Stripped truss rod nut

I have an interesting problem that I need the forum's help with. I have an older (possibly 1990) Cort bass guitar that has a stripped truss rod nut. The problem isnt getting the nut out - which I did with an easy-out. The problem is that I cant get anyone from either Cort or Mighty Mite to respond to my emails.

I really like the way it plays (except that the neck is so bowed it isnt funny) and I really dont have to replace the neck (unless I have to). And no, I havent tried calling them yet. I realize the bass is most likely 20 years old and they'd rather move newer models, but jeez. What about customer service? Cant they at least return my email to tell me that I'm SOL?

I'd like to post pics to show what model the bass is (it has a Pbass body with one huge humbucker by the bridge) but I dont know how to do it. The headstock is 2x2 and looks like a big comma.

The nut is 5/16 in diameter and is about 1 inch long. The thread is metric - M5 with a .90 pitch.

Any ideas?

replace the whole thing. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Truss_rods/Adjustable_truss_rods/Traditional_Truss_Rod.html

If just the nut is stripped why not just replace the nut? What does the truss recess look like? Is it a gibson style nut or the long fender type with the hex end?

For a single action (gibson style) rod there is no magic to the nut itself. Any nut that fits will do provided it has enough surface area to push back against the neck, and leaves enough room to get a tool in there. There really isn't a need to track down the exact same one from the manufacturer. Unless they are still using ones speced the same on their current instruments they probably won't be able to help you there anyway.

You should be able to find a suitable m5 nut from a hardware supplier. Get a nice hard material so it doesn't strip as easy, and you'll be good to go. Might want to throw a washer on there too.

That usually involves removing the fretboard and unless it's a high value instrument it's really not worth it. That's a costly and time consuming repair, and the neck will have to be refinished as well.

It's a long Fender style nut with a hex end (Cort says it's supposed to use a 4mm allen wrench to adjust it).

And, as I said, I'm not hearing anything back from either Cort or MightyMite (MightyMite has been supplying the parts for Cort instruments for sometime now) so I havent been able to get another truss rod nut for it.

Someone recommended to me that I cover one end of an allen wrench with vasoline, fill the end of the truss rod nut with JB Weld and suspend the allen wrench in it, extracting it just before the Weld hardens. Does that even sound feasable?

I guess it's worth a shot. If it doesn't work you are no worse off than you were before and you can replace it with a new one, assuming we are talking about a gibson style rod where the nut is removable.

http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0074.html

Here's an m5 about an inch long.

This may work too if the other doesn't. It's a double action nut but using just the nut without the retainer it may work for your guitar if the length and width spec ok for your bass.

Its expensive but have you seen this?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Truss_rods/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit.html

This.

No way. JB weld is just epoxy with some metal powder in it. You wont be able to refashon a new nut with it and theres no way its going to hold the 250+lbs stress of a bass neck and strings placed on it. All you'll do with that is perminantly clog the up the threads and prevent a proper nut replacement.

By the way, Mighty mite wont answer any calls or email they probibly dont even speak or read english. They're just an importer that sells through various vendors. I didnt think Court was still in business. I havent looked but I thought they were made by Teisco.

My best advice is what Mr Brown said. Just go to the hardware store and match the thing up. If they arent as long, You can put a few on the rod. One to adjust and one to lock. They use brass on truss rods so the nut will strip vs stripping the rod threads. You could use steel nuts but you take a chance of snapping the truss rod or cracking the neck if you over tighten it again. Once you get it adjusted. Set it and forget it even exists. Trusds nuts only strip if you screw with them.

I was going to mention that. Also, there may be a reason why it's stripped - the rod itself may not have had enough thread or couldn't be adjusted tight enough without stripping the nut. May want to consider adding some kind of spacer in there.

I recently did a temp fix on a Fender style rod nut by cutting a slot for a flat blade screwdriver. Cheap guitar, even cheaper customer. It takes a long apex tip in a 1/4" socket, but it works for now.

I'm confused. After reading though this I can't decide whether the thread is stripped, or if it's just the allen wrench recess that's reamed out. If it's just the recess, if you have enough meat on the nut, you could try just slotting it for a flat blade screwdriver.

If it's the thread that's stripped I would agree a new nut is the only reasonable way to go. Either way I agree that the JBWeld trick ain't gonna work. My experience has been that, as good as JB Weld is for a lot of things, in small, thin quantities it tends to just crumble when any force is put on it. I don't think any epoxy will fix this, but for that kind of thing there are better choices than JB Weld.

It's the allen wrench recess that's stripped. Sorry for those of you that didnt figure it out. The threads on the truss rod are fine. It's the allen wrench recess that's stripped.

I like the idea of slotting it for a flat blade screwdriver and see how that works. Either way I'm going to have to drill out some of the surrounding wood to try anything else....

And yes, Cort is still out there alive and well....

Then what you were saying made sence. I dont know how well it would work. I'd likely get a new one.

WHERE FROM? Remember we're talking Cort here, and they're not answering emails. Would I have to call their corporate HQ to find an actual dealer to get parts from, or would I have to call MightyMite, who's parts are in this thing?

Neither are answering my emails, and I've sent them to mitesales@mightymite.com and to the rep who talked to the music store I work for.

You could make one from a brass or steel spacer, if you're mechanically inclined. Or find somebody with a lathe that is wiling to turn one for you. A short piece of brass hex stock wouldn't be all that expensive. You're not going to be able to do the hex recess without a rotary broach. LMI might be able to have some custom made for you from wherever they get theirs, but I'm sure that's going to be ungodly expensive.

Sorry I didn't catch the part about the threads being OK, just the hex recess fubar'ed.

One other possibility here, that I use to do fairly often with very small model airplane allen sockets that stripped easily, (and were often poorly sized to begin with), is to create a "custom" fitted wrench. If you have any square surfaces left in the nut socket you may be able to take a wrench a size or two larger, and grind or file it, to fit well enough so that it will grip the nut reasonably well.

I posted a link above that looks like it'll work. M5 thread, hex adjustment, about an inch long.

My bad

Thanks much mrbrown49. I didnt notice the imbedded link until you pointed it out. Looks like I'll have to get it from them.

Kinda funny with all the parts StewMac has that they dont have anything metric threaded....

I agree. I checked all my regular parts places and came up with nothing. Seems odd. Unfortunately the place I linked too is in the EU. Hopefully they'll ship to you at a reasonable cost, or turn you on to another distributor.

25 euro minimum order and shipping will be another 20-22 euros.....

Damn. That's like a 35 dollar nut right there all said and done

Anyway you could use a standard m5 nut in there, or is the truss opening too small to get a socket in there?