Does this Truss Rod Look Overtightened to You?

[Bacchus]

Student bought a bass second hand from a shop, and it's fretting out down the neck. I've tied to adjust it but can't get a allen key in. The allen key is fouling the edge of the rout channel. That, and the fact that the rod seems to be pressed right up against the back of the channel makes me wonder if it's overtightened?

Any thoughts or opinion? Either way, I reckon she should take it back to the shop and have them set it up properly.

[Noirie.]

Nah it’s totally fucking fucked mate.

[Bacchus]

As bad as that, aye?

[Thom]

Hard to tell from the photo but yeah she should definitely take it back to the shop for them to sort out.

[Bacchus]

The thing that's bugging me is not being able to get a key in it. The access channel isn't routed parallel to the truss rod, which means you'd need a really short key, or that the rod is in the wrong place because it's been tightened too much.

I told her to buy the jazz bass but she wouldn't listen...

[plopswagon]

I told her to buy the jazz bass but she wouldn't listen...

Kids today, sheesh.

Have you tried removing the strings to see if it will loosen it up a little, or would that be going the wrong way?

[NickD]

Would a ball end Allen key do the job?

[Bacchus]

Ball end allen key would do it. But I don't have one. I've never had a guitar that needed one either?

Plops, yep, wrong way. Could feasibly try heavier strings....

[plopswagon]

You don’t have the balls!

Or tighten up the ones on it.

[euan]

I only realised recently that the reason I'd have trouble with some truss rod bolts is because they are imperial not metric. Worth having an imperial and metric ball end keys.

[Bacchus]

That's the other thing, it was a bucket of odd allen keys in the tech department.

I still think the problem I was having was with fouling the back of the channel, though.