fretboard removal

[billcreller]

 My nephew has a bass guitar with a stripped truss rod nut.  It's a made in Japan thing with the rod under the fretboard.  It appears that I would need to remove the fretboard to fix/replace the truss rod.  Any advice on getting the glue to let loose under the fret board??  I know Stewart-McDonald has a heated knife etc for getting under glued pieces, but I would like to get it apart some way. Not sure if that knife would do it. ???

[Dynaflow]

 I found this: http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/removal.htm , I'm sure our resident Luthier might have some other tricks or idea's as well.

Regards,

Dyna

[G._Hoffman]

A much better solution.  Dan sent us one to comment on when they first came out.  We've only used it once, but it was WAY better than trying to replace the truss rod.  If you DO need to replace the truss rod, the best option is to pull a couple frets on either side of the anchor (you can usually find it with a magnet), rout a square hole down to the anchor, cut and remove the rod, and replace the anchor.  You since you pulled the two frets, you can make a patch that practically disappears - well, if you have the right piece of wood.  Removing fingerboards is a thing to be avoided if at all possible.


Gabriel

[Cork]

Stumac also sells a tool that cuts the wood around the truss rod at the nut end so that more thread is exposed on the rod and the adjuster nut has some thread to secure itself onto.
I wouldnt want to suggest something that may not work as easily for you but I have removed the fingerboard on an sg special I bought years ago for $60. The rod was stripped at the adjuster, new brass adjuster nuts would just strip out.
I used a sharp chisel and balpeen hammer, with the chisel angle down so not to dig into the neck. Once I got down to the neck it came off pretty clean.
The hard part was replacing the fingerboard without damaging the neck finish on the sides.
After locating the fingerboard I drilled small holes through the fingerboard dot counterbores and into the neck so I could easily relocate the board in the same location, then shaved the board, checked fit, shaved, checked until I was happy with it.
When glueing, the toohtpicks held position. When cured I dremmelled the picks out and covered with the neck dots.
An alternate method would be much easier, but this can be done.
This was about 18 years ago. I put an ebony fingerboard on and installed 3 P-90's, then I think I traded it for a reissue 4X10 bassman.

Cork