Quick Tip 10: Fender Bi-flex Truss Rod Nut Replacement

[@timwills6584]

Excellent video. Clear, to the point....and a great piece of work!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks!

[@eternallygrateful5266]

Outstanding video. I have been watching guitar repair and build videos for years. I build and repair my own also. These videos are simply the BEST !!!!! Hacks guitar Hobby should have 500,000 subscribers. They are that good. Thankyou

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thank you, and it’s just me here doing this in my spare time. :)

[@chrisclassical7]

i watched this video yesterday on removing the walnut plug on an american strat. anyway i used your exact method and had the plug out whole in less than 15 minutes. i do have a very good soldering iron. this was my first try and i now have a perfect american strat neck. top class excellent video. thank you so much. i replaced the nut with a bullet type with a few washers under.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Awesome! I did a ton of homework before making the video or ever attempting it myself, and I've done others since with equally amazing results. Glad it helped you.

[@spacialinstallations]

Great vid, man......... thank you. I'm contemplating removing mine from a Squier neck and then replacing only the barrel part so as to make it appear like there isn't a plug. To make it look more 60's looking.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Just be aware, the truss rod channel lining in most of the Squier necks is PVC, and backing off the truss rod nut doesn't remove it like it does in a walnut-plug/bi-flex situation on an American Fender. I have heard of people doing it, but I've never tried it.

[@spacialinstallations]

Thank you for that Nugget. I changed my mind anyway….. it was a shallow idea….. I’ve dyed the fretboard darker and that’s transformed it, looks wise.

[@RaymondLandis]

This was great!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

[@2000jpangburn]

Impressive job! Thank you for doing this video.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@steverussell6277]

thank you so much for this, great vid, clear and sensible explanation of yet another overly complex addition by fender. (again). do it enough and diversification becomes dilution. like "no load" tone, and other b.s. thanks again, rock on!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks. Fender is famous for stuff like that. I’m still trying to figure out what S1 Switching is!

[@crowhue]

Great work my friend

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Many thanks, I'm really proud of this repair.

[@AntlerBranching]

Thanks so much for making this video! I am just learning about guitar modding. I bought a used neck with a rosewood fretboard for a Squier Mini (the neck is short scale also from the Squier Mini series). (I have some arthritis and small hands, etc. so these guitars work well for me.) Problem is that the plug is plastic. I am worried that heating it too much will melt it. Any ideas on this? Someone mentioned using a heat gun rather than a soldering iron. Or maybe a lower temperature? Thanks for any feedback! Might be helpful for others as I see another comment that mentions a plastic plug. Also, if you have ideas for replacement nut and plug sizes for such a guitar I'm all ears. Thanks again for generously sharing your work and process.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I haven’t removed the nut on a mini, but on a lot of Squiers, the nut will come out without removing the plug. If the nut is turning, the only real reasons to remove it are to repair a stripped head or to add shims under the nut to gain range. If I ever ran into a situation where there was plastic preventing me from getting a nut out, I think I would actually TRY to melt it out. Be careful of the finish with a heat gun. A soldering iron will direct the heat more precisely. However, I’ll reiterate that it’s not a biflex rod and the nut isn’t normally trapped in. As for nut size, they actually vary a lot. When you get it out, take the nut to a local hardware store with metric screw samples (I find Ace Hardware or Tractor Supply stores to be good options if you don’t have a store that specifically sells fasteners) and try threading the nut over various screws until you find the right size. Good luck!

[@AntlerBranching]

@@hacksguitarhobby Thank you so much for your quick reply! It's weird because the nut is turning but it just won't emerge so I thought maybe the plug was plugging it in... It's very stripped/rounded inside, so I would like to replace it even though it's holding the allen wrench and turning (for now). Maybe I need to get one of those Stew Mac gripper tools to get it out. Anyhow, thank you so much again for your fast and helfpul response, and your useful video(s)!

Great video! So after removing the walnut plug, you can turn the truss rod nut counterclockwise to remove and replace it with a new one? I have a USA Deluxe Strat with a similar problem-the nut is worn, but I can still turn it both clockwise and counterclockwise.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Yes, it comes completely out when you unthread it all the way, turning counterclockwise. You may still need a magnet to retrieve it, or just turn the neck on its end and shake/bump it out.

[@joeferris5086]

Great video. What kind of tape are you using to protect the headstock? I have that thick green 3m painters tape. Do you think that would be sufficient?

[@hacksguitarhobby]

It’s 3m blue painter’s tape. It’s a Scotch blue variety, but yours is probably just the same. You can always double it up to make sure, but the only damage you might do to the main face of the headstock around the logo/tuner area is from the slip of a tool. In that curve by the plug, you can’t really avoid some evidence of the repair and just have to do your best to repair and polish any damage afterwards, which hopefully is pretty light, if you’re careful.

[@danielrobles59]

I have a question, i can use the truss rod nut fender for a squier?! Or are diferents?!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

No, they are very different.

[@danielrobles59]

@@hacksguitarhobby thnks

[@byronturnbow2189]

id like to do this for my Mexican guitars which have a plastic plug. looks a lot better

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Not sure if the dimensions are similar, but it might be an interesting project. I’ve been thinking about all of the variables, and it’s making my head hurt. :)

[@mrmz3802]

Wow.. rare problem rare repair style

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Not as rare as I would like. I’ve encountered it twice this year.

[@ericwalters5382]

Rare? I've got TWO Fenders with the same problem.