechter and the job was flawlessly done. First, he had to take the fingerboard off and dig out the old truss rod. After installing a new rod, he then put on a new fingerboard (I do believe the old one was not salvageable in the repair process so I didn't have a choice, but I wasn't attached to the old one anyway...).

After attaching the new fingerboard, and re-pitching the neck so I wouldn't need to tighten it as much to get the straightness I desire, he did a marvelous refinish job on the neck and I can't even see the repair. Since I got the guitar for a steal in the first place, I didn't mind paying that amount for the repair. Don't know how much you paid for the bass, but a new neck might be the way to go...

Good Luck,

Mike


Hey, I just noticed that you're in CA, why not give G&L a call and see how much they'll charge you for a new neck? More than likely they won't just send you a neck by itself, but they should be able to offer you the option of sending in the body and having them install a new, properly fitted neck for less than the price of a new bass. All in all, since it is a bolt on neck, replacement is a viable option; the original idea of Leo for the bolt on neck was to give guitar players the cheaper option of replacing the neck as opposed to a more expensive fret job when the frets wore out (back in the 50's).

For repairs only, you may contact G&L technician Chris Robosan directly.

Phone: Call (714)897-6766 extension 118 and leave a voice mail including contact information such that Chris can call you back. Please allow two to three business days for him to call.


Good Luck,

Mike

[The Golden Boy]

Time for a new bass, unless you can order a new neck. Price wise, you'd be better off with getting a new bass.

[fusionbear]

Originally Posted by The Golden Boy

Time for a new bass, unless you can order a new neck. Price wise, you'd be better off with getting a new bass.

This was a tribute bass. I got him a new bass, it was only a little more than the neck would have cost.......

[The Golden Boy]

Of course you can keep everything and sometime down the road see if you can get a neck to fit the body or use the parts on another body...

That pickup/electronics setup in the L series basses is way cool.

[trpullen]

Isn't there a thread where someone wants a broken bass for a coffee table or something?

[Thor]

Bummer of a story.

Hope the new bass is just as enjoyable!

Maybe the old one can be a prop for some old-school smashing on stage....

[leofenderbender]

You can replace the neck, or any good luthier will be able to heat the neck and set it to the playing range. Prior to the '40s that's how most guitars were set up anyway.